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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 Panola (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 Panola. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Panola is located in Iron 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 Iron County: Baraga, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Marquette, Ontonagon, Florence (WI), Forest (WI) & Vilas (WI).

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

  • Iron County     (The home county of Panola)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Panola, with the one closest to Panola listed first.
    • Clinch ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Clinch is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinch
    • Mastodon
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Mastodon is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mastodon
    • Alpha
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Crystal Falls
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Stager
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Stager is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stager
    • Pentoga
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Pentoga is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pentoga
    • Mansfield ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Mansfield is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mansfield
    • Chicagon
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Chicagon is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicagon
    • Balsam
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Balsam is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balsam
    • Amasa
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Bates Junction
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Bates Junction is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bates Junction
    • Gaastra
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Caspian
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Dickinson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Panola, with the one closest to Panola listed first.
    • Sagola
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Channing
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Floodwood
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Floodwood is located in Dickinson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Floodwood
    • Kingsford
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Iron Mountain
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Turner
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Turner is located in Dickinson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turner
    • Felch Mountain
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Felch Mountain is located in Dickinson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Felch Mountain
    • Quinnesec
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Felch
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Ralph
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Norway
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Norway is located in Dickinson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norway
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,714 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norway <1>
    • Foster City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Vulcan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Marquette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Panola, with the one closest to Panola listed first.
    • Witbeck
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Witbeck is located in Marquette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Witbeck
    • Republic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Republic is located in Marquette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Republic
  • Florence County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Panola, with the one closest to Panola listed first.
    • Florence
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Florence is located in Florence County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
    • Commonwealth
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Commonwealth is located in Florence County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Commonwealth
    • Spread Eagle
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Spread Eagle is located in Florence County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spread Eagle
    • Fern ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Fern is located in Florence County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
    • Tipler
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Tipler is located in Florence County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tipler
    • Aurora
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Aurora is located in Florence County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aurora
  • Forest County (WI)
    • Nelma
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Nelma is located in Forest County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nelma
  • Marinette County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Panola, with the one closest to Panola listed first.
    • Niagara
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Niagara is located in Marinette County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Niagara
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,535 people
    • Dunbar
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Dunbar is located in Marinette County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbar

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

Cemeteries Near Panola ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Panola.

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

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

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

  • Crystal Falls City Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Indian Burial Ground
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Bates Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Sagola Twp. Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Hematite Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Stambaugh Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Stambaugh Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Iron River Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Resthaven Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Martin Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Long Lake Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Homestead - Aurora Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Iron Mtn. Cemetery Park
      (21 miles [33.8 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 in 1895, Panola had railroad service and no post office.

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

  • Mastodon
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Mastodon is located in Iron County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mastodon
  • Crystal Falls
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Stager
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Stager is located in Iron County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stager
  • Ridgetop
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Ridgetop is located in Florence County (WI)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgetop
  • Florence
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Florence is located in Florence County (WI)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
  • Mansfield ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Mansfield is located in Iron County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mansfield
  • Commonwealth
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Commonwealth is located in Florence County (WI)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Commonwealth
  • Sagola
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Amasa
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Randville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Randville is located in Dickinson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randville
  • Spread Eagle
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Spread Eagle is located in Florence County (WI)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spread Eagle
  • Stambaugh
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Stambaugh is located in Iron County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stambaugh
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Merriman
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Merriman is located in Dickinson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merriman
    • Granite Bluff
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Granite Bluff is located in Dickinson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granite Bluff
    • Iron River
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Panola ...

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 30 newspapers that have been published in the area around Panola.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Panola, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Panola.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Panola:

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 Panola, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Panola) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.