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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 Echo (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 Echo. 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 and 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.

Echo is located in Yellow Medicine 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 Yellow Medicine County: Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Renville & Deuel (SD).

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

  • Yellow Medicine County     (The home county of Echo)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Echo, with the one closest to Echo listed first.
    • Wood Lake
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Wood Lake is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people
    • Hanley Falls
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Hanley Falls is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanley Falls
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
    • Granite Falls
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Hazel Run
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Hazel Run is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Run
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
    • Clarkfield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Chippewa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Echo, with the one closest to Echo listed first.
    • Maynard
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Clara City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Montevideo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Kandiyohi County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Echo, with the one closest to Echo listed first.
    • Prinsburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Prinsburg is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prinsburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 497 people
    • Roseland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Roseland is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseland
    • Raymond
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Blomkest
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Blomkest is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blomkest
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 157 people
  • Lac qui Parle County
    • Boyd
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Boyd is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boyd <1>
  • Lyon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Echo, with the one closest to Echo listed first.
    • Cottonwood
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Marshall
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Ghent
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Amiret
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Amiret is located in Lyon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amiret
    • Lynd
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Tracy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Minneota
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Redwood County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Echo, with the one closest to Echo listed first.
    • Belview
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Belview is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belview
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 352 people
    • Vesta
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Vesta is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vesta
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 295 people
    • Delhi
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Delhi is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 63 people
    • Seaforth
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Lucan
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Redwood Falls
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Milroy
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • North Redwood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • North Redwood is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Redwood
    • Wabasso
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Wanda
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Clements
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Clements is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clements
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
    • Lamberton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Morgan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Morgan is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 832 people
  • Renville County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Echo, with the one closest to Echo listed first.
    • Sacred Heart
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Renville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Danube
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Morton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Olivia
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Franklin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Bird Island
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Echo ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Echo.

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 Echo - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • German Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Belview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Swedes Forest Twp. Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Sandager Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Rock Dell Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Rock Valle Lutheran Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Adsit Family Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Methodist Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Holy Name Catholic Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Vesta Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Koldorn Family Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (182 more) ...
    • Opdahl Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Lutheran Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Hustad 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Echo had a population of 150 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Echo had a population of 247 people.

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

  • Belview
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Belview is located in Redwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belview
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 352 people
  • Wood Lake
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Wood Lake is located in Yellow Medicine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood Lake
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people
  • Vesta
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Vesta is located in Redwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vesta
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 295 people
  • Delhi
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Delhi is located in Redwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 63 people
  • Sacred Heart
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Hanley Falls
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Hanley Falls is located in Yellow Medicine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanley Falls
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
  • Cottonwood
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Granite Falls
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Renville
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • North Redwood
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • North Redwood is located in Redwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Redwood
  • Bechyn
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Bechyn is located in Renville County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bechyn
  • Hazel Run
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Hazel Run is located in Yellow Medicine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Run
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Green Valley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Green Valley is located in Lyon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Valley
    • Beaver Falls
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Beaver Falls is located in Renville County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Falls
    • Maynard
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Echo ...

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 112 newspapers that have been published in the area around Echo.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Echo. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Echo and those printed in the larger area surrounding Echo.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4> of Echo.

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 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 Echo:

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>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.
<3>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 Echo, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Echo) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.