Our Genealogy Helper for Kiester ...
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool that can help us with planning our trips.
- That it also helps us to understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
By learning about Kiester (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 Kiester. 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.
It's still very early in our research, but as we gather more information it will be added to this page.
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 doctors and hospitals 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.
Kiester is located in Faribault County.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Faribault County: Kossuth (IA), Winnebago (IA), Blue Earth, Freeborn, Martin & Waseca.
Below are the counties that are near Kiester. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Kiester:
| Dir | Distance | ||
| Faribault (The home county for Kiester) | |||
| Walters [Map] | N | 5 miles [8 km]<1> | |
| Bricelyn [Map] | W | 5 miles [8 km] | |
| Frost [Map] | W | 11 miles [17.7 km] | |
| Wells [Map] | N | 14 miles [22.5 km] | |
| Easton [Map] | NW | 18 miles [29 km] | |
| Elmore [Map] | W | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Blue Earth [Map] | W | 20 miles [32.2 km] | |
| Minnesota Lake [Map] | N | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Delavan [Map] | NW | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Winnebago [Map] | NW | 27 miles [43.5 km] | |
| Huntley [Map] | NW | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Blue Earth | |||
| Mapleton [Map] | NW | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Pemberton [Map] | N | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Amboy [Map] | NW | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Good Thunder [Map] | NW | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Vernon Center [Map] | NW | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Saint Clair [Map] | N | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Freeborn | |||
| Conger [Map] | NE | 10 miles [16.1 km] | |
| Emmons [Map] | E | 11 miles [17.7 km] | |
| Alden [Map] | NE | 11 miles [17.7 km] | |
| Twin Lakes [Map] | E | 14 miles [22.5 km] | |
| Freeborn [Map] | NE | 17 miles [27.4 km] | |
| Manchester [Map] | NE | 18 miles [29 km] | |
| Albert Lea [Map] | NE | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Glenville [Map] | E | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Hartland [Map] | NE | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Hayward [Map] | E | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Clarks Grove [Map] | NE | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Myrtle [Map] | E | 27 miles [43.5 km] | |
| Martin | |||
| Granada [Map] | W | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Fairmont [Map] | W | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Northrop [Map] | W | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Mower | |||
| Austin [Map] | E | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Lyle [Map] | E | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Mapleview [Map] | E | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Lansing [Map] | E | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Steele | |||
| Ellendale [Map] | NE | 31 miles [49.9 km] | |
| Hope [Map] | NE | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Blooming Prairie [Map] | NE | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Waseca | |||
| New Richland [Map] | NE | 26 miles [41.8 km] | |
| Waldorf [Map] | N | 27 miles [43.5 km] | |
| Vista [Map] | N | 31 miles [49.9 km] | |
| Alma City [Map] | N | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Wilton [Map] | N | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Waseca [Map] | N | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Janesville [Map] | N | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Cerro Gordo (IA) | |||
| Ventura (IA) [Map] | SE | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Clear Lake (IA) [Map] | SE | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Plymouth (IA) [Map] | SE | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Mason City (IA) [Map] | SE | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Mason City Junction (IA) [Map] | SE | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Rock Falls (IA) [Map] | SE | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Burchinal (IA) [Map] | SE | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Portland (IA) [Map] | SE | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Emmet (IA) | |||
| Armstrong (IA) [Map] | W | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Hancock (IA) | |||
| Crystal Lake (IA) [Map] | S | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Woden (IA) [Map] | SW | 23 miles [37 km] | |
| Duncan (IA) [Map] | S | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Britt (IA) [Map] | S | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Garner (IA) [Map] | S | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Klemme (IA) [Map] | S | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Corwith (IA) [Map] | S | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Kossuth (IA) | |||
| Lakota (IA) [Map] | SW | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Ledyard (IA) [Map] | W | 23 miles [37 km] | |
| Titonka (IA) [Map] | SW | 26 miles [41.8 km] | |
| Bancroft (IA) [Map] | SW | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Swea City (IA) [Map] | W | 31 miles [49.9 km] | |
| Burt (IA) [Map] | SW | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Wesley (IA) [Map] | SW | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Lone Rock (IA) [Map] | SW | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Mitchell (IA) | |||
| Carpenter (IA) [Map] | E | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Winnebago (IA) | |||
| Scarville (IA) [Map] | SE | 6 miles [9.7 km] | |
| Thompson (IA) [Map] | S | 11 miles [17.7 km] | |
| Rake (IA) [Map] | W | 11 miles [17.7 km] | |
| Lake Mills (IA) [Map] | SE | 12 miles [19.3 km] | |
| Leland (IA) [Map] | S | 14 miles [22.5 km] | |
| Buffalo Center (IA) [Map] | SW | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Forest City (IA) [Map] | S | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Worth (IA) | |||
| Bristol (IA) [Map] | SE | 14 miles [22.5 km] | |
| Silver Lake (IA) [Map] | E | 17 miles [27.4 km] | |
| Joice (IA) [Map] | SE | 17 miles [27.4 km] | |
| Fertile (IA) [Map] | SE | 23 miles [37 km] | |
| Hanlontown (IA) [Map] | SE | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Northwood (IA) [Map] | E | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Kensett (IA) [Map] | SE | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Manly (IA) [Map] | SE | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Bolan (IA) [Map] | E | 31 miles [49.9 km] | |
| Grafton (IA) [Map] | SE | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Kiester, see our County-by-County Page for Kiester.
