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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 Brainerd (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 Brainerd. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Brainerd is located in Crow Wing County and is the County Seat.

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 Crow Wing County: Aitkin, Cass, Mille Lacs & Morrison.

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

  • Crow Wing County     (The home county of Brainerd)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brainerd, with the one closest to Brainerd listed first.
    • Baxter
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baxter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baxter
      • Baxter is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,483 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baxter <2>
    • Merrifield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merrifield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merrifield
      • Merrifield is located in Crow Wing County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Merrifield <2>
    • Lake Hubert
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Hubert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Hubert
      • Lake Hubert is located in Crow Wing County
    • Riverton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverton
      • Riverton is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 115 people
    • Nisswa
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nisswa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nisswa
      • Nisswa is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,115 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nisswa <2>
    • Ironton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Trommald
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trommald have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trommald
      • Trommald is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 100 people
    • Crosby
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crosby
      • Crosby is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,315 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Crosby <2>
    • Fort Ripley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Bay Lake
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Lake
      • Bay Lake is located in Crow Wing County
    • Pequot Lakes
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pequot Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pequot Lakes
      • Pequot Lakes is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,305 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pequot Lakes <2>
    • Cuyuna
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cuyuna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuyuna
      • Cuyuna is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 365 people
    • Deerwood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deerwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerwood
      • Deerwood is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deerwood <2>
  • Aitkin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brainerd, with the one closest to Brainerd listed first.
    • Nichols
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nichols have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nichols
      • Nichols is located in Aitkin County
    • Wealthwood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wealthwood
      • Wealthwood is located in Aitkin County
    • Aitkin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brainerd, with the one closest to Brainerd listed first.
    • East Gull Lake
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Gull Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Lake Shore
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Shore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Pillager
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pillager have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Pine River
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pine River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine River
      • Pine River is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 933 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pine River <2>
    • Chickamaw Beach
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chickamaw Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chickamaw Beach
      • Chickamaw Beach is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 110 people
  • Mille Lacs County
    • Vineland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vineland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vineland
      • Vineland is located in Mille Lacs County
  • Morrison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brainerd, with the one closest to Brainerd listed first.
    • Harding
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harding
      • Harding is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
    • Motley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Motley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Lastrup
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lastrup have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lastrup
      • Lastrup is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lastrup <2>
    • Cushing
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cushing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushing
      • Cushing is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cushing <2>
    • Lincoln
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
      • Lincoln is located in Morrison County
    • Randall
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Pierz
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierz have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierz
      • Pierz is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,364 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pierz <2>
    • Genola
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Genola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genola
      • Genola is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
    • Little Falls
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Hillman
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillman
      • Hillman is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 36 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hillman <2>
  • Todd County
    • Staples
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Staples have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Brainerd ...

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 58 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brainerd.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Brainerd. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Brainerd and those printed in the larger area surrounding Brainerd.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3> of Brainerd.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Brainerd:

Cemeteries Near Brainerd ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brainerd.

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

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

  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Evergreen Memorial Gardens
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Memorial Gardens
  • Baxter Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baxter Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baxter Cemetery
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
  • St. Francis Assisi Catholic Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Francis Assisi Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Francis Assisi Catholic Cemetery
  • St. John Holy Cross Episcopal Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John Holy Cross Episcopal Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John Holy Cross Episcopal Cemetery
  • Oak Land Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Land Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Land Cemetery
  • Hagen - Arnestad Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hagen - Arnestad Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hagen - Arnestad Cemetery
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
  • St. Thomas of the Pines
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Gull River Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Lake Edward Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake Edward Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake Edward Cemetery
  • Continue List   (108 more) ...
    • Crow Wing River Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crow Wing River Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crow Wing River Cemetery
    • Prosser Farm Site Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prosser Farm Site Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prosser Farm Site Cemetery
    • St. Mathias Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mathias Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mathias Cemetery

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Brainerd had a population of 5,703 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Brainerd had a population of 13,449 people.

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

  • Baxter
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baxter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baxter
    • Baxter is located in Crow Wing County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,483 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baxter <2>
  • Crow Wing
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crow Wing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crow Wing
    • Crow Wing is located in Crow Wing County
  • Saint Mathias
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Mathias have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Mathias
    • Saint Mathias is located in Crow Wing County
  • Pillager
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pillager have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
  • Fort Ripley
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Deerwood
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deerwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerwood
    • Deerwood is located in Crow Wing County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deerwood <2>
  • Garrison
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garrison have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
    • Garrison is located in Crow Wing County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garrison <2>
  • Nichols
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nichols have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nichols
    • Nichols is located in Aitkin County
  • Motley
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Motley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
  • Lincoln
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
    • Lincoln is located in Morrison County
  • Cushing
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cushing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushing
    • Cushing is located in Morrison County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cushing <2>
  • Randall
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (10 more) ...
    • Belle Prairie
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belle Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Prairie
      • Belle Prairie is located in Morrison County
    • Vineland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vineland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vineland
      • Vineland is located in Mille Lacs County
    • Philbrook
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Philbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philbrook
      • Philbrook is located in Todd County

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

The official website for Brainerd: www.ci.brainerd.mn.us/

The official website for Crow Wing County: www.co.crow-wing.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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Brainerd) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Brainerd. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.3558, Longitude: -94.2007    
<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 Brainerd, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024