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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 Pine River (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 Pine River. 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 Pine River ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Pine River: Pine Riv.

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 northeast 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 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.

Pine River is located in Arenac 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 Arenac County: Bay, Gladwin, Iosco & Ogemaw.

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

  • Arenac County     (The home county of Pine River)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pine River, with the one closest to Pine River listed first.
    • Arenac
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arenac. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arenac
      • Arenac is located in Arenac County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Arenac
      • From Pine River to Arenac
    • Saganing
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Whites Beach
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Standish
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Standish have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Standish
      • Standish is located in Arenac County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,388 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Standish <3>
    • Omer
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Omer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omer
      • Omer is located in Arenac County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 288 people
    • Sterling
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sterling have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterling
      • Sterling is located in Arenac County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 498 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sterling <3>
    • Twining
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Twining have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twining
      • Twining is located in Arenac County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
    • Au Gres
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Melita
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Melita. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
      • Melita is located in Arenac County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Melita
      • From Pine River to Melita
    • Maple Ridge
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Turner
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Turner have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turner
      • Turner is located in Arenac County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
    • Harmon City Heights
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harmon City Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmon City Heights
      • Harmon City Heights is located in Arenac County
  • Bay County
  • Gladwin County
  • Huron County
  • Iosco County
  • Midland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pine River, with the one closest to Pine River listed first.
    • Hope
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hope have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
      • Hope is located in Midland County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hope <3>
    • Edenville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edenville
      • Edenville is located in Midland County
    • Midland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Ogemaw County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pine River, with the one closest to Pine River listed first.
    • Prescott
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Skidway Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Skidway Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skidway Lake
      • Skidway Lake is located in Ogemaw County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Skidway Lake <3>
    • Greenwood
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Greenwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
      • Greenwood is located in Ogemaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Greenwood
      • From Pine River to Greenwood
    • Campbells Corners
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • West Branch
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Ogemaw Springs
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Tuscola County

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

Cemeteries Near Pine River ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pine River.

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

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

  • Pine River Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Arenac Twp. Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Arenac Twp. Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Arenac Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Resurrection of the Lord Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Resurrection of the Lord Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Resurrection of the Lord Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woodmere Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodmere Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodmere Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Indian Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Indian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Saganing Indian Methodist Mission Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Saganing Indian Methodist Mission Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Saganing Indian Methodist Mission Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Joseph's Polish National Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph's Polish National Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph's Polish National Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Edwards Catholic Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Edwards Catholic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Edwards Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Plains Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Plains Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Plains Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Indian Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (113 more) ...
    • St. George Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. George Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. George Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Sterling Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sterling Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sterling Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Agnes Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)

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

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

  • Arenac
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arenac. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arenac
    • Arenac is located in Arenac County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Arenac
    • From Pine River to Arenac
  • Standish
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Standish have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Standish
    • Standish is located in Arenac County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,388 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Standish <3>
  • Omer
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Omer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omer
    • Omer is located in Arenac County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 288 people
  • Worth
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Worth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worth
    • Worth is located in Arenac County
  • Sterling
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sterling have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterling
    • Sterling is located in Arenac County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 498 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sterling <3>
  • Pinconning
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pinconning have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinconning
    • Pinconning is located in Bay County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,219 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pinconning <3>
  • Au Gres
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Melita
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Melita. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
    • Melita is located in Arenac County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Melita
    • From Pine River to Melita
  • Nine Mile
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Maple Ridge
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Mount Forest
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Prescott
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Pine River ...

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 115 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pine River.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pine River, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pine River.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Pine River:

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

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Pine River, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Pine River) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pine River. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.9830, Longitude: -83.8891       In this case, the coordinates for Pine River have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025