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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 Morley (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 Morley. 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.

Morley is located in Mecosta County.

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 Mecosta County: Clare, Isabella, Lake, Montcalm, Newaygo & Osceola.

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

  • Mecosta County     (The home county of Morley)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Morley, with the one closest to Morley listed first.
    • Borland
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Borland is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borland
    • Rustford
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Rustford is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rustford
    • Stanwood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Canadian Lakes
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Canadian Lakes is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canadian Lakes
    • Halls Corner
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Halls Corner is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Corner
    • Rodney
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Big Rapids
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Mecosta
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Remus
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Millbrook
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Millbrook is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millbrook
    • Paris
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Chippewa Lake
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Ionia County
    • Belding
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Isabella County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Morley, with the one closest to Morley listed first.
    • Blanchard
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Lake Isabella
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Lake Isabella is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Isabella
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,688 people
      • Lake Isabella has also been known as:
      • Lake Isabella village
    • Sherman City ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Sherman City is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherman City
    • Winn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Winn is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
    • Weidman
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Beal City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Beal City is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beal City
    • Brinton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Brinton is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brinton
    • Strickland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Strickland is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strickland
  • Kent County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Morley, with the one closest to Morley listed first.
    • Sand Lake
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Cedar Springs
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Harvard
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Harvard is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvard
    • Sheffield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Sheffield is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheffield
    • Edgerton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Edgerton is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerton
    • Casnovia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Kent City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Rockford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Sparta
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Grattan
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Grattan is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grattan
    • Belmont
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Lisbon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Lisbon is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
  • Lake County
    • Chase
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Montcalm County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Morley, with the one closest to Morley listed first.
    • Amble
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Amble is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amble
    • Howard City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Lakeview
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Coral
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Pierson
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Trufant
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Six Lakes
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Langston
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Langston is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langston
    • Entrican
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Entrican is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Entrican
    • Gowen
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Wyman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Wyman is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyman
    • Edmore
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
  • Muskegon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Morley, with the one closest to Morley listed first.
    • Bailey
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Canada Corners
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Canada Corners is located in Muskegon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canada Corners
    • Slocum
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Slocum is located in Muskegon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slocum
    • Brunswick
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Brunswick is located in Muskegon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick
  • Newaygo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Morley, with the one closest to Morley listed first.
    • Riverview
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Riverview is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverview
    • Croton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Croton is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croton
    • White Cloud
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Sun
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Sun is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sun
    • Newaygo
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Ramona
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Ramona is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramona
    • Grant
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Wooster
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Wooster is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wooster
    • Hawkins
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Hawkins is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkins
    • Brohman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Brohman is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brohman
      • Former names for Brohman:
      • Dingman
      • Otia
    • Ashland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Ashland is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashland
    • Bishop
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Bishop is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop
  • Oceana County
    • Hesperia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Osceola County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Morley, with the one closest to Morley listed first.
    • Hersey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Reed City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Evart
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Evart is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evart
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,886 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evart <1>
    • Orient
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Orient is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orient
    • Sears
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Morley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Morley.

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 Morley - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Morley covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • St. Apollonia Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Aetna Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Holt Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Boyd Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Amble Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amble Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Amble Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the west of Amble.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #29 <2>
  • Higbee Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higbee Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Higbee Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<3> to the southeast of Stanwood.
    • The Higbee Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Greenwood Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2134977 <2>
  • Reynolds Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Rustford Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Quigley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Dickerson Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • St. Peters Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • West Aetna Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (211 more) ...
    • Olin Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Gulp Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Prairie Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)

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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Morley had a population of 485 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Morley had a population of 495 people.

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

  • Borland
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Borland is located in Mecosta County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borland
  • Amble
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Amble is located in Montcalm County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amble
  • Rustford
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Rustford is located in Mecosta County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rustford
  • Howard City
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Stanwood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Altona
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Altona is located in Mecosta County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altona
  • Coral
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Lakeview
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Sylvester
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Sylvester is located in Mecosta County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvester
  • Big Prairie
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Big Prairie is located in Newaygo County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Prairie
  • Croton
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Croton is located in Newaygo County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croton
  • Pierson
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Trufant
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Rodney
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Sand Lake
      (14 miles [22.5 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 Morley. See our List of 1890's Communities around Morley.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Morley ...

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 132 newspapers that have been published in the area around Morley.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Morley. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Morley and those printed in the larger area surrounding Morley.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Morley.

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 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 Morley:

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Morley) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<4>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 Morley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.