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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 Bigfork (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 Bigfork. 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.

Name Variations for Bigfork ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Another variation: Big Fork.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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.

Bigfork is located in Itasca 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 Itasca County: Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Koochiching & Saint Louis.

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

  • Itasca County     (The home county of Bigfork)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bigfork, with the one closest to Bigfork listed first.
    • Effie
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Effie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Effie
      • Effie is located in Itasca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 118 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Effie <2>
    • Marcell
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marcell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marcell
      • Marcell is located in Itasca County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marcell <2>
    • Talmoon
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Talmoon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Talmoon
      • Talmoon is located in Itasca County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Talmoon <2>
    • Spring Lake
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Lake
      • Spring Lake is located in Itasca County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spring Lake <2>
    • Wirt
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wirt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wirt
      • Wirt is located in Itasca County
    • Bowstring
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bowstring have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowstring
      • Bowstring is located in Itasca County
    • Dora Lake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Max
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Max have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Max
      • Max is located in Itasca County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Max <2>
    • Squaw Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Squaw Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Squaw Lake
      • Squaw Lake is located in Itasca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Squaw Lake <2>
    • Deer River
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deer River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer River
      • Deer River is located in Itasca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 930 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deer River <2>
    • Zemple
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Zemple have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zemple
      • Zemple is located in Itasca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 90 people
  • Koochiching County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bigfork, with the one closest to Bigfork listed first.
    • Gemmell
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Margie
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Margie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Margie
      • Margie is located in Koochiching County
    • Mizpah
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mizpah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mizpah
      • Mizpah is located in Koochiching County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
    • Northome
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Northome have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northome
      • Northome is located in Koochiching County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 187 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Northome <2>
    • Big Falls
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Falls
      • Big Falls is located in Koochiching County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Big Falls <2>
  • Saint Louis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bigfork, with the one closest to Bigfork listed first.
    • Bear River
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Side Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Side Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Side Lake
      • Side Lake is located in Saint Louis County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Side Lake <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Bigfork ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bigfork.

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

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

  • Lakeview Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fredheim Norwegian Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fredheim Norwegian Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fredheim Norwegian Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stakes Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stakes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stakes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Star Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Star Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Star Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Knoll Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Knoll Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Knoll Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Norwegian Church Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Norwegian Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Norwegian Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Teigland Family Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Teigland Family Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Teigland Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wirt Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wirt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wirt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sand Lake Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sand Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sand Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Donnelly Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Donnelly Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Donnelly Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Suomi Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (31 more) ...
    • Balsam Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Balsam Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Balsam Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wildwood Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wildwood Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wildwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Caldwell Brook Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Caldwell Brook Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Caldwell Brook Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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>

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

  • Deer River
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deer River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer River
    • Deer River is located in Itasca County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 930 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deer River <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Bigfork ...

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 6 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bigfork.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bigfork, 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 Bigfork.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with 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 Bigfork:

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

The official website for Itasca County: www.co.itasca.mn.us/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<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 Bigfork, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Bigfork) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bigfork. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.7447, Longitude: -93.6541    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025