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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 Bowstring (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 Bowstring. 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 hospitals and 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.

Bowstring 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 Bowstring. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Bowstring:

  • Itasca County     (The home county of Bowstring)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bowstring, with the one closest to Bowstring listed first.
    • Talmoon
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • 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>
    • Marcell
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Spring Lake
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • 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>
    • Deer River
      (13 miles [20.9 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>
    • Max
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • 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>
    • Bigfork
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Wirt
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
    • Zemple
      (15 miles [24.1 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
    • Squaw Lake
      (16 miles [25.7 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>
    • Dora Lake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dora Lake
      • Dora Lake is located in Itasca County
    • Effie
      (21 miles [33.8 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>
    • Cohasset
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cohasset have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cohasset
      • Cohasset is located in Itasca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,739 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cohasset <2>
    • Coleraine
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coleraine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleraine
      • Coleraine is located in Itasca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,972 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coleraine <2>
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bowstring, with the one closest to Bowstring listed first.
    • Bena
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bena have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bena
      • Bena is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bena <2>
    • Ryan Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ryan Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryan Village
      • Ryan Village is located in Cass County
    • Federal Dam
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Federal Dam have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Federal Dam
      • Federal Dam is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 110 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Federal Dam <2>
    • Boy River
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boy River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boy River
      • Boy River is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people

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

Cemeteries Near Bowstring ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bowstring.

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

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

  • Evergreen Knoll Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Old Norwegian Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Donnelly Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • 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
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Stakes Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.
  • Inger Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Inger Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Inger Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sand Lake Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.
  • Pine Ridge Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairbanks Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairbanks Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairbanks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lindenwood - Independent Apostolic Lutheran Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lindenwood - Independent Apostolic Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lindenwood - Independent Apostolic Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Olivet Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Olivet Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Olivet Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (36 more) ...
    • Wirt Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • 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.
    • Pine Grove Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Grove Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Tibbets Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tibbets Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tibbets 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 Bowstring in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Bowstring.

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

  • Deer River
    (13 miles [20.9 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>
  • Cohasset
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cohasset have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cohasset
    • Cohasset is located in Itasca County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,739 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cohasset <2>
  • Grand Rapids
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • La Prairie
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for La Prairie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Prairie
    • La Prairie is located in Itasca County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 661 people

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

Newspapers Published in Bowstring ...

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 18 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bowstring.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bowstring, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bowstring.

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 Bowstring:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Bowstring. 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 Bowstring, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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.
<6>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- Bowstring) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bowstring. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.5430, Longitude: -93.7966       In this case, the coordinates for Bowstring have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025