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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 Orleans (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 Orleans. 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 northeast 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 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.

Orleans is located in Ionia 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 Ionia County: Barry, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Kent & Montcalm.

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

  • Ionia County     (The home county of Orleans)
  • Barry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orleans, with the one closest to Orleans listed first.
    • Freeport
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
      • Freeport is located in Barry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 503 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Freeport <1>
    • Woodland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Hastings
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Irving
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Middleville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middleville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleville
      • Middleville is located in Barry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,510 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Middleville <1>
    • Morgan
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Morgan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
      • Morgan is located in Barry County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Morgan
      • From Orleans to Morgan
  • Clinton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orleans, with the one closest to Orleans listed first.
    • Westphalia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Fowler
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Maple Rapids
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maple Rapids have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Rapids
      • Maple Rapids is located in Clinton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 671 people
    • Eagle
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Saint Johns
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Johns have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johns
      • Saint Johns is located in Clinton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,904 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Johns <1>
  • Eaton County
  • Gratiot County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orleans, with the one closest to Orleans listed first.
    • Middleton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Sumner
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Perrinton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Elm Hall
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elm Hall have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Hall
      • Elm Hall is located in Gratiot County
    • Riverdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverdale
      • Riverdale is located in Gratiot County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Riverdale <1>
    • Pompeii
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Elwell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Ithaca
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ithaca have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ithaca
      • Ithaca is located in Gratiot County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,744 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ithaca <1>
  • Kent County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orleans, with the one closest to Orleans listed first.
    • Grattan
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Lowell
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Segwun
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Parnell
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Parnell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parnell
      • Parnell is located in Kent County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Parnell
      • From Orleans to Parnell
    • Harvard
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Harvard. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvard
      • Harvard is located in Kent County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Harvard
      • From Orleans to Harvard
    • Cannonsburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Sheffield
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Ada
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ada have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ada
      • Ada is located in Kent County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ada <1>
    • Alto
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alto have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alto
      • Alto is located in Kent County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alto <1>
    • Forest Hills
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forest Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Hills
      • Forest Hills is located in Kent County
    • Rockford
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockford
      • Rockford is located in Kent County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,395 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rockford <1>
    • Edgerton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Edgerton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerton
      • Edgerton is located in Kent County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Edgerton
      • From Orleans to Edgerton
  • Montcalm County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orleans, with the one closest to Orleans listed first.
    • Fenwick
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Amsden
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Eureka Place
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Greenville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
      • Greenville is located in Montcalm County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,386 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenville <1>
    • Sheridan
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Sidney
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sidney have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sidney
      • Sidney is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sidney <1>
    • Vickeryville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Butternut
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Stanton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stanton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanton
      • Stanton is located in Montcalm County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,420 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stanton <1>
    • Gowen
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gowen have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gowen
      • Gowen is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gowen <1>
    • Carson City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carson City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carson City
      • Carson City is located in Montcalm County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,105 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Carson City <1>
    • Crystal
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Orleans ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Orleans.

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

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

  • Greenop Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenop Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenop Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greene Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Higbee Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Higbee Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Higbee Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woodard Lake Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodard Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodard Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Easton Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Easton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Easton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clear Lake Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clear Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clear Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Belding Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Belding Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Belding Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • River Ridge Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the River Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the River Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ionia County Poor Farm Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ionia County Poor Farm Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ionia County Poor Farm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Snows Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Snows Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Snows Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (273 more) ...
    • Fairplains Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Oakhill Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakhill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakhill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Otisco Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Otisco Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Otisco Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Orleans had a population of 118 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

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

Newspapers Published in Orleans ...

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 211 newspapers that have been published in the area around Orleans.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Orleans, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Orleans.

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 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 Orleans:

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

The official website for Ionia County: www.ioniacounty.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>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>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 from Point A (ie- Orleans) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Orleans. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.0677, Longitude: -85.1352    
<5>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.
<6>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 Orleans, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 14 Jul 2025