Cemeteries Near Kiester ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Kiester.
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.
If you click on the [Map] that follows each cemetery's name, a Google map will open showing a satellite view of the area where the cemetery is located. We have tried to place the cemetery in the center of the map, but we're still working on our data and the map might not not be centered properly. If you don't see the cemetery right away, try zooming-in. Usually, but not always, you can see the outline of the cemetery or some of the headstones.
If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Kiester covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Kiester ...
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 189 newspapers that have been published in the area around Kiester.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Kiester. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Kiester and those printed in the larger area surrounding Kiester.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 38 miles [61.2 km] of Kiester.
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, Kiester had a post office and no railroad service. In 2018, Kiester had a population of 467 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Kiester, with the one closest to Kiester listed first.
| Mansfield [Map] | |
| - | Located 5 miles [8 km] to the East Northeast (ENE) from Kiester |
| - | Mansfield had a post office and no railroad service |
| Amund (IA) [Map] | |
| - | Located 6 miles [9.7 km] to the Southwest (SW) from Kiester |
| - | Amund had a post office and no railroad service |
| Rake (IA) [Map] | |
| - | Located 11 miles [17.7 km] to the West Southwest (WSW) from Kiester |
| - | Rake had a post office and no railroad service |
| Thompson (IA) [Map] | |
| - | Located 11 miles [17.7 km] to the South Southwest (SSW) from Kiester |
| - | Thompson had a post office and no railroad service |
| Norman (IA) - Historic [Map] | |
| - | While Norman was mentioned in the 1895 Atlas, it no longer exists |
| - | Located 11 miles [17.7 km] to the East Southeast (ESE) from Kiester |
| - | 1895 population of 68 people |
| - | Norman had a post office and railroad service |
| Emmons [Map] | |
| - | Located 11 miles [17.7 km] to the East (E) from Kiester |
| - | Emmons had a post office and no railroad service |
| Alden [Map] | |
| - | Located 11 miles [17.7 km] to the Northeast (NE) from Kiester |
| - | 1895 population of 276 people (with 643 people in 2018) |
| - | Alden had a post office and railroad service |
| Dell [Map] | |
| - | Located 11 miles [17.7 km] to the West Northwest (WNW) from Kiester |
| - | Dell had a post office and no railroad service |
| Lake Mills (IA) [Map] | |
| - | Located 12 miles [19.3 km] to the Southeast (SE) from Kiester |
| - | 1895 population of 604 people (with 2,022 people in 2018) |
| - | Lake Mills had a post office and railroad service |
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Kiester. The list can be found on our page for Communities Neighboring Kiester in the 1890's.
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 all and free to view - you should note that they might link to other websites which do charge.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Kiester:
These websites are specific to Minnesota:
| Cyndi's List | Family Search | Genealogy Trails |
Website for the Minnesota State Archives
Not to be confused with the official state website, we've found the Digital State Archives website for the State of Minnesota to be a good source for additional links.
These pages are specific to Faribault County:
| Cyndi's List | Family Search | Genealogy Trails |
Genealogy information for nearby counties:
Cemetery Information and Directories for Minnesota:
| Cyndi's List: | Cemeteries of Minnesota, Cemeteries of Faribault County |
| Cemetery Junction: | Directory for Minnesota |
| FamilySearch.org: | Cemetery Wiki for Minnesota |
| Find-A-Grave: | Home Page |
| Internment.net: | Cemeteries for Minnesota, for Faribault County |
Of Special Interest ...
The GenDisasters website specializes in newspaper articles about tragedies and disasters. While it makes interesting reading all by itself, it should be of special interest to genealogists and family historians looking for people who were either affected by or directly involved in such tragedies.
| Disaster Stories from Minnesota |
| Also see Disaster Stories for ... |
| Iowa |
Miscellaneous References and Mentions for Kiester ...
While our initial data about Kiester came from various goverment sources, we have found mention of Kiester in old books and maps. When we do, we'll find a fact here or a snippet there. We've created the following list to keep track of the documents we found useful in adding to our knowledge about Kiester.
We hope that the following list of documents will be of interest to you.
Business Atlas and Shippers' Guide
Published by Rand McNally & Co.
(Document found on Google Books)
Notes for Kiester:
- Services available at that time (1895): had Post Office, no Railroad mentioned
We have found Kiester in these Censuses: 2010-1990. See our Census Page for Kiester for more information.
Both the GNIS and FIPS databases contain entries for Kiester. See our Misc Page for Kiester for more information.
Other Roadside Stops ...
Search for a Community in Minnesota
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Kiester. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Faribault County: www.co.faribault.mn.us/
The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 from Point A (ie- Kiester) to Point B. If you need the driving distance (or directions), we recommend that you use one of the Mapping Services listed on our Map Page for Kiester. Since we usually use Google Maps, we've provided the following link for your convenience: Google Map and Driving Directions starting from Kiester Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Kiester. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.5365, Longitude: -93.7110 [Map]. In this case, the coordinates for Kiester have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <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 Kiester, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |