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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 Trufant (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 Trufant. 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 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.

Trufant is located in Montcalm County.

To see how the shape of Michigan's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Montcalm County: Clinton, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Kent, Mecosta & Newaygo.

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

  • Montcalm County     (The home county of Trufant)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Coral
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Langston
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Langston is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langston
    • Gowen
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Howard City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Pierson
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Amble
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Amble is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amble
    • Lakeview
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Entrican
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Entrican is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Entrican
    • Greenville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Sidney
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Eureka Place
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Eureka Place is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka Place
    • Six Lakes
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Gratiot County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Elm Hall
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Elm Hall is located in Gratiot County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Hall
    • Riverdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Sumner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Sumner is located in Gratiot County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sumner
    • Elwell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Ionia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Belding
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Smyrna
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Shiloh
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Shiloh is located in Ionia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiloh
    • Orleans
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Orleans is located in Ionia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orleans
    • Woods Corners
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Woods Corners is located in Ionia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woods Corners
    • Palo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Palo is located in Ionia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo
    • Ionia
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Saranac
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • South Ionia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • South Ionia is located in Ionia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ionia
    • Hubbardston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Lyons
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Muir
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Isabella County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Blanchard
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Winn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Winn is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
    • Strickland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Strickland is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strickland
    • Lake Isabella
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Lake Isabella is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Isabella
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,688 people
      • Lake Isabella has also been known as:
      • Lake Isabella village
  • Kent County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Sand Lake
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Harvard
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Harvard is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvard
    • Sheffield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Sheffield is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheffield
    • Cedar Springs
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Edgerton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Edgerton is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerton
    • Grattan
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Grattan is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grattan
    • Rockford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Cannonsburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Parnell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Parnell is located in Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parnell
    • Sparta
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Belmont
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Kent City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  • Mecosta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Morley
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Rustford
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Rustford is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rustford
    • Borland
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Borland is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borland
    • Halls Corner
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Halls Corner is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Corner
    • Canadian Lakes
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Canadian Lakes is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canadian Lakes
    • Stanwood
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Millbrook
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Millbrook is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millbrook
    • Mecosta
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Remus
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Rodney
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Big Rapids
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Chippewa Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Muskegon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Bailey
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Canada Corners
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Canada Corners is located in Muskegon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canada Corners
    • Slocum
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Slocum is located in Muskegon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slocum
    • Ravenna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Newaygo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Croton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Croton is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croton
    • Riverview
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Riverview is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverview
    • Sun
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Sun is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sun
    • Ashland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Ashland is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashland
    • Grant
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Newaygo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • White Cloud
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Bishop
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Bishop is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop
    • Wooster
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Wooster is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wooster
    • Bridgeton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Bridgeton is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeton
    • Ramona
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Ramona is located in Newaygo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramona
  • Ottawa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Trufant, with the one closest to Trufant listed first.
    • Wright
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Wright is located in Ottawa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wright
    • Conklin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Marne
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Trufant ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Trufant.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Trufant - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Trufant covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Trufant Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Maple Valley Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Coady Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • West Pine Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Little Denmark Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Coral Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coral Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Coral Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northwest of Coral.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #313 <2>
  • Langston Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Riverside Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Perch Lake Bible Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Monroe Roads Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • East Nelson Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (257 more) ...
    • Wolverton Plains Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • East Montcalm Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Pierson Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)

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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Trufant had a population of 400 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Coral
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Gowen
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Langston
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Langston is located in Montcalm County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langston
  • Howard City
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Pierson
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Sand Lake
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Amble
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Amble is located in Montcalm County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amble
  • Evans
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Evans is located in Kent County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans
  • Harvard
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Harvard is located in Kent County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvard
  • Lakeview
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Sheffield
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Sheffield is located in Kent County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheffield
  • Greenville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Entrican
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Entrican is located in Montcalm County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Entrican
    • Cedar Springs
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Sidney
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Trufant ...

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 145 newspapers that have been published in the area around Trufant.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Trufant, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Trufant.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Trufant:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The 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.
<3>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 Trufant, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Trufant) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.