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 Grass 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 Grass 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 Grass 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 occur.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Grass Lake: Grass Lk.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Grass Lake. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Grass 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.
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 north 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.
Grass Lake is located in Jackson 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 Jackson County: Calhoun, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Lenawee, Livingston & Washtenaw.
Below are the counties that are near Grass Lake. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Grass Lake:
- Jackson County (The home county of Grass Lake)
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Fishville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Fishville is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fishville
- Leoni
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Leoni is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leoni
- Trist
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Trist is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trist
- Napoleon
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Norvell
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Norvell is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norvell
- Michigan Center
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Waterloo
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Waterloo is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
- Munith
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Brooklyn
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Vandercook Lake
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Vandercook Lake is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandercook Lake
- Jackson
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Jackson is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 32,374 people
- Former name for Jackson:
- Jacksonopolis
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jackson <1>
- Pleasant Lake
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Clarklake
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Calhoun County
- Albion
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Eaton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Charlesworth
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Charlesworth is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charlesworth
- Petrieville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Petrieville is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrieville
- Eaton Rapids
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Hillsdale County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Somerset
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Somerset Center
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Somerset Center is located in Hillsdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somerset Center
- Jerome
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Moscow
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Moscow is located in Hillsdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscow
- North Adams
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- North Adams is located in Hillsdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Adams
- Population from the 2020 Census: 461 people
- Mosherville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Mosherville is located in Hillsdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mosherville
- Locust Corners
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Locust Corners is located in Hillsdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Corners
- Jonesville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Osseo
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Pittsford
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Ingham County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Fitchburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Fitchburg is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitchburg
- Stockbridge
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Bunker Hill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Bunker Hill is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunker Hill
- Leslie
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- North Leslie
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- North Leslie is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Leslie
- Dansville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Onondaga
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Mason
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Pollok ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Pollok is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pollok
- Pollok has also been known as:
- Pollock
- Webberville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Williamston
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Lenawee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Cambridge Junction
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Cambridge Junction is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambridge Junction
- Cement City
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Onsted
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Devils Lake
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Devils Lake is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Devils Lake
- Clinton
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Clinton is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,287 people
- Tipton
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Addison Junction
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Addison Junction is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison Junction
- Addison
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Manitou Beach - Devils Lake
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Manitou Beach
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Macon
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Macon is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macon
- Tecumseh
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Rollin
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Rollin is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollin
- Livingston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Unadilla
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Unadilla is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Unadilla
- Chalkerville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Chalkerville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalkerville
- Chalkerville has also been known as:
- Chalkers Landing
- Gregory
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Kaiserville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Kaiserville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kaiserville
- Hell
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Hell is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hell
- Hell has also been known as:
- Hi Land Lake
- Highland Lake
- Hiland Lake
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hell <1>
- Plainfield
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Plainfield is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainfield
- Anderson
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Anderson is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
- Pinckney
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Parkers Corners
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Parkers Corners is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkers Corners
- Chubb's Corners ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Chubb's Corners is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chubb's Corners
- Lakeland
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Pettysville
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Pettysville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettysville
- Hamburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Monroe County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Cone
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Cone is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cone
- Milan
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Washtenaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Sharon Hollow
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Sharon Hollow is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon Hollow
- Rowes Corner
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Rowes Corner is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowes Corner
- Chelsea
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Manchester
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Bridgewater
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Dexter
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Hudson Mills
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Hudson Mills is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudson Mills
- Dover
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Dover is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
- Delhi Mills
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Delhi Mills is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi Mills
- Saline
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Ann Arbor
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Barton Hills
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Barton Hills is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barton Hills
- Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
- Pittsfield
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Pittsfield is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsfield
- Pittsfield has also been known as:
- Pittsfield Village
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Grass Lake, see our County-by-County Page for Grass Lake.
Cemeteries Near Grass Lake ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Grass 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 Grass Lake - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Grass Lake covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Grass Lake Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- East Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Roman Orthodox Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- St. Mary Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Mary Cemetery
- The St. Mary Cemetery has also been known as:
- Vatra Romaneasca Cemetery
- St. John's Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Leoni Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Ray Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Fishville Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Miles Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Raymond Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- North Sharon Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Continue List (387 more) ...
- Salem Grove Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Oak Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 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.<2>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Grass Lake had a population of 617 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Grass Lake had a population of 1,140 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Grass Lake, with the one closest to Grass Lake listed first.
- Francisco
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Francisco is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Francisco
- Leoni
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Leoni is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leoni
- Trist
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Trist is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trist
- Michigan Center
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Napoleon
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Norvell
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Norvell is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norvell
- Waterloo
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Waterloo is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
- Roots
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Roots is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roots
- Munith
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Brooklyn
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Chelsea
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Jackson
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Jackson is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 32,374 people
- Former name for Jackson:
- Jacksonopolis
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jackson <1>
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Manchester
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- South Jackson
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- South Jackson is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Jackson
- Fitchburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Fitchburg is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitchburg
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Grass Lake. See our List of 1890's Communities around Grass Lake.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Grass 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 108 newspapers that have been published in the area around Grass Lake.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Grass Lake. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Grass Lake and those printed in the larger area surrounding Grass Lake.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3> of Grass Lake.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we start with 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 Grass Lake:
- Websites specific to Michigan
- Pages specific to Jackson County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Calhoun County
- Eaton County
- Hillsdale County
- Ingham County
- Lenawee County
- Livingston County
- Monroe County
- Washtenaw 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> | 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 Grass Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <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- Grass Lake) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |