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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 Hardwick (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 Hardwick. 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 northwest 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 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 west 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.

Hardwick is located in Rock 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 Rock County: Lyon (IA), Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Minnehaha (SD) & Moody (SD).

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

  • Rock County     (The home county of Hardwick)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hardwick, with the one closest to Hardwick listed first.
    • Kenneth
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Luverne
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Magnolia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Beaver Creek
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Kanaranzi
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Ash Creek
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Manley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Steen
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Hills
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Bruce
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Bruce is located in Rock County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruce
  • Murray County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hardwick, with the one closest to Hardwick listed first.
    • Chandler
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Chandler is located in Murray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chandler
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
    • Lake Wilson
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Lake Wilson is located in Murray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Wilson
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
    • Iona
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Hadley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Lowville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Lowville is located in Murray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lowville
    • Slayton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Fulda
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Avoca
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Avoca is located in Murray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avoca
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
  • Nobles County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hardwick, with the one closest to Hardwick listed first.
    • Leota
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Leota is located in Nobles County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leota
    • Lismore
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Lismore is located in Nobles County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lismore
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 218 people
    • Adrian
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Wilmont
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Ellsworth
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Rushmore
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Rushmore is located in Nobles County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushmore
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
    • Reading
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Reading is located in Nobles County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reading
    • Ransom
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Org
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Pipestone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hardwick, with the one closest to Hardwick listed first.
    • Edgerton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Trosky
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jasper Sunrise Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jasper
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Hatfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Ihlen
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Pipestone
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Woodstock
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Airlie
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Airlie is located in Pipestone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airlie
    • Holland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Holland is located in Pipestone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holland
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 172 people
    • Ruthton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Lyon County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hardwick, with the one closest to Hardwick listed first.
    • Lester
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Lester is located in Lyon County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
    • Rock Rapids
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Larchwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Edna
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Little Rock
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Alvord
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Lincoln County (SD)
  • Minnehaha County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hardwick, with the one closest to Hardwick listed first.
    • Sherman
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Garretson
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Garretson is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garretson
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,147 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garretson <1>
    • Valley Springs
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Brandon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Brandon is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brandon <1>
    • Rowena
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Dell Rapids
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Pine Lakes Addition
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Pine Lakes Addition is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Lakes Addition
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 314 people
    • Baltic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Baltic is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baltic
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,201 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baltic <1>
    • Midway
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Meadow View Addition
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Meadow View Addition is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow View Addition
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 538 people
    • Renner Corner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Renner Corner is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renner Corner
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 305 people
    • Renner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Norton Acres
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Norton Acres is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norton Acres
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 342 people
  • Moody County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hardwick, with the one closest to Hardwick listed first.
    • Trent
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Trent is located in Moody County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trent
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 226 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Trent <1>
    • Egan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Egan is located in Moody County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 270 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Egan <1>
    • Flandreau
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Sioux Falls Junction
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Sioux Falls Junction is located in Moody County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sioux Falls Junction
      • Estimated population in 2014: 119 people
    • Lone Tree
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Lone Tree is located in Moody County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Tree
      • Estimated population in 2014: 14 people
    • Ward
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Ward is located in Moody County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ward
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ward <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Hardwick ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hardwick.

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

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

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

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, Hardwick had railroad service and no post office. In 2020, Hardwick had a population of 182 people.

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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Hardwick ...

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 106 newspapers that have been published in the area around Hardwick.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with 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 Hardwick:

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