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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 Loretto (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 Loretto. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Loretto is located in Dickinson 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 Dickinson County: Iron, Marquette, Menominee, Florence (WI) & Marinette (WI).

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

  • Dickinson County     (The home county of Loretto)
  • Delta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loretto, with the one closest to Loretto listed first.
    • Schaffer
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Bark River
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Cornell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornell
      • Cornell is located in Delta County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cornell <2>
    • Flat Rock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flat Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flat Rock
      • Flat Rock is located in Delta County
  • Iron County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loretto, with the one closest to Loretto listed first.
    • Mansfield ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mansfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mansfield
      • Mansfield is located in Iron County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mansfield
      • From Loretto to Mansfield
    • Stager
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Stager. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stager
      • Stager is located in Iron County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Stager
      • From Loretto to Stager
    • Mastodon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mastodon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mastodon
      • Mastodon is located in Iron County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mastodon
      • From Loretto to Mastodon
  • Marquette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loretto, with the one closest to Loretto listed first.
    • Northland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Reade
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Reade. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reade
      • Reade is located in Marquette County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Reade
      • From Loretto to Reade
    • Arnold
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arnold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnold
      • Arnold is located in Marquette County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arnold <2>
    • Watson ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Menominee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loretto, with the one closest to Loretto listed first.
    • Blom
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Hermansville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hermansville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermansville
      • Hermansville is located in Menominee County
    • Spalding
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Powers
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powers
      • Powers is located in Menominee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 403 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Powers <2>
    • Nadeau
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nadeau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nadeau
      • Nadeau is located in Menominee County
    • Wilson
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • LaBranche
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Banat
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Carney
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Dryads ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dryads. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dryads
      • Dryads is located in Menominee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dryads
      • From Loretto to Dryads
    • Swanson
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Swanson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swanson
      • Swanson is located in Menominee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Swanson
      • From Loretto to Swanson
    • Perronville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • Florence County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loretto, with the one closest to Loretto listed first.
    • Aurora
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Spread Eagle
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Commonwealth
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Florence
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Fern ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fern. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
      • Fern is located in Florence County (WI)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fern
      • From Loretto to Fern
  • Marinette County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loretto, with the one closest to Loretto listed first.
    • Niagara
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Niagara have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Niagara
      • Niagara is located in Marinette County (WI)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,535 people
    • Pembine
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Dunbar
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Cedarville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Athelstane
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Wausaukee
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wausaukee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wausaukee
      • Wausaukee is located in Marinette County (WI)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 552 people

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

Cemeteries Near Loretto ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Loretto.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Loretto, with the one closest to Loretto 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.<5>

While we didn't find Loretto in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Loretto.

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

  • Vulcan
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vulcan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vulcan
    • Vulcan is located in Dickinson County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vulcan <2>
  • Waucedah
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waucedah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waucedah
    • Waucedah is located in Dickinson County
  • Norway
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norway
    • Norway is located in Dickinson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,714 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norway <2>
  • Quinnesec
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Hermansville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hermansville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermansville
    • Hermansville is located in Menominee County
  • Pembine
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Iron Mountain
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Foster City
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foster City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foster City
    • Foster City is located in Dickinson County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Foster City <2>
  • Hylas ‑ Historic
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hylas have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hylas
    • Hylas is located in Dickinson County
  • Hardwood
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hardwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardwood
    • Hardwood is located in Dickinson County
  • Powers
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powers
    • Powers is located in Menominee County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 403 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Powers <2>
  • Merriman
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merriman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merriman
    • Merriman is located in Dickinson County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Pulp
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pulp have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pulp
      • Pulp is located in Florence County (WI)
    • Faunus ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Faunus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faunus
      • Faunus is located in Menominee County
    • Granite Bluff
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Granite Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granite Bluff
      • Granite Bluff is located in Dickinson County

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

Newspapers Published in Loretto ...

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 23 newspapers that have been published in the area around Loretto.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Loretto, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Loretto.

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 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 Loretto:

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

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 Loretto, 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Loretto) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Loretto. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.7773, Longitude: -87.8153    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025