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 Dodge Center (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 Dodge Center. 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 Dodge Center ...
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 occur.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Dodge Center: Dodge Ctr. (or less commonly used: Dodge Cen., Dodge Cent. or Dodge Cntr.)
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 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.
Dodge Center is located in Dodge 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 Dodge County: Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Olmsted, Rice & Steele.
Below are the counties that are near Dodge Center. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Dodge Center:
- Dodge County (The home county of Dodge Center)
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Kasson
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Mantorville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Westfield Center ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Westfield Center is located in Dodge County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westfield Center
- Claremont
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Concord
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Concord is located in Dodge County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
- West Concord
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Hayfield
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Freeborn County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Geneva
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Hollandale
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Oakland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Oakland is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
- Clarks Grove
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bath
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Bath is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
- Goodhue County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Roscoe
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Roscoe is located in Goodhue County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roscoe
- Pine Island
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Kenyon
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Wanamingo
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Zumbrota
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Hader
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Hader is located in Goodhue County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hader
- Wangs
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Wangs is located in Goodhue County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wangs
- Dennison
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Goodhue
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Belle Creek
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Belle Creek is located in Goodhue County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Creek
- White Rock
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- White Rock is located in Goodhue County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Rock
- Bellechester
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Bellechester is located in Goodhue County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellechester
- Population from the 2020 Census: 177 people
- Mower County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Waltham
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Sargeant
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Sargeant is located in Mower County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sargeant
- Population from the 2020 Census: 60 people
- Brownsdale
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Lansing
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Lansing is located in Mower County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lansing
- Renova ‑ Historic
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Renova is located in Mower County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renova
- Dexter
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Mapleview
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Mapleview is located in Mower County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mapleview
- Population from the 2020 Census: 177 people
- Austin
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Racine
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Elkton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Elkton is located in Mower County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
- Grand Meadow
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Rose Creek
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Varco
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Varco is located in Mower County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Varco
- Olmsted County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Byron
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Shanty Town
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Shanty Town is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shanty Town
- Post Town
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Post Town is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Post Town
- Rock Dell
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Rock Dell is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Dell
- Genoa
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Genoa is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa
- Oronoco
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Rochester
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- High Forest
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- High Forest is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Forest
- Stewartville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Simpson
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Simpson is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simpson
- Predmore
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Predmore is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Predmore
- Potsdam
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Potsdam is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potsdam
- Viola
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Viola is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viola
- Rice County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Moland
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Moland is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moland
- Walcott
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Walcott is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walcott
- Nerstrand
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Cannon City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Cannon City is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannon City
- Faribault
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Warsaw
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Warsaw is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
- Steele County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Rice Lake
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Rice Lake is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice Lake
- Havana
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Havana is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
- Blooming Prairie
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Pratt
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Pratt is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
- Union
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Union is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Steele Center
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Steele Center is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele Center
- Owatonna
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- River Point
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- River Point is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Point
- Hope
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Hope is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
- Medford
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Medford is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,255 people
- Ellendale
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Wabasha County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Mazeppa
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Hammond
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Hammond is located in Wabasha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hammond
- Population from the 2020 Census: 167 people
- Zumbro Falls
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Jarrett
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Jarrett is located in Wabasha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jarrett
- Elgin
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Dodge Center, see our County-by-County Page for Dodge Center.
Cemeteries Near Dodge Center ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dodge Center.
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 Dodge Center - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Dodge Center covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Riverside Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Wildwood Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Ashland - Ripley Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Maple Grove Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Evergreen Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Margaret Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Claremont Street Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Hillside Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Milton Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Concord Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Fairview Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Continue List (225 more) ...
- West St. Olaf Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Westfield Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- South Zumbro Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
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.<2>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Dodge Center had a population of 633 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Dodge Center had a population of 2,798 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Dodge Center, with the one closest to Dodge Center listed first.
- Wasioja
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Wasioja is located in Dodge County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wasioja
- Kasson
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Mantorville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Westfield Center ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Westfield Center is located in Dodge County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westfield Center
- Claremont
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- West Concord
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Concord
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Concord is located in Dodge County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
- Hayfield
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Berne
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Berne is located in Dodge County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berne
- Oslo
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Oslo is located in Dodge County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oslo
- Rock Dell
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Rock Dell is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Dell
- Bixby
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Bixby is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bixby
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Skyberg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Skyberg is located in Goodhue County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skyberg
- Genoa
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Genoa is located in Olmsted County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa
- Waltham
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Dodge Center. See our List of 1890's Communities around Dodge Center.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Dodge Center ...
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 111 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dodge Center.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Dodge Center. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Dodge Center and those printed in the larger area surrounding Dodge Center.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Dodge Center.
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 Dodge Center:
- Websites specific to Minnesota
- Pages specific to Dodge County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Freeborn County
- Goodhue County
- Mower County
- Olmsted County
- Rice County
- Steele County
- Wabasha County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Minnesota
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> | 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 Dodge Center, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Dodge Center) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |