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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 Georgetown (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 Georgetown. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Georgetown is located in Clay 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 Clay County: Becker, Norman, Otter Tail, Wilkin, Cass (ND) & Richland (ND).

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

  • Clay County     (The home county of Georgetown)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Georgetown, with the one closest to Georgetown listed first.
    • Kragnes
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Kragnes is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kragnes
    • Oakport
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Oakport is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakport
    • Felton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Dilworth
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Moorhead
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Glyndon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Finkle
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Finkle is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finkle
    • Sabin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Sabin is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 558 people
    • Muskoda
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Muskoda is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muskoda
    • Ulen
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Hitterdal
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Hitterdal is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitterdal
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 213 people
    • Hawley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Norman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Georgetown, with the one closest to Georgetown listed first.
    • Perley
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Perley is located in Norman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 83 people
    • Hendrum
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Hendrum is located in Norman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hendrum
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 282 people
    • Borup
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Borup is located in Norman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borup
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
    • Halstad
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Ada
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Ada is located in Norman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ada
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,556 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ada <1>
    • Shelly
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Shelly is located in Norman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelly
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 178 people
    • Twin Valley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Twin Valley is located in Norman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin Valley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 750 people
  • Cass County (ND)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Georgetown, with the one closest to Georgetown listed first.
    • Argusville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Argusville is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argusville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 467 people
    • Harwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • North River
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • North River is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North River
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Gardner
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Reile's Acres
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Reile's Acres is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reile's Acres
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 748 people
    • Fargo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Fargo is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fargo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 125,209 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fargo <1>
    • West Fargo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Mapleton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Prairie Rose
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Prairie Rose is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Rose
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • Frontier
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Frontier is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frontier
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
    • Arthur
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Amenia
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
  • Traill County (ND)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Georgetown, with the one closest to Georgetown listed first.
    • Grandin
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Kelso
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Kelso is located in Traill County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelso
    • Alton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Alton is located in Traill County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
    • Greenfield
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Greenfield is located in Traill County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
    • Hillsboro
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Caledonia
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Blanchard
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Georgetown ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Georgetown.

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

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

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

  • North Bluff Memorial Gardens
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Kirkebo Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Kirkebo Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Oak Mound Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Old Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Oak Wood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Fridhem Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Bethania Lutheran Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Landstad Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Argusville Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Lower Maple River Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (100 more) ...
    • Riverside Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Riverside Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northeast of Fargo (ND).
      • The Riverside Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Moorhead Riverside Cemetery
      • Be careful not to confuse this cemetery with another one that is also named Riverside Cemetery (located 68 miles to the north).
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #790540 <2>
    • St. Joseph Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Scandia Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)

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, Georgetown had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Georgetown had a population of 126 people.

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

  • Argusville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Argusville is located in Cass County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argusville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 467 people
  • Kragnes
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Kragnes is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kragnes
  • Perley
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Perley is located in Norman County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perley
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 83 people
  • Harwood
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Hendrum
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Hendrum is located in Norman County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hendrum
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 282 people
  • Averill
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Averill is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Averill
  • Felton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Fargo
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Fargo is located in Cass County (ND)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fargo
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 125,209 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fargo <1>
  • Dilworth
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • Grandin
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Moorhead
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Mapleton
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Glyndon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Finkle
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Finkle is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finkle
    • Halstad
      (18 miles [29 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 Georgetown. See our List of 1890's Communities around Georgetown.

Newspapers Published in Georgetown ...

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 124 newspapers that have been published in the area around Georgetown.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Georgetown, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Georgetown.

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 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 Georgetown:

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 Georgetown, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Georgetown) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.