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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 Freeport (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 Freeport. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and 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.

Freeport is located in Stearns 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 Stearns County: Benton, Douglas, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Morrison, Pope, Sherburne, Todd & Wright.

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

  • Stearns County     (The home county of Freeport)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Freeport, with the one closest to Freeport listed first.
    • New Munich
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Rosa
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Saint Rosa is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Rosa
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
    • Saint Anthony
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Saint Anthony is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Anthony
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
    • Albany
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Melrose
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Greenwald
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Meire Grove
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Meire Grove is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meire Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
    • Holdingford
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Saint Martin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Spring Hill
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Spring Hill is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 95 people
    • Avon
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Avon is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,652 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avon <1>
    • Sauk Centre
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Elrosa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Benton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Freeport, with the one closest to Freeport listed first.
    • Rice
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Rice is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,401 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rice <1>
    • Evergreen Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Evergreen Village is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen Village
    • Watab
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Watab is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watab
    • Sauk Rapids
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
  • Douglas County
    • Osakis
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Kandiyohi County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Freeport, with the one closest to Freeport listed first.
    • Regal
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Regal is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Regal
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
    • Hawick
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Hawick is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawick
    • New London
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Meeker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Freeport, with the one closest to Freeport listed first.
    • Eden Valley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Watkins
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Manannah
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Manannah is located in Meeker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manannah
  • Morrison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Freeport, with the one closest to Freeport listed first.
    • Upsala
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Elmdale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Elmdale is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmdale
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 116 people
    • Swanville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Bowlus
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • North Prairie
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • North Prairie is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Prairie
    • Sobieski
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Sobieski is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sobieski
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 194 people
    • Flensburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Flensburg is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flensburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 223 people
    • Royalton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Little Falls
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Randall
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Belle Prairie
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Belle Prairie is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Prairie
  • Pope County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Freeport, with the one closest to Freeport listed first.
    • Grove Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Grove Lake is located in Pope County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove Lake
    • Westport
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Westport is located in Pope County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westport
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 61 people
    • Sedan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Sedan is located in Pope County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sedan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 50 people
    • Villard
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Todd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Freeport, with the one closest to Freeport listed first.
    • Grey Eagle
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Burtrum
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Pillsbury
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Pillsbury is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pillsbury
    • West Union
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • West Union is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Union
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 123 people
    • Long Prairie
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Browerville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Browerville is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browerville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
    • Clotho
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Clotho is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clotho

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

Cemeteries Near Freeport ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Freeport.

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

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

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

  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Millwood Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Immaculate Conception Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Ebenezer Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Rosa of Lima Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Immanuel Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Oak Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Marys Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Marys Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southeast of Melrose.
    • The St. Marys Cemetery has also been known as:
    • St. Boniface Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #83432 <2>
  • Seven Dolors Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Ebenezer Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • St. Patrick Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (174 more) ...
    • St. Johns Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • St. Johns Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • St. Francis Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)

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 in 1895, Freeport had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Freeport had a population of 671 people.

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

  • New Munich
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Albany
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Melrose
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Meire Grove
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Meire Grove is located in Stearns County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meire Grove
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
  • Saint Anna
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Saint Anna is located in Stearns County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Anna
  • Spring Hill
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Spring Hill is located in Stearns County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 95 people
  • Grey Eagle
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Saint Martin
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Farming
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Farming is located in Stearns County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farming
  • Holdingford
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Upsala
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Spaulding
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Spaulding is located in Todd County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spaulding
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Avon
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Avon is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,652 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avon <1>
    • Sauk Centre
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Lake Henry
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Lake Henry is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Henry
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 113 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Freeport ...

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 51 newspapers that have been published in the area around Freeport.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Freeport. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Freeport and those printed in the larger area surrounding Freeport.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Freeport.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Freeport:

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 Freeport, 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Freeport) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.