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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 Lilley (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 Lilley. 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 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.

Lilley is located in Newaygo 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 Newaygo County: Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Oceana & Osceola.

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

  • Newaygo County     (The home county of Lilley)
  • Lake County
  • Manistee County
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lilley, with the one closest to Lilley listed first.
    • Carr
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carr
      • Carr is located in Mason County
      • Carr has also been known as:
      • Carr Settlement
      • McCumber Settlement
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Carr
      • From Lilley to Carr
    • Walhalla
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Tallman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tallman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tallman
      • Tallman is located in Mason County
      • Tallman has also been known as:
      • Weaver
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tallman
      • From Lilley to Tallman
    • Batcheller ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Batcheller. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batcheller
      • Batcheller is located in Mason County
      • Batcheller has also been known as:
      • Turtle Lake
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Batcheller
      • From Lilley to Batcheller
    • Millerton ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Millerton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
      • Millerton is located in Mason County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Millerton
      • From Lilley to Millerton
    • Custer
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Wiley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Scottville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Elm Flats ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elm Flats. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Flats
      • Elm Flats is located in Mason County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elm Flats
      • From Lilley to Elm Flats
    • Fountain
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Amber
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sugar Grove
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Mecosta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lilley, with the one closest to Lilley listed first.
    • Paris
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Big Rapids
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Rapids have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Rapids
      • Big Rapids is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,408 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Big Rapids <1>
    • Stanwood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Pogy
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pogy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pogy
      • Pogy is located in Mecosta County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pogy
      • From Lilley to Pogy
    • Borland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Borland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borland
      • Borland is located in Mecosta County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Borland
      • From Lilley to Borland
    • Rodney
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rodney have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rodney
      • Rodney is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rodney <1>
    • Chippewa Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Morley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morley
      • Morley is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 495 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Morley <1>
    • Canadian Lakes
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Muskegon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lilley, with the one closest to Lilley listed first.
    • Brunswick
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brunswick. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick
      • Brunswick is located in Muskegon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Brunswick
      • From Lilley to Brunswick
    • Holton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holton
      • Holton is located in Muskegon County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Holton <1>
  • Oceana County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lilley, with the one closest to Lilley listed first.
    • Walkerville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Hesperia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hesperia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hesperia
      • Hesperia is located in Oceana County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 936 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hesperia <1>
    • Cobmoosa
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cobmoosa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobmoosa
      • Cobmoosa is located in Oceana County
      • Cobmoosa has also been known as:
      • Cob Moo Sa
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cobmoosa
      • From Lilley to Cobmoosa
    • Elbridge
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elbridge. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elbridge
      • Elbridge is located in Oceana County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elbridge
      • From Lilley to Elbridge
    • Ferry
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Hart
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hart have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hart
      • Hart is located in Oceana County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,089 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hart <1>
    • Shelby
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • New Era
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Era have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Era
      • New Era is located in Oceana County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 440 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Era <1>
    • Pentwater
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • French Town
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for French Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for French Town
      • French Town is located in Oceana County
    • Mears
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Rothbury
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Osceola County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lilley, with the one closest to Lilley listed first.
    • Reed City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Hersey
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hersey have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hersey
      • Hersey is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 347 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hersey <1>
    • Ashton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ashton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
      • Ashton is located in Osceola County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ashton
      • From Lilley to Ashton
    • Le Roy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Tustin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tustin have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tustin
      • Tustin is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tustin <1>
    • Evart
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evart have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evart
      • Evart is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,886 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evart <1>
  • Wexford County
    • Hoxeyville ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hoxeyville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoxeyville
      • Hoxeyville is located in Wexford County
      • Hoxeyville has also been known as:
      • Clay Hill
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hoxeyville
      • From Lilley to Hoxeyville

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

Cemeteries Near Lilley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Lilley.

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

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

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 Lilley had a population of 210 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Bitely
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Brohman
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Baldwin
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Volney
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Volney have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Volney
    • Volney is located in Newaygo County
  • Woodville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodville
    • Woodville is located in Newaygo County
  • Nirvana
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Hawkins
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Chase
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Aetna
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • White Cloud
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Hesperia
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hesperia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hesperia
    • Hesperia is located in Oceana County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 936 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hesperia <1>
  • Alleyton
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alleyton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alleyton
    • Alleyton is located in Newaygo County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Wolf Lake
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wolf Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolf Lake
      • Wolf Lake is located in Lake County
    • Paris
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Cobmoosa
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cobmoosa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobmoosa
      • Cobmoosa is located in Oceana County
      • Cobmoosa has also been known as:
      • Cob Moo Sa
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cobmoosa
      • From Lilley to Cobmoosa

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

Newspapers Published in Lilley ...

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 80 newspapers that have been published in the area around Lilley.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Lilley, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Lilley.

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 Lilley:

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

The official website for Newaygo County: www.countyofnewaygo.com/

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

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>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>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.
<4>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.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Lilley) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Lilley. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.7707, Longitude: -85.8504       In this case, the coordinates for Lilley have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Lilley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025