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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 Aldrich (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 Aldrich. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Aldrich is primarily located in Wadena County. A portion of Aldrich extends into Todd County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wadena County: Becker, Cass, Hubbard, Otter Tail & Todd.

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

  • Wadena County     (The home county of Aldrich)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aldrich, with the one closest to Aldrich listed first.
    • Verndale
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Nimrod
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Sebeka
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sebeka have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sebeka
      • Sebeka is located in Wadena County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 668 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sebeka <1>
    • Menahga
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menahga have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menahga
      • Menahga is located in Wadena County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,307 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Menahga <1>
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aldrich, with the one closest to Aldrich listed first.
    • Ellis
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ellis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellis
      • Ellis is located in Cass County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ellis
      • From Aldrich to Ellis
    • Pillager
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pillager have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pillager
      • Pillager is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 486 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pillager <1>
    • East Gull Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Gull Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Gull Lake
      • East Gull Lake is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,059 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for East Gull Lake <1>
    • Lake Shore
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Shore have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Shore
      • Lake Shore is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,069 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Shore <1>
  • Douglas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aldrich, with the one closest to Aldrich listed first.
    • Rose City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose City
      • Rose City is located in Douglas County
    • Miltona
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Belle River
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Belle River. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle River
      • Belle River is located in Douglas County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Belle River
      • From Aldrich to Belle River
  • Morrison County
  • Otter Tail County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aldrich, with the one closest to Aldrich listed first.
    • Wadena
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Bluffton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluffton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
      • Bluffton is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
    • Deer Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Davies
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Davies. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davies
      • Davies is located in Otter Tail County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Davies
      • From Aldrich to Davies
    • New York Mills
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Parkers Prairie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Henning
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Henning have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henning
      • Henning is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 806 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henning <1>
    • Leaf City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leaf City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leaf City
      • Leaf City is located in Otter Tail County
    • Ottertail
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ottertail have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottertail
      • Ottertail is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 660 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ottertail <1>
    • Vining
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Todd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aldrich, with the one closest to Aldrich listed first.
    • Staples
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Staples have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staples
      • Staples is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,068 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Staples <1>
    • Hewitt
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hewitt have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewitt
      • Hewitt is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
    • Bertha
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bertha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bertha
      • Bertha is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 481 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bertha <1>
    • Philbrook
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Philbrook. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philbrook
      • Philbrook is located in Todd County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Philbrook
      • From Aldrich to Philbrook
    • Eagle Bend
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Bend
      • Eagle Bend is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 518 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eagle Bend <1>
    • Clarissa
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarissa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarissa
      • Clarissa is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 651 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarissa <1>
    • Browerville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Browerville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browerville
      • Browerville is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
    • Clotho
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Long Prairie
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Prairie
      • Long Prairie is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,297 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Long Prairie <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Aldrich ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Aldrich.

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

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

  • Mother of Sorrows Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mother of Sorrows Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mother of Sorrows Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Balsamlund Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Balsamlund Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Balsamlund Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Fredericks Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Fredericks Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Fredericks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenlawn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenlawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Immanuel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Immanuel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Immanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] 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.
  • Montrose Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Montrose Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Montrose Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hewitt Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hewitt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hewitt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Trinity Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trinity Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trinity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Peace Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Peace Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Peace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Moran - Germania Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moran - Germania Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moran - Germania Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hallet Family Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hallet Family Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hallet Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (143 more) ...
    • Mt. Nebo Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Nebo Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Nebo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Scandinavian Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Scandinavian Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Scandinavian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Zoar Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zoar Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zoar 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 Aldrich had a population of 69 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Aldrich had a population of 46 people.

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

  • Verndale
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Staples
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Staples have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staples
    • Staples is located in Todd County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,068 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Staples <1>
  • Hewitt
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hewitt have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewitt
    • Hewitt is located in Todd County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
  • Bertha
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bertha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bertha
    • Bertha is located in Todd County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 481 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bertha <1>
  • Wadena
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Philbrook
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Philbrook. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philbrook
    • Philbrook is located in Todd County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Philbrook
    • From Aldrich to Philbrook
  • Wrightstown
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wrightstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrightstown
    • Wrightstown is located in Otter Tail County
  • Motley
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Motley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Motley
    • Motley is located in Morrison County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 653 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Motley <1>
  • Ellis
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ellis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellis
    • Ellis is located in Cass County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Ellis
    • From Aldrich to Ellis
  • Eagle Bend
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Bend
    • Eagle Bend is located in Todd County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 518 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eagle Bend <1>
  • Bluffton
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluffton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
    • Bluffton is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
  • Clarissa
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarissa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarissa
    • Clarissa is located in Todd County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 651 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarissa <1>
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Sebeka
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sebeka have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sebeka
      • Sebeka is located in Wadena County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 668 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sebeka <1>
    • Lincoln
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Nimrod
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in Aldrich ...

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 38 newspapers that have been published in the area around Aldrich.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Aldrich, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Aldrich.

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 Aldrich:

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

The official website for Wadena County: www.co.wadena.mn.us/

The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/

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 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>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.
<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 Aldrich, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Aldrich) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Aldrich. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.3744, Longitude: -94.9375       In this case, the coordinates for Aldrich have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025