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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 McDonald (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 McDonald. 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 and doctors 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.

McDonald is located in Van Buren 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 Van Buren County: Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo & Saint Joseph.

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

  • Van Buren County     (The home county of McDonald)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Bangor
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bangor
      • Bangor is located in Van Buren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,808 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bangor <1>
    • Hartford
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Covert
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Lawrence
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Breedsville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Fish Corners
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fish Corners
      • Fish Corners is located in Van Buren County
    • Glendale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendale
      • Glendale is located in Van Buren County
    • Kibbie
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kibbie
      • Kibbie is located in Van Buren County
    • Lacota
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacota
      • Lacota is located in Van Buren County
    • Bloomingdale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Grand Junction
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • South Haven
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Paw Paw
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Allegan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • South Haven Highlands
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Hawkhead
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkhead
      • Hawkhead is located in Allegan County
    • Leisure
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leisure
      • Leisure is located in Allegan County
      • Leisure has also been known as:
      • East Casco
    • Miami Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miami Park
      • Miami Park is located in Allegan County
      • Miami Park has also been known as:
      • Miami Park Beach
      • Miomi Park Beach
    • Mount Pleasant
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
      • Mount Pleasant is located in Allegan County
    • Cedar Bluff
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Bluff
      • Cedar Bluff is located in Allegan County
    • Pullman
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pullman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pullman
      • Pullman is located in Allegan County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pullman <1>
    • Glenn Haven Shores
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenn Haven Shores
      • Glenn Haven Shores is located in Allegan County
      • Glenn Haven Shores has also been known as:
      • Hollywood
    • Glenn Shores
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenn Shores
      • Glenn Shores is located in Allegan County
      • Glenn Shores has also been known as:
      • Glenn Stores
    • Spring Grove
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Grove
      • Spring Grove is located in Allegan County
    • Glenn
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Ganges
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ganges
      • Ganges is located in Allegan County
    • Fennville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
  • Berrien County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Paw Paw Lake
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paw Paw Lake
      • Paw Paw Lake is located in Berrien County
    • Watervliet
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Coloma
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coloma have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coloma
      • Coloma is located in Berrien County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,402 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coloma <1>
    • Lake Michigan Beach
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Michigan Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Michigan Beach
      • Lake Michigan Beach is located in Berrien County
    • Riverside
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverside have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
      • Riverside is located in Berrien County
    • Benton Heights
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benton Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton Heights
      • Benton Heights is located in Berrien County
    • Mizpah Park
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mizpah Park
      • Mizpah Park is located in Berrien County
    • Benton Harbor
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Shanghai Corners
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shanghai Corners
      • Shanghai Corners is located in Berrien County
    • Sodus
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sodus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sodus
      • Sodus is located in Berrien County
    • Fair Plain
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fair Plain have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Plain
      • Fair Plain is located in Berrien County
    • Hartman
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartman
      • Hartman is located in Berrien County
    • Eau Claire
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eau Claire have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eau Claire
      • Eau Claire is located in Berrien County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 591 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eau Claire <1>
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Dowagiac
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • La Grange
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Grange
      • La Grange is located in Cass County
    • Pokagon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pokagon
      • Pokagon is located in Cass County
    • Sumnerville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sumnerville
      • Sumnerville is located in Cass County
    • Marcellus
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Penn
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penn
      • Penn is located in Cass County
    • Wakelee
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wakelee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wakelee
      • Wakelee is located in Cass County
    • Cassopolis
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cassopolis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cassopolis
      • Cassopolis is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,698 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cassopolis <1>
    • Vandalia
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vandalia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandalia
      • Vandalia is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
    • Jones
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Kalamazoo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Alamo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamo
      • Alamo is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Oshtemo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oshtemo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oshtemo
      • Oshtemo is located in Kalamazoo County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oshtemo <1>
    • Westwood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood
      • Westwood is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Schoolcraft
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Kalamazoo
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Portage
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Milwood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milwood
      • Milwood is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Parchment
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • 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 <1>
  • Saint Joseph County
    • Chamberlain
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamberlain
      • Chamberlain is located in Saint Joseph County

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

Newspapers Published in McDonald ...

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 134 newspapers that have been published in the area around McDonald.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of McDonald, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for McDonald.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we 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 McDonald:

Cemeteries Near McDonald ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of McDonald.

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

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

  • Van Auken Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Van Auken Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Van Auken Cemetery
  • Southard Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Southard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Southard Cemetery
  • Taylor Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Taylor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Taylor Cemetery
  • Thomas Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Rush Lake Catholic Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rush Lake Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rush Lake Catholic Cemetery
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pioneer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pioneer Cemetery
  • Maple Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Hill Cemetery
  • Coburn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coburn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coburn Cemetery
  • Arlington Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Emmanuel Home Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Emmanuel Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Emmanuel Home Cemetery
  • Fairview Memorial Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Memorial Cemetery
  • Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hill Cemetery
  • Continue List   (224 more) ...
    • Hoppin Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hoppin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hoppin Cemetery
    • Monk Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Monk Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Monk Cemetery
    • Covert Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)

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 McDonald had a population of 86 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Toquin
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toquin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toquin
    • Toquin is located in Van Buren County
  • Hartford
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Bangor
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bangor
    • Bangor is located in Van Buren County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,808 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bangor <1>
  • Covert
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Lawrence
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Watervliet
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Breedsville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Coloma
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coloma have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coloma
    • Coloma is located in Berrien County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,402 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coloma <1>
  • Glendale
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendale
    • Glendale is located in Van Buren County
  • Bloomingdale
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Grand Junction
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Lacota
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacota
    • Lacota is located in Van Buren County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Kibbie
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kibbie
      • Kibbie is located in Van Buren County
    • Berlamont
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berlamont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berlamont
      • Berlamont is located in Van Buren County
    • South Haven
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)

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

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

The official website for Van Buren County: www.vbco.org/

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>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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- McDonald) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in McDonald. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.2653, Longitude: -86.1570       In this case, the coordinates for McDonald have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 McDonald, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024