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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 Hastings (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 Hastings. 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.

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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Hastings is located in Barry County and is the County Seat.

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 Barry County: Allegan, Calhoun, Eaton, Ionia, Kalamazoo & Kent.

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

  • Barry County     (The home county of Hastings)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hastings, with the one closest to Hastings listed first.
    • Morgan
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Morgan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
      • Morgan is located in Barry County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Morgan
      • From Hastings to Morgan
    • Irving
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Freeport
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
      • Freeport is located in Barry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 503 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Freeport <3>
    • Cedar Creek
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Dowling
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Cloverdale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Woodland
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Nashville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nashville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashville
      • Nashville is located in Barry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,696 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nashville <3>
    • Middleville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middleville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleville
      • Middleville is located in Barry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,510 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Middleville <3>
    • Maple Grove
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Delton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Banfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Prairieville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Allegan County
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hastings, with the one closest to Hastings listed first.
    • Bedford
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bedford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bedford
      • Bedford is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bedford <3>
    • Level Park
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Oak Park
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oak Park. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Park
      • Oak Park is located in Calhoun County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Oak Park
      • From Hastings to Oak Park
    • Pennfield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Springfield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Springfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springfield
      • Springfield is located in Calhoun County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,184 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Springfield <3>
    • Battle Creek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Brownlee Park
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownlee Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownlee Park
      • Brownlee Park is located in Calhoun County
    • Fort Custer
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fort Custer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Custer
      • Fort Custer is located in Calhoun County
      • Former name for Fort Custer:
      • Camp Custer
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fort Custer
      • From Hastings to Fort Custer
    • Verona Park
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Beadle Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Sonoma
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sonoma. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sonoma
      • Sonoma is located in Calhoun County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sonoma
      • From Hastings to Sonoma
    • Ceresco
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ceresco have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ceresco
      • Ceresco is located in Calhoun County
    • West Leroy
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for West Leroy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Leroy
      • West Leroy is located in Calhoun County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to West Leroy
      • From Hastings to West Leroy
  • Clinton County
  • Eaton County
  • Ionia County
  • Kalamazoo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hastings, with the one closest to Hastings listed first.
    • Highland Park
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • South Gull Lake
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Gull Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Gull Lake
      • South Gull Lake is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Yorkville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Yorkville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkville
      • Yorkville is located in Kalamazoo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Yorkville
      • From Hastings to Yorkville
    • Richland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
      • Richland is located in Kalamazoo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 847 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Richland <3>
    • Augusta
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • East Cooper
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Cooper. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Cooper
      • East Cooper is located in Kalamazoo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to East Cooper
      • From Hastings to East Cooper
    • Galesburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Parchment
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parchment have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parchment
      • Parchment is located in Kalamazoo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,825 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Parchment <3>
    • Comstock
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Comstock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comstock
      • Comstock is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Eastwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eastwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastwood
      • Eastwood is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Climax
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Alamo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Kalamazoo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Kent County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hastings, with the one closest to Hastings listed first.
    • Alto
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alto have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alto
      • Alto is located in Kent County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alto <3>
    • Caledonia
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Lowell
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Segwun
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Dutton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Corinth
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Corinth. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corinth
      • Corinth is located in Kent County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Corinth
      • From Hastings to Corinth
    • Kentwood
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kentwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kentwood
      • Kentwood is located in Kent County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51,719 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kentwood <3>
    • Ada
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ada have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ada
      • Ada is located in Kent County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ada <3>
    • Carlisle
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carlisle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlisle
      • Carlisle is located in Kent County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Carlisle
      • From Hastings to Carlisle
    • Cutlerville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cutlerville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cutlerville
      • Cutlerville is located in Kent County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cutlerville <3>
    • Forest Hills
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forest Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Hills
      • Forest Hills is located in Kent County
    • Byron Center
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • North Dorr
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Dorr have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Dorr
      • North Dorr is located in Kent County
  • Ottawa County

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

Cemeteries Near Hastings ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hastings.

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 Hastings covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Riverside Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Leach Grave
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leach Grave
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leach Grave have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Barry County Poor Farm Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barry County Poor Farm Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Barry County Poor Farm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hastings Twp. Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hastings Twp. Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hastings Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ingraham Grave
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ingraham Grave
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ingraham Grave have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Irving Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Irving Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Irving Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rutland Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rutland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rutland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Striker Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • West Carlton Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Carlton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Carlton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brush Ridge Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brush Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brush Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Barryville Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barryville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Barryville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (294 more) ...
    • Barnum Neighborhood Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barnum Neighborhood Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Barnum Neighborhood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Fuller Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fuller Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fuller Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Dowling Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dowling Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dowling Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Hastings had a population of 2,972 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Hastings had a population of 7,335 people.

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

  • Coats Grove
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coats Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coats Grove
    • Coats Grove is located in Barry County
  • Morgan
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Morgan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
    • Morgan is located in Barry County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Morgan
    • From Hastings to Morgan
  • Irving
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Cloverdale
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Cedar Creek
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Dowling
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Freeport
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
    • Freeport is located in Barry County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 503 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Freeport <3>
  • Woodland
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Maple Grove
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Nashville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nashville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashville
    • Nashville is located in Barry County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,696 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nashville <3>
  • Middleville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middleville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleville
    • Middleville is located in Barry County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,510 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Middleville <3>
  • Delton
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Lacey
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lacey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacey
      • Lacey is located in Barry County
    • Bowens Mill
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bowens Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowens Mill
      • Bowens Mill is located in Barry County
    • Prairieville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Hastings ...

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 128 newspapers that have been published in the area around Hastings.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Hastings. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Hastings and those printed in the larger area surrounding Hastings.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<5> of Hastings.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Hastings:

The official website for Hastings: www.hastings.mi.us/

The official website for Barry County: www.barrycounty.org/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Hastings, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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 from Point A (ie- Hastings) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Hastings. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.6487, Longitude: -85.2906    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025