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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 Paw Paw Lake (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 Paw Paw Lake. 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 Paw Paw Lake ...

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.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Another variation: Pawpaw Lake.

  • A typical abbreviation for Paw Paw Lake: Paw Paw Lk.

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.

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 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.

Paw Paw Lake is located in Berrien 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 Berrien County: LaPorte (IN), Saint Joseph (IN), Cass & Van Buren.

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

  • Berrien County     (The home county of Paw Paw Lake)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Paw Paw Lake, with the one closest to Paw Paw Lake listed first.
    • Watervliet
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Coloma
      (2 miles [3.2 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
      (5 miles [8 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
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • 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
      (8 miles [12.9 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
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mizpah Park
      • Mizpah Park is located in Berrien County
    • Benton Harbor
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Shanghai Corners
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shanghai Corners
      • Shanghai Corners is located in Berrien County
    • Fair Plain
      (12 miles [19.3 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
    • Sodus
      (12 miles [19.3 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
    • Hartman
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • 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
    • Saint Joseph
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Scottdale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scottdale
      • Scottdale is located in Berrien County
  • Allegan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Paw Paw Lake, with the one closest to Paw Paw Lake listed first.
    • South Haven Highlands
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Miami Park
      (17 miles [27.4 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
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
      • Mount Pleasant is located in Allegan County
    • Cedar Bluff
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Bluff
      • Cedar Bluff is located in Allegan County
    • Hawkhead
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkhead
      • Hawkhead is located in Allegan County
    • Leisure
      (18 miles [29 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
    • Glenn Haven Shores
      (19 miles [30.6 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
      (20 miles [32.2 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
      (20 miles [32.2 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
    • Pullman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • 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
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Ganges
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ganges
      • Ganges is located in Allegan County
    • Fennville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Paw Paw Lake, with the one closest to Paw Paw Lake listed first.
    • Dowagiac
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Pokagon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pokagon
      • Pokagon is located in Cass County
    • Sumnerville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sumnerville
      • Sumnerville is located in Cass County
    • La Grange
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Grange
      • La Grange is located in Cass County
    • Cassopolis
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Penn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penn
      • Penn is located in Cass County
    • Wakelee
      (25 miles [40.2 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
    • Marcellus
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Vandalia
      (27 miles [43.5 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
    • Edwardsburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edwardsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwardsburg
      • Edwardsburg is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,241 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Edwardsburg <1>
  • Kalamazoo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Paw Paw Lake, with the one closest to Paw Paw Lake listed first.
    • Alamo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamo
      • Alamo is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Oshtemo
      (30 miles [48.3 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>
  • Saint Joseph County
    • Chamberlain
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamberlain
      • Chamberlain is located in Saint Joseph County
  • Van Buren County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Paw Paw Lake, with the one closest to Paw Paw Lake listed first.
    • Fish Corners
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fish Corners
      • Fish Corners is located in Van Buren County
    • Hartford
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Covert
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Bangor
      (10 miles [16.1 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>
    • Lawrence
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • South Haven
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Breedsville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Kibbie
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kibbie
      • Kibbie is located in Van Buren County
    • Lacota
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacota
      • Lacota is located in Van Buren County
    • Bloomingdale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Grand Junction
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Decatur
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Decatur have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decatur
      • Decatur is located in Van Buren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,716 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Decatur <1>
    • Glendale
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendale
      • Glendale is located in Van Buren County

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

Newspapers Published in Paw Paw Lake ...

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 29 newspapers that have been published in the area around Paw Paw Lake.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Paw Paw Lake, 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 Paw Paw Lake.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Paw Paw Lake:

Cemeteries Near Paw Paw Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Paw Paw Lake.

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

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

  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Cemetery
  • Watervliet Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Watervliet Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Watervliet Cemetery
  • Coloma Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coloma Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coloma Cemetery
  • Fairview Memorial Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • 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
  • Emmanuel Home Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Fish Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fish Cemetery
  • Rush Lake Catholic Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
  • Harris Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harris Cemetery
  • Curtis Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Curtis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Curtis Cemetery
  • Boyer Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boyer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boyer Cemetery
  • Kniebes Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
  • Continue List   (209 more) ...
    • St. Pauls UCC Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Pauls UCC Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Pauls UCC Cemetery
    • Pioneer Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • 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
    • Zion EUB Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion EUB Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion EUB Cemetery

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>

While we didn't find Paw Paw Lake in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Paw Paw Lake.

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

  • Watervliet
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Coloma
    (2 miles [3.2 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>
  • Toquin
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Covert
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Riverside
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • 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
  • McDonald
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McDonald have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDonald
    • McDonald is located in Van Buren County
  • Twelve Corners
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Twelve Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twelve Corners
    • Twelve Corners is located in Berrien County
  • Millburg
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millburg
    • Millburg is located in Berrien County
  • Spinks Corners
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spinks Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spinks Corners
    • Spinks Corners is located in Berrien County
  • Sister Lakes
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sister Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sister Lakes
    • Sister Lakes is located in Van Buren County
  • Bangor
    (10 miles [16.1 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>
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Benton Harbor
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Naomi
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Naomi have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naomi
      • Naomi is located in Berrien County
    • Lawrence
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)

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

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

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 '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- Paw Paw Lake) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Paw Paw Lake. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.2124, Longitude: -86.2720    
<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 Paw Paw Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024