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 Donaldson (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 Donaldson. 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 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.

Donaldson is located in Kittson 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 Kittson County: Marshall, Roseau, Pembina (ND) & Walsh (ND).

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

• Kittson County     (The home county of Donaldson)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Donaldson, with the one closest to Donaldson listed first.
  • Kennedy
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kennedy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kennedy
    • Kennedy is located in Kittson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kennedy <2>
  • Mattson
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mattson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattson
    • Mattson is located in Kittson County
  • Hallock
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallock
    • Hallock is located in Kittson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 904 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hallock <2>
  • Deerwood
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • 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 Kittson County
  • Halma
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Halma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halma
    • Halma is located in Kittson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 60 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Halma <2>
  • Lake Bronson
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Bronson
    • Lake Bronson is located in Kittson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Bronson <2>
  • Karlstad
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Karlstad have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Karlstad
    • Karlstad is located in Kittson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 706 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Karlstad <2>
  • Lancaster
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lancaster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lancaster
    • Lancaster is located in Kittson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 327 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lancaster <2>
  • Humboldt
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Humboldt
    • Humboldt is located in Kittson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 42 people
• Marshall County
  • The following are listed by their distance from Donaldson, with the one closest to Donaldson listed first.
  • Stephen
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stephen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stephen
    • Stephen is located in Marshall County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 645 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stephen <2>
  • Englund
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Englund. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Englund
    • Englund is located in Marshall County
  • Argyle
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argyle
    • Argyle is located in Marshall County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 641 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Argyle <2>
  • Big Woods
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Woods
    • Big Woods is located in Marshall County
  • Strandquist
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strandquist have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strandquist
    • Strandquist is located in Marshall County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 68 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Strandquist <2>
  • Alvarado
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alvarado have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvarado
    • Alvarado is located in Marshall County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 362 people
  • Warren
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren
    • Warren is located in Marshall County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,546 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Warren <2>
  • Oslo
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oslo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oslo
    • Oslo is located in Marshall County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 323 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oslo <2>
  • Newfolden
    (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newfolden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newfolden
    • Newfolden is located in Marshall County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 363 people
• Pembina County (ND)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Donaldson, with the one closest to Donaldson listed first.
  • Drayton
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drayton
    • Drayton is located in Pembina County (ND)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 728 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Drayton <2>
  • Pittsburgh
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsburgh
    • Pittsburgh is located in Pembina County (ND)
  • Bowesmont
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowesmont
    • Bowesmont is located in Pembina County (ND)
  • Joliette
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joliette
    • Joliette is located in Pembina County (ND)
  • McArthur
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McArthur
    • McArthur is located in Pembina County (ND)
  • Saint Thomas
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Thomas have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Thomas
    • Saint Thomas is located in Pembina County (ND)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 301 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Thomas <2>
  • Glasston
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glasston
    • Glasston is located in Pembina County (ND)
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glasston <2>
  • Hamilton
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamilton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamilton
    • Hamilton is located in Pembina County (ND)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hamilton <2>
• Walsh County (ND)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Donaldson, with the one closest to Donaldson listed first.
  • Herrick
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herrick
    • Herrick is located in Walsh County (ND)
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Herrick <2>
  • Cashel ‑ Historic
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cashel. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cashel
    • Cashel is located in Walsh County (ND)
  • Grafton
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grafton
    • Grafton is located in Walsh County (ND)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,075 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grafton <2>
  • Warsaw
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
    • Warsaw is located in Walsh County (ND)
  • Auburn
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auburn
    • Auburn is located in Walsh County (ND)
  • Herriott
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Herriott. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herriott
    • Herriott is located in Walsh County (ND)
  • Minto
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minto
    • Minto is located in Walsh County (ND)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Minto <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Donaldson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Donaldson.

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

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

• Hillcrest Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillcrest Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillcrest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Tree Claim Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tree Claim Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tree Claim Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Kennedy Cemetery
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kennedy Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kennedy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• St. Petri Cemetery
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Petri Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Petri Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Spring Brook Cemetery
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Brook Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spring Brook Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Jupiter Mission Cemetery
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jupiter Mission Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jupiter Mission Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• West Emmaus Cemetery
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Emmaus Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Emmaus Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Stephen Cemetery
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stephen Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stephen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• St. Stephen Cemetery
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Stephen Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Stephen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Edward Johnson Cemetery
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Edward Johnson Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Edward Johnson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Red River Cemetery
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Red River Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Red River Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Pederson Burials
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pederson Burials
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pederson Burials have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Continue List   (98 more) ...
  • Oslo Lutheran Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oslo Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oslo Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • East Emmaus Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Emmaus Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Emmaus Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jupiter Community Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jupiter Community Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jupiter Community 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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Donaldson had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Donaldson had a population of 39 people.

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

• Kennedy
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kennedy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kennedy
  • Kennedy is located in Kittson County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kennedy <2>
• Stephen
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stephen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stephen
  • Stephen is located in Marshall County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 645 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stephen <2>
• Mattson
  (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mattson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattson
  • Mattson is located in Kittson County
• Drayton
  (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drayton
  • Drayton is located in Pembina County (ND)
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 728 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Drayton <2>
• Englund
  (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Englund. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Englund
  • Englund is located in Marshall County
• Pittsburgh
  (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsburgh
  • Pittsburgh is located in Pembina County (ND)
• Hallock
  (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallock
  • Hallock is located in Kittson County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 904 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hallock <2>
• Bowesmont
  (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowesmont
  • Bowesmont is located in Pembina County (ND)
• Argyle
  (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argyle
  • Argyle is located in Marshall County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 641 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Argyle <2>
• Cashel ‑ Historic
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cashel. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cashel
  • Cashel is located in Walsh County (ND)
• Northcote
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Northcote have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northcote
  • Northcote is located in Kittson County
• Big Woods
  (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Woods
  • Big Woods is located in Marshall County
• Continue List   (13 more) ...
  • Joliette
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joliette
    • Joliette is located in Pembina County (ND)
  • Foldahl
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foldahl have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foldahl
    • Foldahl is located in Marshall County
  • Pelan
    (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pelan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelan
    • Pelan is located in Kittson County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Donaldson ...

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 44 newspapers that have been published in the area around Donaldson.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

• A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Donaldson. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Donaldson and those printed in the larger area surrounding Donaldson.
• An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<5> of Donaldson.

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 Donaldson:

• 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 Kittson County
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Genealogy information for nearby counties
  • Marshall County
    • Jump to Cyndi's List
    • Jump to Family Search
    • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Pembina County
    • Jump to Cyndi's List
    • Jump to Family Search
    • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Walsh 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 Kittson 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 Donaldson. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/