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 Deer River (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 Deer River. 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 Deer River ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Deer River: Deer Riv.

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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors 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.

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

• Itasca County     (The home county of Deer River)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Deer River, with the one closest to Deer River listed first.
  • Zemple
    (Less than 2 miles 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
  • Cohasset
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • 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>
  • Bowstring
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Grand Rapids
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Rapids
    • Grand Rapids is located in Itasca County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,219 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grand Rapids <2>
  • La Prairie
    (16 miles [25.7 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.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Prairie
    • La Prairie is located in Itasca County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 661 people
  • Coleraine
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • 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>
  • Talmoon
    (17 miles [27.4 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>
  • Bovey
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bovey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bovey
    • Bovey is located in Itasca County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 784 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bovey <2>
  • Marcell
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • 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>
  • Taconite
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Taconite have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taconite
    • Taconite is located in Itasca County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 629 people
  • Spring Lake
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • 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>
  • Max
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • 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>
• Aitkin County
  • Hill City
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill City
    • Hill City is located in Aitkin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 580 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hill City <2>
• Cass County
  • The following are listed by their distance from Deer River, with the one closest to Deer River listed first.
  • Boy River
    (19 miles [30.6 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
  • Bena
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • 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>
  • Remer
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remer
    • Remer is located in Cass County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Remer <2>
  • Federal Dam
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • 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>
  • Ryan Village
    (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • 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
  • North Central Cass
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Central Cass have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Central Cass
    • North Central Cass is located in Cass County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people

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

Cemeteries Near Deer River ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Deer River.

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

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

• Olivet Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • 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.
• Pine Ridge Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • 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.
• Richard R Shadley Memorial Cemetery
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Richard R Shadley Memorial Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Richard R Shadley Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Lindenwood - Independent Apostolic Lutheran Cemetery
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • 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.
• Mary Donald Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mary Donald Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mary Donald Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• St. Joseph Cemetery
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Tibbets Cemetery
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • 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.
• Paulley Children Cemetery
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Paulley Children Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Paulley Children Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Wildwood Cemetery
  (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • 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.
• Suomi Cemetery
  (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Suomi Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #83667 <4>
• Fairbanks Cemetery
  (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • 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.
• Blandin Cemetery
  (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blandin Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blandin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Continue List   (40 more) ...
  • Old Soldiers Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Soldiers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Soldiers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Donnelly Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Deer River had railroad service and no post office. In 2020, Deer River had a population of 930 people.

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

• Cohasset
  (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • 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
  (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Rapids
  • Grand Rapids is located in Itasca County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,219 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grand Rapids <2>
• La Prairie
  (16 miles [25.7 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.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Prairie
  • La Prairie is located in Itasca County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 661 people
• Blackberry
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blackberry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackberry
  • Blackberry is located in Itasca County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Deer River ...

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 27 newspapers that have been published in the area around Deer River.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

• A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Deer River. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Deer River and those printed in the larger area surrounding Deer River.
• An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6> of Deer River.

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 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 Deer River:

• Websites specific to Minnesota
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Website for the Minnesota State Archives

• Pages specific to Itasca County
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Genealogy information for nearby counties
  • Aitkin County
    • Jump to Cyndi's List
    • Jump to Family Search
    • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Cass County
    • Jump to Cyndi's List
    • Jump to Family Search
    • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Cemetery Information and Directories for Minnesota
  • Cemetery Junction: Cemeteries of Minnesota
  • Cyndi's List
  • Cemeteries of Minnesota
  • Cemeteries of Itasca County
  • FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Minnesota
  • Find-A-Grave: Home Page
  • Interment.net
  • Cemeteries of Minnesota

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Deer River. 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/