RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Michigan >> Hillsdale County >> Ransom >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Michigan

The Commemorative Quarter for Michigan





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 Ransom (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 Ransom. 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 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.

Ransom is located in Hillsdale 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 Hillsdale County: Steuben (IN), Branch, Calhoun, Jackson, Lenawee, Fulton (OH) & Williams (OH).

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

  • Hillsdale County     (The home county of Ransom)
  • Branch County
  • Calhoun County
  • Jackson County
  • Lenawee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ransom, with the one closest to Ransom listed first.
    • Hudson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Munson
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Munson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Munson
      • Munson is located in Lenawee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Munson
      • From Ransom to Munson
    • Rollin
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rollin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollin
      • Rollin is located in Lenawee County
    • Canandaigua
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • North Morenci
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Clayton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clayton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clayton
      • Clayton is located in Lenawee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 328 people
    • Morenci
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Addison
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Addison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison
      • Addison is located in Lenawee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 579 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Addison <3>
    • Manitou Beach
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Seneca
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Seneca. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seneca
      • Seneca is located in Lenawee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Seneca
      • From Ransom to Seneca
    • Addison Junction
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Manitou Beach - Devils Lake
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
  • DeKalb County (IN)
  • Steuben County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ransom, with the one closest to Ransom listed first.
    • Clear Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clear Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clear Lake
      • Clear Lake is located in Steuben County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 346 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Clear Lake
      • From Ransom to Clear Lake
    • York
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for York. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York
      • York is located in Steuben County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to York
      • From Ransom to York
    • Ray
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Alvarado
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Fremont
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fremont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fremont
      • Fremont is located in Steuben County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,205 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fremont <3>
    • Hamilton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Russels Point
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Angola
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Angola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Angola
      • Angola is located in Steuben County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,827 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Angola <3>
    • Jamestown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Pleasant Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Lake
      • Pleasant Lake is located in Steuben County (IN)
  • Defiance County (OH)
  • Fulton County (OH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ransom, with the one closest to Ransom listed first.
    • Fayette
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Ritters ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ritters have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ritters
      • Ritters is located in Fulton County (OH)
    • Powers ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Powers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powers
      • Powers is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Powers has also been known as:
      • Powers Station
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Powers
      • From Ransom to Powers
    • Burlington
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Thelma ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Thelma. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thelma
      • Thelma is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Thelma
      • From Ransom to Thelma
    • Inlet ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Inlet. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inlet
      • Inlet is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Inlet
      • From Ransom to Inlet
    • Denson ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Denson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denson
      • Denson is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Denson
      • From Ransom to Denson
    • Oakshade
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Eckley ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eckley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eckley
      • Eckley is located in Fulton County (OH)
      • Eckley has also been known as:
      • Eckley Station
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eckley
      • From Ransom to Eckley
    • Archbold
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Advance
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Pettisville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Williams County (OH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ransom, with the one closest to Ransom listed first.
    • Pioneer
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pioneer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pioneer
      • Pioneer is located in Williams County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,396 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pioneer <3>
    • Jim Town
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jim Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jim Town
      • Jim Town is located in Williams County (OH)
    • Kunkle
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Alvordton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Holiday City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holiday City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday City
      • Holiday City is located in Williams County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 47 people
    • Northwest
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Northwest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northwest
      • Northwest is located in Williams County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Northwest
      • From Ransom to Northwest
    • Ainger
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Montpelier
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montpelier have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montpelier
      • Montpelier is located in Williams County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,907 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Montpelier <3>
    • Cooney
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cooney. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooney
      • Cooney is located in Williams County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cooney
      • From Ransom to Cooney
    • West Unity
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Columbia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Pulaski
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Ransom ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ransom.

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

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

  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • 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.
  • Mud Lake Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mud Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mud Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Doty Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Doty Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Doty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wild Cherry Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wild Cherry Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wild Cherry Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Frontier Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Frontier Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Frontier Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Alfred Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Alfred Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Alfred Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Amboy Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Amboy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Amboy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lickly Corners Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lickly Corners Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lickly Corners Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Black Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Black Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Black Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Drake Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Drake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Drake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Maple Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bacon Farm Grave
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bacon Farm Grave
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bacon Farm Grave have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (387 more) ...
    • Sheldon Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sheldon Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sheldon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Cellars Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cellars Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cellars Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hagaman Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hagaman Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hagaman 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Ransom had a population of 170 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Betzer
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Betzer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Betzer
    • Betzer is located in Hillsdale County
  • Frontier
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frontier have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frontier
    • Frontier is located in Hillsdale County
  • Pioneer
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pioneer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pioneer
    • Pioneer is located in Williams County (OH)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,396 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pioneer <3>
  • Waldron
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Pittsford
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pittsford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsford
    • Pittsford is located in Hillsdale County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pittsford <3>
  • Osseo
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Cambria
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cambria have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambria
    • Cambria is located in Hillsdale County
  • Primrose
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Primrose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Primrose
    • Primrose is located in Williams County (OH)
  • Kunkle
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Alvordton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Hudson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Northwest
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Northwest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northwest
    • Northwest is located in Williams County (OH)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Northwest
    • From Ransom to Northwest
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Nettle Lake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nettle Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nettle Lake
      • Nettle Lake is located in Williams County (OH)
    • Munson
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Munson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Munson
      • Munson is located in Lenawee County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Munson
      • From Ransom to Munson
    • Hillsdale
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Ransom ...

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 110 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ransom.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ransom, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ransom.

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 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 Ransom:

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

The official website for Hillsdale County: www.co.hillsdale.mi.us/

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>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 Ransom, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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- Ransom) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ransom. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.7752, Longitude: -84.5342    









 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025