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 Highland (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 Highland. 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 doctors 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.
Highland is located in Wright 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 Wright County: Carver, Hennepin, McLeod, Meeker, Sherburne & Stearns.
Below are the counties that are near Highland. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Highland:
- Wright County (The home county of Highland)
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Rassat
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Rassat is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rassat
- Albion Center
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Albion Center is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albion Center
- Howard Lake
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Albright
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Albright is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albright
- Waverly
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Smith Lake
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Smith Lake is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Lake
- Montrose
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Maple Lake
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Buffalo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Cokato
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Annandale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Silver Creek
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Silver Creek is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Creek
- Delano
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Anoka County
- Ramsey
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Carver County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Hazelton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Hazelton is located in Carver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelton
- Watertown
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hollywood
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Hollywood is located in Carver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollywood
- New Germany
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Mayer
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Hydes Lake
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Hydes Lake is located in Carver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hydes Lake
- Waconia
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Norwood Young America
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Norwood Young America is located in Carver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwood Young America
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,794 people
- Young America
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Norwood
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Victoria
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Hamburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Hamburg is located in Carver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 526 people
- Cologne
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hennepin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Greenfield
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Greenfield is located in Hennepin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,058 people
- Independence
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Independence is located in Hennepin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Independence
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,786 people
- Loretto
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Maple Plain
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Minnetrista
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Saint Bonifacius
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Mound
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Medina
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Corcoran
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Rogers
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Spring Park
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Long Lake
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Orono
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Orono is located in Hennepin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orono
- Population from the 2020 Census: 8,348 people
- McLeod County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Winsted
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Lester Prairie
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Silver Lake
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Hutchinson
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Biscay
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Biscay is located in McLeod County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biscay
- Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
- Glencoe
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Plato
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Sumter
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Sumter is located in McLeod County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sumter
- Meeker County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Dassel
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Kingston
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Kingston is located in Meeker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingston
- Population from the 2020 Census: 162 people
- Darwin
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Forest City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Forest City is located in Meeker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
- Watkins
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Litchfield
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Cedar Mills
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Cedar Mills is located in Meeker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Mills
- Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
- Eden Valley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Manannah
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Manannah is located in Meeker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manannah
- Sherburne County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Becker
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Salida
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Salida is located in Sherburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salida
- Big Lake
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Clear Lake
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Cable
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Cable is located in Sherburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cable
- Elk River
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Orrock
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Orrock is located in Sherburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orrock
- Santiago
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Santiago is located in Sherburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santiago
- Zimmerman
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Zimmerman is located in Sherburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zimmerman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 6,135 people
- Zimmerman has also been known as:
- Lake Fremont
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Zimmerman <1>
- Sibley County
- Green Isle
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Stearns County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Fairhaven
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Fairhaven is located in Stearns County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairhaven
- Kimball Prairie
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Kimball Prairie is located in Stearns County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimball Prairie
- Kimball
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Augusta
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Saint Augusta is located in Stearns County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Augusta
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,900 people
- Rockville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Pleasant Lake
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Pleasant Lake is located in Stearns County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Lake
- Saint Cloud
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Cold Spring
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Highland, see our County-by-County Page for Highland.
Cemeteries Near Highland ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Highland.
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 Highland - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Highland covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Highland Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Bethlehem Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Evangelical Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Reinmuth Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Mission Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Sylvan Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Marysville Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Mt. Herman Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Bethel Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Howard Lake Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- St. James Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Continue List (262 more) ...
- St. Charles Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Albion Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Watson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
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>
While we didn't find Highland in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Highland.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Highland, with the one closest to Highland listed first.
- Howard Lake
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Smith Lake
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Smith Lake is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Lake
- Waverly
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Montrose
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Maple Lake
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Cokato
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Buffalo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Annandale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Winsted
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Dassel
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Delano
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Silver Creek
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Silver Creek is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Creek
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Watertown
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Rockford
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- South Haven
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Highland. See our List of 1890's Communities around Highland.
Newspapers Published in Highland ...
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 134 newspapers that have been published in the area around Highland.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Highland, 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 Highland.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Highland:
- Websites specific to Minnesota
- Pages specific to Wright County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Anoka County
- Carver County
- Hennepin County
- McLeod County
- Meeker County
- Sherburne County
- Sibley County
- Stearns County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Minnesota
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 Highland, 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- Highland) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |