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 Mason (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 Mason. 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 Mason ...
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.
In past government published Postal Guides, Mason was referred to as Mason Courthouse.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Mason. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Mason.
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.
For more information about how community names might have been affected by the Board of Geographic Names (BGN), see our page about Placename Rules.
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 hospitals and doctors 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.
Mason is located in Ingham County and is the County Seat.
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 Ingham County: Clinton, Eaton, Jackson, Livingston, Shiawassee & Washtenaw.
Below are the counties that are near Mason. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Mason:
- Ingham County (The home county of Mason)
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Pollok ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Pollok is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pollok
- Pollok has also been known as:
- Pollock
- Holt
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- North Leslie
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- North Leslie is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Leslie
- Dansville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Meridian
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Meridian is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meridian
- Okemos
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Leslie
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Bunker Hill
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Bunker Hill is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunker Hill
- East Lansing
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Haslett
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Williamston
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Lansing
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Onondaga
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Calhoun County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Duck Lake
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Duck Lake is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duck Lake
- Rice Creek
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Rice Creek is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice Creek
- Albion
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Marengo
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Marengo is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marengo
- Clinton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Clinton Village
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Clinton Village is located in Clinton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinton Village
- Bath
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Gunnisonville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Gunnisonville is located in Clinton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gunnisonville
- De Witt
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- East DeWitt
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- East DeWitt is located in Clinton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East DeWitt
- Eagle
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Price
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Price is located in Clinton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Price
- Ovid
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Saint Johns
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Shepardsville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Shepardsville is located in Clinton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shepardsville
- Westphalia
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Eaton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Petrieville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Petrieville is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrieville
- Kingsland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Kingsland is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsland
- Dimondale
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Eaton Rapids
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Millett
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Millett is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millett
- Millett has also been known as:
- Milletts
- West Windsor
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- West Windsor is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Windsor
- Waverly
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Waverly is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waverly
- Charlesworth
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Charlesworth is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charlesworth
- Potterville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Grand Ledge
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Charlotte
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Needmore
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Needmore is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Needmore
- Chester
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Chester is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chester
- Ionia County
- Portland
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Berryville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Berryville is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berryville
- Rives Junction
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Rives Junction is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rives Junction
- Pleasant Lake
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Tompkins
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Tompkins is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tompkins
- Munith
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Springport
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Trist
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Trist is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trist
- Woodville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Woodville is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodville
- Waterloo
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Waterloo is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
- Devereaux
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Devereaux is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Devereaux
- Jackson
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- 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>
- Parma
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Sandstone
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Sandstone is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandstone
- Livingston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Parkers Corners
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Parkers Corners is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkers Corners
- Plainfield
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Plainfield is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainfield
- Fowlerville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Gregory
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Unadilla
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Unadilla is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Unadilla
- Anderson
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Anderson is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
- Chalkerville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Chalkerville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalkerville
- Chalkerville has also been known as:
- Chalkers Landing
- Kaiserville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Kaiserville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kaiserville
- Hell
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- 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>
- Chubb's Corners ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Chubb's Corners is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chubb's Corners
- Howell
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Pinckney
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Cohoctah
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Cohoctah is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cohoctah
- Shiawassee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Shaftsburg
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Shaftsburg is located in Shiawassee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaftsburg
- Perry
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Laingsburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Nicholson
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Nicholson is located in Shiawassee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicholson
- Morrice
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Bancroft
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Newburg
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Newburg is located in Shiawassee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newburg
- Burton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Burton is located in Shiawassee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burton
- Five Points
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Five Points is located in Shiawassee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
- Byron
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Washtenaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Chelsea
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Dover
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Dover is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
- Hudson Mills
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hudson Mills is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudson Mills
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Mason, see our County-by-County Page for Mason.
Cemeteries Near Mason ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mason.
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 Mason - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Mason covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Maple Grove Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Hawley Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Dubois Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Phillips Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Rolfe Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Eden Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- North Aurelius Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Maple Ridge Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Leek Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Leek Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Pioneer Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (298 more) ...
- Foote - Rockwell Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Fowler Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Felt Plains Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
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.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Mason had a population of 1,875 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Mason had a population of 8,389 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Mason, with the one closest to Mason listed first.
- Eden
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Eden is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden
- Aurelius
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Aurelius is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aurelius
- Holt
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- North Aurelius
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- North Aurelius is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Aurelius
- Dansville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Meridian
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Meridian is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meridian
- Leslie
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Bunker Hill
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Bunker Hill is located in Ingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunker Hill
- Okemos
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Packard
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Packard is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Packard
- Kingsland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Kingsland is located in Eaton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsland
- Eaton Rapids
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Onondaga
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Lansing
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Williamston
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Mason. See our List of 1890's Communities around Mason.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Mason ...
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 143 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mason.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Mason. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Mason and those printed in the larger area surrounding Mason.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Mason.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Mason:
- Websites specific to Michigan
- Pages specific to Ingham County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Calhoun County
- Clinton County
- Eaton County
- Ionia County
- Jackson County
- Livingston County
- Shiawassee 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> | 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. |
| <3> | 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 Mason, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Mason) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |