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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 Gilfillan (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 Gilfillan. 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.

Gilfillan is located in Redwood 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 Redwood County: Brown, Cottonwood, Lyon, Murray, Renville & Yellow Medicine.

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

  • Redwood County     (The home county of Gilfillan)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gilfillan, with the one closest to Gilfillan listed first.
    • Morgan
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Morgan is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 832 people
    • Clements
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Clements is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clements
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
    • North Redwood
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • North Redwood is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Redwood
    • Redwood Falls
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Wabasso
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Delhi
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Delhi is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 63 people
    • Wanda
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Seaforth
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Sanborn
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Belview
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Belview is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belview
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 352 people
    • Lamberton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Lucan
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Vesta
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Vesta is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vesta
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 295 people
  • Brown County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gilfillan, with the one closest to Gilfillan listed first.
    • Evan
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Evan is located in Brown County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
    • Cobden
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Cobden is located in Brown County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobden
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
    • Springfield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Sleepy Eye
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Leavenworth
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Leavenworth is located in Brown County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leavenworth
    • Essig
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Iberia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Iberia is located in Brown County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iberia
    • Comfrey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • New Ulm
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Cottonwood County
    • Jeffers
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Jeffers is located in Cottonwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeffers
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 346 people
  • McLeod County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gilfillan, with the one closest to Gilfillan listed first.
    • Fernando
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Fernando is located in McLeod County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernando
    • Stewart
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Stewart is located in McLeod County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewart
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 533 people
  • Nicollet County
    • Lafayette
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Renville County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gilfillan, with the one closest to Gilfillan listed first.
    • Morton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Franklin
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Fairfax
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Bird Island
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Olivia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Danube
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Hector
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Renville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Buffalo Lake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Sacred Heart
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Sibley County
    • Gibbon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
  • Watonwan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gilfillan, with the one closest to Gilfillan listed first.
    • Darfur
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Darfur is located in Watonwan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Darfur
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
    • Godahl
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Godahl is located in Watonwan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Godahl
  • Yellow Medicine County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gilfillan, with the one closest to Gilfillan listed first.
    • Echo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Echo is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Echo <1>
    • Wood Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Wood Lake is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people

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

Cemeteries Near Gilfillan ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Gilfillan.

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

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

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

  • St. Michael Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Andrew Robertson Grave
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Honorable JW Lynde Burial Plot
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Knupple Grave
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Post - Newton Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Lower Sioux Community Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Matthew Wilson Plot
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Robert Montgomery Plot
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Morgan Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Bethlehem Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (187 more) ...
    • Morton Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Patten Pioneer Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • St. John Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)

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.<2>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Gilfillan had railroad service and no post office.

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

  • Morgan
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Morgan is located in Redwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 832 people
  • Morton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Franklin
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Beaver Falls
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Beaver Falls is located in Renville County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Falls
  • North Redwood
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • North Redwood is located in Redwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Redwood
  • Evan
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Evan is located in Brown County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evan
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
  • Bechyn
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Bechyn is located in Renville County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bechyn
  • Cobden
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Cobden is located in Brown County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobden
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
  • Fairfax
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Delhi
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Delhi is located in Redwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 63 people
  • Springfield
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Sleepy Eye
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Sanborn
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Leavenworth
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Leavenworth is located in Brown County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leavenworth
    • Belview
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Belview is located in Redwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belview
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 352 people

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

Newspapers Published in Gilfillan ...

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 99 newspapers that have been published in the area around Gilfillan.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Gilfillan, 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 Gilfillan.

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 Gilfillan:

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>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 Gilfillan, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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- Gilfillan) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.