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

Neighboring Counties ...

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

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most 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 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.

Brushvale is located in Wilkin County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wilkin County: Clay, Grant, Otter Tail, Traverse, Cass (ND) & Richland (ND).

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

  • Wilkin County     (The home county of Brushvale)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brushvale, with the one closest to Brushvale listed first.
    • Kent
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Kent is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
    • Breckenridge
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Wolverton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Wolverton is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
    • Doran
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Doran is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doran
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 47 people
    • Foxhome
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Foxhome is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foxhome
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 112 people
    • Lawndale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Lawndale is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawndale
    • Childs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Childs is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Childs
    • Campbell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Campbell is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 152 people
    • Tenney
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Tenney is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenney
      • Estimated population in 2011: 5 people
    • Nashua
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Nashua is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashua
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brushvale, with the one closest to Brushvale listed first.
    • Comstock
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Comstock is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comstock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 108 people
    • Barnesville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Baker
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Baker is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker
    • Sabin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Sabin is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 558 people
  • Otter Tail County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brushvale, with the one closest to Brushvale listed first.
    • Rothsay
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Elizabeth
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Western
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Western is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Western
    • Erhard
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Fergus Falls
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Pelican Rapids
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Traverse County
    • Tintah
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Tintah is located in Traverse County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tintah
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
  • Cass County (ND)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brushvale, with the one closest to Brushvale listed first.
    • Oxbow
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Oxbow is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxbow
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
    • Kindred
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Wild Rice
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Wild Rice is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wild Rice
    • Briarwood
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Briarwood is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briarwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 70 people
    • Horace
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Horace is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horace
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,128 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Horace <1>
    • Warren
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Warren is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren
  • Richland County (ND)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brushvale, with the one closest to Brushvale listed first.
    • Abercrombie
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Dwight
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Dwight is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dwight
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
    • Wahpeton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Wahpeton is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahpeton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,728 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wahpeton <1>
    • Galchutt
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Galchutt is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galchutt
    • Fairview Junction
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Fairview Junction is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Junction
    • Colfax
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Colfax is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colfax
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colfax <1>
    • Mooreton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Christine
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Great Bend
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Walcott
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Walcott is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walcott
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 251 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walcott <1>
    • Barney
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Barney is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barney
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 50 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Barney <1>
    • Fairmount
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Mantador
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Roberts County (SD)
    • White Rock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • White Rock is located in Roberts County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Rock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3 people

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

Cemeteries Near Brushvale ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brushvale.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Brushvale - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Brushvale covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • McCauleyville Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • St. Thomas Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Faith Lutheran Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faith Lutheran Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Faith Lutheran Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northeast of Dwight (ND).
    • The Faith Lutheran Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Dwight Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2186918 <3>
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Fairview Memorial Gardens
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • East Emmanuel Lutheran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • West Emmanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Bethany Free Lutheran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (135 more) ...
    • Moore Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Mitchell Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Bohemian National Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)

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 Brushvale in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Brushvale.

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

  • Kent
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Kent is located in Wilkin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
  • McCauleyville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • McCauleyville is located in Wilkin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCauleyville
  • Dwight
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Dwight is located in Richland County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dwight
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
  • Abercrombie
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Wahpeton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Wahpeton is located in Richland County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahpeton
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,728 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wahpeton <1>
  • Breckenridge
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Galchutt
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Galchutt is located in Richland County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galchutt
  • Farmington
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Farmington is located in Richland County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmington
  • Fairview Junction
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Fairview Junction is located in Richland County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Junction
  • Mooreton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Everdell
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Everdell is located in Wilkin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Everdell
  • Colfax
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Colfax is located in Richland County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colfax
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colfax <1>
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Wolverton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Wolverton is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
    • Doran
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Doran is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doran
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 47 people
    • Tyler
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Tyler is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyler

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

Newspapers Published in Brushvale ...

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 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brushvale.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Brushvale, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Brushvale.

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 Brushvale:

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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Brushvale) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<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 Brushvale, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.