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 Elbow 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 Elbow 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 Elbow 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.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Elbow Lake: Elbow Lk.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Elbow Lake. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Elbow 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Elbow Lake is located in Ogemaw County.
To see how the shape of Michigan's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Ogemaw County: Alcona, Arenac, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Oscoda & Roscommon.
Below are the counties that are near Elbow Lake. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Elbow Lake:
- Ogemaw County (The home county of Elbow Lake)
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Skidway Lake
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Prescott
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Greenwood
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Greenwood is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
- Campbells Corners
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Campbells Corners is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbells Corners
- West Branch
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Fayettes Corner ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Fayettes Corner is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayettes Corner
- Lupton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Rose City
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Ogemaw Springs
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Ogemaw Springs is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogemaw Springs
- South Branch
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Damon
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Damon is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Damon
- Alcona County
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Curtisville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Curtisville is located in Alcona County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curtisville
- Glennie
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Arenac County
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Melita
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Melita is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
- Maple Ridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Maple Ridge is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Ridge
- Sterling
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Turner
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Turner is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turner
- Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
- Twining
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Twining is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twining
- Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
- Omer
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Omer is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 288 people
- Standish
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Arenac
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Arenac is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arenac
- Pine River
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Pine River is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine River
- Saganing
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Saganing is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saganing
- Au Gres
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Whites Beach
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Whites Beach is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whites Beach
- Bay County
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Bentley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Bentley is located in Bay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bentley
- Mount Forest
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Mount Forest is located in Bay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Forest
- Nine Mile
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Nine Mile is located in Bay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nine Mile
- Woodville
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Woodville is located in Bay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodville
- Pinconning
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Clare County
- Meredith
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Meredith is located in Clare County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meredith
- Gladwin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Sugar Rapids
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Sugar Rapids is located in Gladwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Rapids
- Rhodes
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Rhodes is located in Gladwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rhodes
- Wooden Shoe Village
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Wooden Shoe Village is located in Gladwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wooden Shoe Village
- Butman
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Butman is located in Gladwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butman
- Highwood
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Highwood is located in Gladwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highwood
- White Star
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- White Star is located in Gladwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Star
- Gladwin
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Iosco County
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Whittemore
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- National City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Hale
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Long Lake
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- White Rock ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- White Rock is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Rock
- Tawas City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Sid Town
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Sid Town is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sid Town
- East Tawas
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Wilber
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Wilber is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilber
- Oscoda County
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- McKinley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- McKinley is located in Oscoda County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McKinley
- Mio
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Luzerne
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Roscommon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Saint Helen
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Geels
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Geels is located in Roscommon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geels
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Elbow Lake, see our County-by-County Page for Elbow Lake.
Cemeteries Near Elbow Lake ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Elbow 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.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Elbow Lake - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Elbow Lake covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Mills Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Selkirk Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selkirk Cemetery
- The Selkirk Cemetery has also been known as:
- Churchill Twp. Cemetery
- Rifle River Cemetery
- Alger Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Richland Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Clayton Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Logan Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Campbells Corners Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Burleigh Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- St. Josephs Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Bourret Twp. Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Plains Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Cedar Valley Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Valley Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Cedar Valley Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<3> to the northwest of Twining.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #241 <2>
- Continue List (94 more) ...
- Brookside Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- St. Joseph's Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- St. George Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
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.<4>
While we didn't find Elbow Lake in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Elbow Lake.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Elbow Lake, with the one closest to Elbow Lake listed first.
- Prescott
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Greenwood
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Greenwood is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
- Selkirk
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Selkirk is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selkirk
- Alger
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Melita
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Melita is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
- Maple Ridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Maple Ridge is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Ridge
- Campbells Corners
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Campbells Corners is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbells Corners
- West Branch
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Whittemore
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Sterling
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Omer
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Omer is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 288 people
- Ogemaw Springs
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Ogemaw Springs is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogemaw Springs
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Standish
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Arenac
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Arenac is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arenac
- Hale
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Elbow Lake. See our List of 1890's Communities around Elbow Lake.
Newspapers Published in Elbow 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 39 newspapers that have been published in the area around Elbow Lake.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Elbow Lake, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Elbow Lake.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Elbow Lake:
- Websites specific to Michigan
- Pages specific to Ogemaw County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Alcona County
- Arenac County
- Bay County
- Clare County
- Gladwin County
- Iosco County
- Oscoda County
- Roscommon County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Michigan
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | 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. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Elbow Lake) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | 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 Elbow Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |