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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Devils Lake (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Devils Lake. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Name Variations for Devils Lake ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

  • A typical abbreviation for Devils Lake: Devils Lk.
  • While the name of this community is Devils Lake, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Devils Lake may originally have been Devil's Lake.

    Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Devils Lake might be written as Devil Lake.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Devils Lake is located in Lenawee County.

To see how the shape of Michigan's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Lenawee County: Hillsdale, Jackson, Monroe, Washtenaw, Fulton (OH) & Lucas (OH).

Below are the counties that are near Devils Lake. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Devils Lake:

  • Lenawee County     (The home county of Devils Lake)
  • Branch County
  • Calhoun County
  • Hillsdale County
  • Ingham County
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Devils Lake, with the one closest to Devils Lake listed first.
    • Brooklyn
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brooklyn have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooklyn
      • Brooklyn is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,165 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brooklyn <3>
    • Clarklake
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarklake have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarklake
      • Clarklake is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarklake <3>
    • Liberty
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Napoleon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Napoleon have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Napoleon
      • Napoleon is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Napoleon <3>
    • Norvell
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norvell have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norvell
      • Norvell is located in Jackson County
    • South Jackson
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Vandercook Lake
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Hanover
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hanover have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanover
      • Hanover is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 424 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hanover <3>
    • Michigan Center
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Fishville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Horton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Leoni
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leoni. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leoni
      • Leoni is located in Jackson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leoni
      • From Devils Lake to Leoni
  • Monroe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Devils Lake, with the one closest to Devils Lake listed first.
    • Cone
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cone. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cone
      • Cone is located in Monroe County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cone
      • From Devils Lake to Cone
    • Petersburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Washtenaw County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Devils Lake, with the one closest to Devils Lake listed first.
    • Sharon Hollow
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Manchester
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manchester have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
      • Manchester is located in Washtenaw County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,144 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Manchester <3>
    • Rowes Corner
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Bridgewater
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bridgewater have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgewater
      • Bridgewater is located in Washtenaw County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bridgewater <3>
    • Chelsea
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chelsea have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chelsea
      • Chelsea is located in Washtenaw County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,377 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chelsea <3>
    • Saline
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Dexter
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Fulton County (OH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Devils Lake, with the one closest to Devils Lake listed first.
    • Ritters ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ritters have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ritters
      • Ritters is located in Fulton County (OH)
    • Denson ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Denson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denson
      • Denson is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Denson
      • From Devils Lake to Denson
    • Powers ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Powers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powers
      • Powers is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Powers has also been known as:
      • Powers Station
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Powers
      • From Devils Lake to Powers
    • Fayette
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Lyons
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyons have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyons
      • Lyons is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 544 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyons <3>
    • Inlet ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Inlet. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inlet
      • Inlet is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Inlet
      • From Devils Lake to Inlet
    • Oakshade
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Thelma ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Thelma. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thelma
      • Thelma is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Thelma
      • From Devils Lake to Thelma
    • Advance
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Whiteville ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Whiteville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whiteville
      • Whiteville is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Whiteville
      • From Devils Lake to Whiteville
    • Leslie ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leslie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leslie
      • Leslie is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leslie
      • From Devils Lake to Leslie
    • Metamora
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Metamora have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metamora
      • Metamora is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 604 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Metamora <3>
  • Lucas County (OH)
  • Williams County (OH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Devils Lake, with the one closest to Devils Lake listed first.
    • Alvordton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Pioneer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pioneer have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pioneer
      • Pioneer is located in Williams County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,396 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pioneer <3>
    • Kunkle
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • West Unity
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Jim Town
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jim Town have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jim Town
      • Jim Town is located in Williams County (OH)
    • Holiday City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holiday City have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday City
      • Holiday City is located in Williams County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 47 people

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Devils Lake, see our County-by-County Page for Devils Lake.

Cemeteries Near Devils Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Devils Lake.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Devils Lake covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Devils Lake, with the one closest to Devils Lake listed first.

  • Sanford Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sanford Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sanford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hand Hillside Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hand Hillside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hand Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brownell - Binns Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brownell - Binns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brownell - Binns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greens Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greens Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Briggs Lake Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Friends Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Friends Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Friends Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Osborn Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osborn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Osborn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Rome Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Pratt Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pratt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pratt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sherman Farm Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sherman Farm Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sherman Farm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Quaker Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Quaker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Quaker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (399 more) ...
    • Rollin Center Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rollin Center Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rollin Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Maple Shade Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Shade Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Shade Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Cambridge Junction Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cambridge Junction Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cambridge Junction Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Devils Lake had a post office and railroad service.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Devils Lake, with the one closest to Devils Lake listed first.

  • Addison Junction
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Manitou Beach
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Addison
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Addison have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison
    • Addison is located in Lenawee County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 579 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Addison <3>
  • Geneva
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geneva have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geneva
    • Geneva is located in Lenawee County
  • Onsted
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Onsted have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onsted
    • Onsted is located in Lenawee County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 947 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Onsted <3>
  • Somerset
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Wheatland
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheatland have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland
    • Wheatland is located in Hillsdale County
  • Rollin
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rollin have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollin
    • Rollin is located in Lenawee County
  • Springville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Springville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springville
    • Springville is located in Lenawee County
  • Brooklyn
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brooklyn have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooklyn
    • Brooklyn is located in Jackson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,165 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brooklyn <3>
  • Somerset Center
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Liberty
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Jerome
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jerome have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerome
      • Jerome is located in Hillsdale County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jerome <3>
    • Hudson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Clayton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clayton have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clayton
      • Clayton is located in Lenawee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 328 people

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Devils Lake. See our List of 1890's Communities around Devils Lake.

Newspapers Published in Devils Lake ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 137 newspapers that have been published in the area around Devils Lake.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Devils Lake, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<7>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Devils Lake.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Devils Lake:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Devils Lake. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Lenawee County: www.lenawee.mi.us/

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties).
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Devils Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Devils Lake) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Devils Lake. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.0072, Longitude: -84.2901    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 14 Jul 2025