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 Willow Run (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 Willow Run. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Willow Run is located in Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County: Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland & Wayne.
Below are the counties that are near Willow Run. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Willow Run:
- Washtenaw County (The home county of Willow Run)
- The following are listed by their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Ypsilanti
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Rawsonville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Rawsonville is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rawsonville
- Dixboro
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Dixboro is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixboro
- Willis
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Pittsfield
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Pittsfield is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsfield
- Pittsfield has also been known as:
- Pittsfield Village
- Stony Creek
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Stony Creek is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony Creek
- Ann Arbor
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Emery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Emery is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emery
- Whittaker
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Whittaker is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whittaker
- Salem
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Salem is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem
- Barton Hills
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Barton Hills is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barton Hills
- Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
- Saline
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Delhi Mills
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Delhi Mills is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi Mills
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Fishville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Fishville is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fishville
- Waterloo
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Waterloo is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
- Lenawee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Macon
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Macon is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macon
- Britton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Clinton
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Clinton is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,287 people
- Ridgeway
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Ridgeway is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeway
- Tecumseh
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Deerfield
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Holloway
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Holloway is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holloway
- Tipton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Wellsville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Wellsville is located in Lenawee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellsville
- Livingston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Whitmore Lake
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Green Oak
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Green Oak is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Oak
- Hamburg
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Lakeland
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Brighton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Pettysville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Pettysville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettysville
- Pinckney
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Chubb's Corners ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Chubb's Corners is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chubb's Corners
- Hell
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Hell is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hell
- Hell has also been known as:
- Hi Land Lake
- Highland Lake
- Hiland Lake
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hell <1>
- Chalkerville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Chalkerville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalkerville
- Chalkerville has also been known as:
- Chalkers Landing
- Anderson
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Anderson is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
- Kaiserville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Kaiserville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kaiserville
- Unadilla
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Unadilla is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Unadilla
- Monroe County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Oakville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Oakville is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakville
- Milan
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Scofield
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Scofield is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scofield
- Carleton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Azalia
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Azalia is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Azalia
- Maybee
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Flat Rock
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Grafton ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Grafton is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grafton
- Cone
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Cone is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cone
- Dundee
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Grape
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Grape is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grape
- Steiner
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Steiner is located in Monroe County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steiner
- South Rockwood
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Oakland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Northville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- South Lyon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Novi
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Farmington Acres
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Farmington Acres is located in Oakland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmington Acres
- New Hudson
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Clarenceville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Clarenceville is located in Oakland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarenceville
- Farmington
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Quakertown
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Quakertown is located in Oakland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quakertown
- Wixom
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Farmington Hills
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Walled Lake
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Glengary
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Glengary is located in Oakland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glengary
- North Farmington
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- North Farmington is located in Oakland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Farmington
- Wayne County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Sheldon
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Sheldon is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheldon
- Canton
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Belleville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Wayne
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Plymouth
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Romulus
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Westland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- New Boston
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Eloise
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Eloise is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eloise
- Garden City
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Inkster
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Willow
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Willow is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow
- Elm
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Elm is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Willow Run, see our County-by-County Page for Willow Run.
Cemeteries Near Willow Run ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Willow Run.
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 Willow Run - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Willow Run covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Spencer Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- St. Johns Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Highland Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- First Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- St. Luke's Episcopal Church Cloister Garth Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Denton Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Woodlawn Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Union - Udell Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Denton Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Cherry Hill Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Comstock Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Knollwood Memorial Park
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (407 more) ...
- Free Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Pray Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Alban Cemetery
(5 miles [8 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.<3>
While we didn't find Willow Run in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Willow Run.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Willow Run, with the one closest to Willow Run listed first.
- Ypsilanti
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Denton
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Denton is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denton
- Rawsonville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Rawsonville is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rawsonville
- Geddes
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Geddes is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geddes
- Canton
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Dixboro
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Dixboro is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixboro
- Willis
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Belleville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Pittsfield
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Pittsfield is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsfield
- Pittsfield has also been known as:
- Pittsfield Village
- Stony Creek
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Stony Creek is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony Creek
- Ann Arbor
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Whittaker
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Whittaker is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whittaker
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- West Sumpter
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- West Sumpter is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Sumpter
- Martinsville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Martinsville is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinsville
- Worden
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Worden is located in Washtenaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worden
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Willow Run. See our List of 1890's Communities around Willow Run.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Willow Run ...
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 239 newspapers that have been published in the area around Willow Run.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Willow Run. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Willow Run and those printed in the larger area surrounding Willow Run.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 23 miles [37 km]<4> of Willow Run.
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 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 Willow Run:
- Websites specific to Michigan
- Pages specific to Washtenaw County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Jackson County
- Lenawee County
- Livingston County
- Monroe County
- Oakland County
- Wayne County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Michigan
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 Willow Run, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Willow Run) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |