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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 Alpha (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 Alpha. 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 and hospitals 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.

Alpha is located in Jackson 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 Jackson County: Dickinson (IA), Emmet (IA), Osceola (IA), Cottonwood, Martin, Nobles & Watonwan.

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

  • Jackson County     (The home county of Alpha)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
    • Jackson
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Petersburg
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Petersburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg
      • Petersburg is located in Jackson County
    • Lakefield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakefield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakefield
      • Lakefield is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,602 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lakefield <1>
    • Wilder
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilder
      • Wilder is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
    • Sioux Valley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sioux Valley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sioux Valley
      • Sioux Valley is located in Jackson County
    • Okabena
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Okabena
      • Okabena is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Heron Lake
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heron Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heron Lake
      • Heron Lake is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 643 people
  • Cottonwood County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
    • Mountain Lake
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Lake
      • Mountain Lake is located in Cottonwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,044 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mountain Lake <1>
    • Bingham Lake
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bingham Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bingham Lake
      • Bingham Lake is located in Cottonwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bingham Lake <1>
    • Windom
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Windom have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windom
      • Windom is located in Cottonwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,403 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Windom <1>
  • Martin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
    • Sherburn
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sherburn have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherburn
      • Sherburn is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,078 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sherburn <1>
    • Dunnell
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunnell have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunnell
      • Dunnell is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
    • Trimont
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trimont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trimont
      • Trimont is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 691 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Trimont <1>
    • Welcome
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Welcome have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welcome
      • Welcome is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 645 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Welcome <1>
    • Ceylon
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ceylon have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ceylon
      • Ceylon is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 337 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ceylon <1>
    • Ormsby
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ormsby have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ormsby
      • Ormsby is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 121 people
    • Fairmont
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairmont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmont
      • Fairmont is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,922 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairmont <1>
    • Northrop
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Northrop have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northrop
      • Northrop is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 211 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Northrop <1>
    • Truman
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Truman have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Truman
      • Truman is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,028 people
    • Granada
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Granada have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granada
      • Granada is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 280 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Granada <1>
  • Nobles County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
    • Brewster
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
      • Brewster is located in Nobles County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 466 people
    • Round Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Round Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Round Lake
      • Round Lake is located in Nobles County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 364 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Round Lake <1>
  • Watonwan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
    • Odin
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odin
      • Odin is located in Watonwan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
    • Butterfield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Butterfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butterfield
      • Butterfield is located in Watonwan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
    • Saint James
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint James have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint James
      • Saint James is located in Watonwan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,358 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint James <1>
    • Darfur
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Darfur have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Darfur
      • Darfur is located in Watonwan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
    • Lewisville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lewisville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisville
      • Lewisville is located in Watonwan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 244 people
    • Grogan
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Grogan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grogan
      • Grogan is located in Watonwan County
  • Clay County (IA)
    • Fostoria
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fostoria
      • Fostoria is located in Clay County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 219 people
  • Dickinson County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
    • Superior
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Superior have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Superior
      • Superior is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Superior <1>
    • Orleans
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orleans
      • Orleans is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 591 people
    • Spirit Lake
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Arnolds Park
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Okoboji
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Okoboji
      • Okoboji is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 803 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Okoboji <1>
    • Terril
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terril
      • Terril is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 338 people
    • Wahpeton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wahpeton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahpeton
      • Wahpeton is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 353 people
    • West Okoboji
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Okoboji have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Okoboji
      • West Okoboji is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
    • Lake Park
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Park
      • Lake Park is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,132 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Park <1>
    • Milford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milford
      • Milford is located in Dickinson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,043 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milford <1>
    • Old Town
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Old Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Town
      • Old Town is located in Dickinson County (IA)
  • Emmet County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
    • Estherville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Estherville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estherville
      • Estherville is located in Emmet County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,587 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Estherville <1>
    • Dolliver
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dolliver have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolliver
      • Dolliver is located in Emmet County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dolliver <1>
    • Gruver
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gruver have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gruver
      • Gruver is located in Emmet County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 82 people
    • Wallingford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wallingford
      • Wallingford is located in Emmet County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
    • Armstrong
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Armstrong have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armstrong
      • Armstrong is located in Emmet County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 841 people
    • Hoprig
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hoprig. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoprig
      • Hoprig is located in Emmet County (IA)
    • Ringsted
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Palo Alto County (IA)
    • Graettinger
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Alpha ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Alpha.

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

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

  • Hillside Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Good Shepherd Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Riverside Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Sunset Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lake Fremont Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake Fremont Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake Fremont Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sherburne City Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sherburne City Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sherburne City Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Lukes Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Lukes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Lukes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Petersburg Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Petersburg Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Petersburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lone Cedar Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lone Cedar Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lone Cedar Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Elm Creek Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elm Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elm Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • First Lutheran Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the First Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the First Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (125 more) ...
    • East Belmont Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Belmont Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Belmont Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Union State Line Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union State Line Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union State Line Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Cedar Hill Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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>

While we didn't find Alpha in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Alpha.

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

  • Jackson
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Petersburg
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Petersburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg
    • Petersburg is located in Jackson County
  • Dunnell
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunnell have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunnell
    • Dunnell is located in Martin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
  • Sherburn
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sherburn have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherburn
    • Sherburn is located in Martin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,078 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sherburn <1>
  • Welcome
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Welcome have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welcome
    • Welcome is located in Martin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 645 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Welcome <1>
  • Superior
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Superior have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Superior
    • Superior is located in Dickinson County (IA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Superior <1>
  • Lakefield
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakefield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakefield
    • Lakefield is located in Jackson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,602 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lakefield <1>
  • Estherville
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Estherville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estherville
    • Estherville is located in Emmet County (IA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,587 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Estherville <1>
  • Dolliver
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dolliver have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolliver
    • Dolliver is located in Emmet County (IA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dolliver <1>
  • Odin
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odin
    • Odin is located in Watonwan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
  • Spirit Lake
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Bingham Lake
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bingham Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bingham Lake
    • Bingham Lake is located in Cottonwood County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bingham Lake <1>
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Fairmont
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairmont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmont
      • Fairmont is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,922 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairmont <1>
    • Windom
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Windom have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windom
      • Windom is located in Cottonwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,403 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Windom <1>
    • Wilder
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilder
      • Wilder is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people

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

Newspapers Published in Alpha ...

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 101 newspapers that have been published in the area around Alpha.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Alpha, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Alpha.

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 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 Alpha:

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

The official website for Jackson County: www.co.jackson.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>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.
<3>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.
<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 Alpha, 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' (or 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- Alpha) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Alpha. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.6394, Longitude: -94.8717       In this case, the coordinates for Alpha have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025