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 Long Rapids (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 Long Rapids. 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.
Long Rapids is located in Alpena 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 Alpena County: Alcona, Montmorency, Oscoda & Presque Isle.
Below are the counties that are near Long Rapids. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Long Rapids:
- Alpena County (The home county of Long Rapids)
- The following are listed by their distance from Long Rapids, with the one closest to Long Rapids listed first.
- Lachine
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lachine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lachine
- Lachine is located in Alpena County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lachine <2>
- Flanders
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Herron
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Cathro
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cathro. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cathro
- Cathro is located in Alpena County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Cathro
- From Long Rapids to Cathro
- McHarg
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Alpena Junction
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Alpena
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Hubbard Lake
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Ossineke
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Alcona County
- The following are listed by their distance from Long Rapids, with the one closest to Long Rapids listed first.
- Spruce
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Hubbard Lake
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Curran
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Lost Lake Woods
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Black River
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Montmorency County
- The following are listed by their distance from Long Rapids, with the one closest to Long Rapids listed first.
- Royston
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Hillman
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Atlanta
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Canada Creek Ranch
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Big Rock ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Big Rock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Rock
- Big Rock is located in Montmorency County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Big Rock
- From Long Rapids to Big Rock
- Bigelow
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bigelow. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigelow
- Bigelow is located in Montmorency County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Bigelow
- From Long Rapids to Bigelow
- Presque Isle County
- The following are listed by their distance from Long Rapids, with the one closest to Long Rapids listed first.
- Polaski
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Posen
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Posen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Posen
- Posen is located in Presque Isle County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 221 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Posen <2>
- Leroy
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Metz
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Metz. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metz
- Metz is located in Presque Isle County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Metz
- From Long Rapids to Metz
- Hagensville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Liske
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Hawks
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Bell ‑ Historic
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell
- Bell is located in Presque Isle County
- Presque Isle
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Calcite
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Calcite have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calcite
- Calcite is located in Presque Isle County
- Rogers City
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rogers City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogers City
- Rogers City is located in Presque Isle County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,665 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rogers City <2>
- Millersburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millersburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millersburg
- Millersburg is located in Presque Isle County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Millersburg <2>
- Moltke
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Long Rapids, see our County-by-County Page for Long Rapids.
Cemeteries Near Long Rapids ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Long Rapids.
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 Long Rapids covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Long Rapids, with the one closest to Long Rapids listed first.
- Long Rapids Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Long Rapids Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Long Rapids Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Greely Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Leer Lutheran Church Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leer Lutheran Church Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leer Lutheran Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pilgrims Rest Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pilgrims Rest Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pilgrims Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Herron St. Rose's Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Herron St. Rose's Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Herron St. Rose's Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Cathro Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cathro Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cathro Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Old Evangelist Lutheran Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Evangelist Lutheran Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Evangelist Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Wilson Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilson Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Montmorency Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Montmorency Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Montmorency Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Johns Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hillman - Rust Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Spratt Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spratt Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spratt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (50 more) ...
- Metz Twp. Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Metz Twp. Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Metz Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Casimir's Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Casimir's Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Casimir's Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Augustine Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Augustine Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Augustine Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<5>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Long Rapids had a population of 178 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Long Rapids, with the one closest to Long Rapids listed first.
- Flanders
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Bolton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bolton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolton
- Bolton is located in Alpena County
- Hillman
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Posen
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Posen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Posen
- Posen is located in Presque Isle County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 221 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Posen <2>
- Hagensville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Alpena
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Bell ‑ Historic
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell
- Bell is located in Presque Isle County
- Presque Isle
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Hubbard Lake
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Rogers City
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rogers City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogers City
- Rogers City is located in Presque Isle County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,665 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rogers City <2>
- Ossineke
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Atlanta
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Continue List (6 more) ...
- Big Rock ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Big Rock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Rock
- Big Rock is located in Montmorency County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Big Rock
- From Long Rapids to Big Rock
- Ocqueoc
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Curran
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Long Rapids. See our List of 1890's Communities around Long Rapids.
Newspapers Published in Long Rapids ...
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 44 newspapers that have been published in the area around Long Rapids.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Long Rapids, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Long Rapids.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Long Rapids:
- Websites specific to Michigan
- Pages specific to Alpena County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Alcona County
- Montmorency County
- Presque Isle County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Michigan
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Long Rapids. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Alpena County: www.alpenacounty.org/
The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | 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. |
<2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<3> | 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. |
<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> | 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 Long Rapids, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
<6> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Long Rapids) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Long Rapids. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.1251, Longitude: -83.7223 |