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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 Florence (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 Florence. 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.

Florence is located in Lyon 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 Lyon County: Lincoln, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood & Yellow Medicine.

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

  • Lyon County     (The home county of Florence)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Florence, with the one closest to Florence listed first.
    • Russell
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Russell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russell
      • Russell is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 343 people
    • Balaton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Balaton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balaton
      • Balaton is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 616 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Balaton <2>
    • Lynd
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lynd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynd
      • Lynd is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 455 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lynd <2>
    • Garvin
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garvin
      • Garvin is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
    • Amiret
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amiret
      • Amiret is located in Lyon County
    • Marshall
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Ghent
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ghent have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ghent
      • Ghent is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 361 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ghent <2>
    • Tracy
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tracy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tracy
      • Tracy is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,055 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tracy <2>
    • Minneota
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minneota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minneota
      • Minneota is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,339 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Minneota <2>
    • Taunton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Florence, with the one closest to Florence listed first.
    • Tyler
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyler
      • Tyler is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,058 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tyler <2>
    • Arco
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arco
      • Arco is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arco <2>
    • Lake Benton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Ivanhoe
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ivanhoe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivanhoe
      • Ivanhoe is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 524 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ivanhoe <2>
    • Hendricks
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Murray County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Florence, with the one closest to Florence listed first.
    • Lake Wilson
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Wilson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Wilson
      • Lake Wilson is located in Murray County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
    • Hadley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hadley
      • Hadley is located in Murray County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 59 people
    • The Lakes
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Lakes
      • The Lakes is located in Murray County
    • Chandler
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chandler have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chandler
      • Chandler is located in Murray County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
    • Currie
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Slayton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Iona
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Dovray
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dovray
      • Dovray is located in Murray County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • Avoca
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avoca have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avoca
      • Avoca is located in Murray County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
  • Nobles County
    • Leota
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leota
      • Leota is located in Nobles County
  • Pipestone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Florence, with the one closest to Florence listed first.
    • Ruthton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Holland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holland
      • Holland is located in Pipestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 172 people
    • Woodstock
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodstock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodstock
      • Woodstock is located in Pipestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 118 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Woodstock <2>
    • Hatfield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatfield
      • Hatfield is located in Pipestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
    • Pipestone
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Airlie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Airlie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airlie
      • Airlie is located in Pipestone County
    • Edgerton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edgerton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerton
      • Edgerton is located in Pipestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,129 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Edgerton <2>
    • Trosky
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Ihlen
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ihlen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ihlen
      • Ihlen is located in Pipestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ihlen <2>
  • Redwood County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Florence, with the one closest to Florence listed first.
    • Milroy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Walnut Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walnut Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Grove
      • Walnut Grove is located in Redwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 798 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walnut Grove <2>
  • Yellow Medicine County
    • Porter
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Porter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
      • Porter is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 164 people
  • Brookings County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Florence, with the one closest to Florence listed first.
    • Elkton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkton
      • Elkton is located in Brookings County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 729 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elkton <2>
    • Bushnell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushnell
      • Bushnell is located in Brookings County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
  • Moody County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Florence, with the one closest to Florence listed first.
    • Ward
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ward have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ward
      • Ward is located in Moody County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ward <2>
    • Flandreau
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flandreau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flandreau
      • Flandreau is located in Moody County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,293 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Flandreau <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Florence ...

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 87 newspapers that have been published in the area around Florence.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Florence, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Florence.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Florence:

Cemeteries Near Florence ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Florence.

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

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

  • Opdal Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Opdal Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Opdal Cemetery
  • Hope Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Ruthton Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ruthton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ruthton Cemetery
  • Mission Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mission Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mission Cemetery
  • St. Dionysius Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Dionysius Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Dionysius Cemetery
  • Danebod Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Peace Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Peace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Peace Cemetery
  • Sillerud Lutheran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Wood Lake Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wood Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wood Lake Cemetery
  • St. Peters Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Peters Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Peters Cemetery
  • Trinity Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trinity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trinity Cemetery
  • Lakeside Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeside Cemetery
  • Continue List   (109 more) ...
    • Russell Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Russell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Russell Cemetery
    • Ellsborough Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ellsborough Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ellsborough Cemetery
    • Zion Lutheran Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Lutheran Cemetery

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, Florence had railroad service and no post office. In 2020, Florence had a population of 35 people.

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

  • Burchard
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burchard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burchard
    • Burchard is located in Lyon County
  • Ruthton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Tyler
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyler
    • Tyler is located in Lincoln County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,058 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tyler <2>
  • Russell
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Russell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russell
    • Russell is located in Lyon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 343 people
  • Current Lake
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Current Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Current Lake
    • Current Lake is located in Murray County
  • Balaton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Balaton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balaton
    • Balaton is located in Lyon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 616 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Balaton <2>
  • Lake Benton
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Holland
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holland
    • Holland is located in Pipestone County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 172 people
  • Lynd
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lynd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynd
    • Lynd is located in Lyon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 455 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lynd <2>
  • Lowville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lowville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lowville
    • Lowville is located in Murray County
  • Garvin
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garvin
    • Garvin is located in Lyon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
  • Verdi
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Verdi have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdi
    • Verdi is located in Lincoln County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Woodstock
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodstock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodstock
      • Woodstock is located in Pipestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 118 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Woodstock <2>
    • Lake Wilson
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Wilson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Wilson
      • Lake Wilson is located in Murray County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
    • Amiret
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amiret
      • Amiret is located in Lyon County

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Florence. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Lyon County: www.lyonco.org/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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- Florence) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Florence. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.2365, Longitude: -96.0533       In this case, the coordinates for Florence have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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 Florence, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024