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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 Pelkie (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 Pelkie. 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 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.

Pelkie is primarily located in Baraga County. A portion of Pelkie extends into Houghton 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 Baraga County: Houghton, Iron & Marquette.

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

  • Baraga County     (The home county of Pelkie)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pelkie, with the one closest to Pelkie listed first.
    • Bear Town
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bear Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bear Town
      • Bear Town is located in Baraga County
    • Baraga
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Keweenaw Bay
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • L'Anse
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for L'Anse. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for L'Anse
      • L'Anse is located in Baraga County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,825 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for L'Anse <2>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to L'Anse
      • From Pelkie to L'Anse
    • Pequaming
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Alberta
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Covington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covington
      • Covington is located in Baraga County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Covington <2>
    • Watton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Watton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watton
      • Watton is located in Baraga County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Watton <2>
    • Skanee
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Skanee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skanee
      • Skanee is located in Baraga County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Skanee <2>
    • Nestoria
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Houghton County
  • Ontonagon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pelkie, with the one closest to Pelkie listed first.
    • Rousseau
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Wasas
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wasas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wasas
      • Wasas is located in Ontonagon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wasas
      • From Pelkie to Wasas
    • Wainola
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wainola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wainola
      • Wainola is located in Ontonagon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wainola
      • From Pelkie to Wainola
    • Greenland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Mass City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mass City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mass City
      • Mass City is located in Ontonagon County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mass City <2>
    • Rockland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockland
      • Rockland is located in Ontonagon County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rockland <2>
    • Firesteel
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Trout Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Gem
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gem. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gem
      • Gem is located in Ontonagon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gem
      • From Pelkie to Gem
    • Paynesville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Pelkie ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pelkie.

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

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

  • Pelkie Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pelkie Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pelkie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Elo Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Askel Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Askel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Askel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Alston Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Alston Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Alston Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Keweenaw Bay Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Keweenaw Bay Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Keweenaw Bay Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Henrys Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Baraga Village Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baraga Village Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baraga Village Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Assinins Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Assinins Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Assinins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kargi Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kargi Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kargi Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • L'Anse Twp. Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the L'Anse Twp. Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the L'Anse Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pequaming Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Pinery Indian Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pinery Indian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pinery Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (38 more) ...
    • Woodland Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodland Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Aura Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Aura Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Aura Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Chassell Twp. Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)

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 Pelkie in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Pelkie.

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

  • Baraga
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • L'Anse
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for L'Anse. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for L'Anse
    • L'Anse is located in Baraga County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,825 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for L'Anse <2>
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to L'Anse
    • From Pelkie to L'Anse
  • Pequaming
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Chassell
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chassell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chassell
    • Chassell is located in Houghton County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chassell <2>
  • Pori
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pori have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pori
    • Pori is located in Houghton County
  • Atlantic Mine
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atlantic Mine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atlantic Mine
    • Atlantic Mine is located in Houghton County
  • Skanee
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Skanee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skanee
    • Skanee is located in Baraga County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Skanee <2>
  • Sidnaw
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
  • Vermilac
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vermilac have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vermilac
    • Vermilac is located in Baraga County
  • Ripley
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ripley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ripley
    • Ripley is located in Houghton County
  • Houghton
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
  • Hancock
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Pelkie ...

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 42 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pelkie.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pelkie, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pelkie.

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 Pelkie:

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

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>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 Pelkie, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Pelkie) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pelkie. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.8138, Longitude: -88.6362       In this case, the coordinates for Pelkie have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025