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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 Sanford (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 Sanford. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and 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.

Sanford is located in Midland 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 Midland County: Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella & Saginaw.

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

  • Midland County     (The home county of Sanford)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sanford, with the one closest to Sanford listed first.
    • Averill
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Averill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Averill
      • Averill is located in Midland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Averill
      • From Sanford to Averill
    • North Bradley
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Hope
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • 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>
    • Midland
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Edenville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • 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
    • Alamando
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alamando. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamando
      • Alamando is located in Midland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Alamando
      • From Sanford to Alamando
    • Coleman
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Porter
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Oil City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oil City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oil City
      • Oil City is located in Midland County
    • Redstone
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Ryan
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ryan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryan
      • Ryan is located in Midland County
  • Arenac County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sanford, with the one closest to Sanford listed first.
    • Saganing
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Standish
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Sterling
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Whites Beach
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Bay County
  • Clare County
  • Gladwin County
  • Gratiot County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sanford, with the one closest to Sanford listed first.
    • North Wheeler
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Wheeler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Wheeler
      • North Wheeler is located in Gratiot County
    • Breckenridge
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Breckenridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breckenridge
      • Breckenridge is located in Gratiot County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,265 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Breckenridge <3>
    • Wheeler
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheeler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler
      • Wheeler is located in Gratiot County
    • Saint Louis
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Forest Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Forest Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Hill
      • Forest Hill is located in Gratiot County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Forest Hill
      • From Sanford to Forest Hill
    • Alma
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alma have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
      • Alma is located in Gratiot County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,807 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alma <3>
    • Edgewood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Edgewood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgewood
      • Edgewood is located in Gratiot County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Edgewood
      • From Sanford to Edgewood
    • Elwell
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Sickles
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Ithaca
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ithaca have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ithaca
      • Ithaca is located in Gratiot County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,744 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ithaca <3>
    • North Star
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Riverdale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverdale
      • Riverdale is located in Gratiot County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Riverdale <3>
  • Isabella County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sanford, with the one closest to Sanford listed first.
    • Alembic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Loomis
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jordan
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jordan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordan
      • Jordan is located in Isabella County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jordan
      • From Sanford to Jordan
    • Coe
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coe have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coe
      • Coe is located in Isabella County
    • Shepherd
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Mount Pleasant
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Rosebush
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Vernon City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vernon City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon City
      • Vernon City is located in Isabella County
    • Crawford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Strickland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Strickland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strickland
      • Strickland is located in Isabella County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Strickland
      • From Sanford to Strickland
    • Beal City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beal City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beal City
      • Beal City is located in Isabella County
    • Winn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
      • Winn is located in Isabella County
    • Weidman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weidman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weidman
      • Weidman is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weidman <3>
  • Saginaw County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sanford, with the one closest to Sanford listed first.
    • Iva
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Freeland
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeland
      • Freeland is located in Saginaw County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Freeland <3>
    • Merrill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Dice
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Hemlock
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Frost
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Frost. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frost
      • Frost is located in Saginaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Frost
      • From Sanford to Frost
    • Lakefield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Orr
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Orr. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orr
      • Orr is located in Saginaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Orr
      • From Sanford to Orr
    • Nelson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Kochville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Shields
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Shields. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shields
      • Shields is located in Saginaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Shields
      • From Sanford to Shields
    • Swan Creek
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Garfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Garfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
      • Garfield is located in Saginaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Garfield
      • From Sanford to Garfield

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

Cemeteries Near Sanford ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sanford.

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

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

  • St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Jerome Twp. Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jerome Twp. Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jerome Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sullivan Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sullivan Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sullivan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Memorial Gardens Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Gardens Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Gardens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Homer Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Homer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Homer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Larkin Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Larkin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Larkin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Geneva Community Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Geneva Community Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Geneva Community Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Geneva Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Geneva Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Geneva Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lee Twp. Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lee Twp. Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lee Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Bombay Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Hope Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wayne Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wayne Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wayne Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (192 more) ...
    • Midland City Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Calvary Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Edenville Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Edenville Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Edenville 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Sanford had a population of 102 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Sanford had a population of 845 people.

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

  • Averill
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Averill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Averill
    • Averill is located in Midland County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Averill
    • From Sanford to Averill
  • North Bradley
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Hope
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • 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>
  • Saint Elmo
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Elmo
    • Saint Elmo is located in Midland County
  • Midland
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Edenville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Alamando
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alamando. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamando
    • Alamando is located in Midland County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Alamando
    • From Sanford to Alamando
  • Porter
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Coleman
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Willard
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Wise
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wise have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wise
    • Wise is located in Isabella County
  • Fisherville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Delwin
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delwin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delwin
      • Delwin is located in Isabella County
    • Alembic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Pleasant Valley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Valley
      • Pleasant Valley is located in Midland County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Sanford ...

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 48 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sanford.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Sanford. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Sanford and those printed in the larger area surrounding Sanford.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<6> of Sanford.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Sanford:

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

The official website for Midland County: www.co.midland.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>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 Sanford, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Sanford) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Sanford. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.6727, Longitude: -84.3823    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025