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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 Little Falls (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 Little Falls. 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.

Name Variations for Little Falls ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Another variation: Littlefalls.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Little Falls is located in Morrison County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of Minnesota's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Morrison County: Benton, Cass, Crow Wing, Mille Lacs, Stearns & Todd.

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

  • Morrison County     (The home county of Little Falls)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Little Falls, with the one closest to Little Falls listed first.
    • Belle Prairie
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Sobieski
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sobieski have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sobieski
      • Sobieski is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 194 people
    • Flensburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Randall
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Bowlus
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Royalton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Elmdale
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elmdale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmdale
      • Elmdale is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 116 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elmdale
      • From Little Falls to Elmdale
    • Genola
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Genola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genola
      • Genola is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
    • Pierz
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierz have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierz
      • Pierz is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,364 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pierz <3>
    • North Prairie
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Buckman
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buckman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckman
      • Buckman is located in Morrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
    • Swanville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Benton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Little Falls, with the one closest to Little Falls listed first.
    • Rice
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
      • Rice is located in Benton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,401 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rice <3>
    • Watab
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Gilman
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gilman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilman
      • Gilman is located in Benton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gilman <3>
    • Evergreen Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evergreen Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen Village
      • Evergreen Village is located in Benton County
    • Sauk Rapids
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Foley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foley
      • Foley is located in Benton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,653 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Foley <3>
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Little Falls, with the one closest to Little Falls listed first.
    • Pillager
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pillager have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pillager
      • Pillager is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 486 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pillager <3>
    • East Gull Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Gull Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Gull Lake
      • East Gull Lake is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,059 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for East Gull Lake <3>
  • Crow Wing County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Little Falls, with the one closest to Little Falls listed first.
    • Fort Ripley
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Baxter
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baxter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baxter
      • Baxter is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,483 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baxter <3>
    • Brainerd
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
  • Stearns County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Little Falls, with the one closest to Little Falls listed first.
    • Opole
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Opole. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Opole
      • Opole is located in Stearns County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Opole
      • From Little Falls to Opole
    • Holdingford
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holdingford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holdingford
      • Holdingford is located in Stearns County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Holdingford <3>
    • Saint Stephen
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Stephen have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Stephen
      • Saint Stephen is located in Stearns County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 867 people
    • Saint Wendel
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Saint Anthony
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Anthony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Anthony
      • Saint Anthony is located in Stearns County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
    • Saint Rosa
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Rosa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Rosa
      • Saint Rosa is located in Stearns County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
    • Avon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Evergreen Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evergreen Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen Village
      • Evergreen Village is located in Stearns County
    • Sartell
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sartell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sartell
      • Sartell is located in Stearns County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19,079 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sartell <3>
    • Albany
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Collegeville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Freeport
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
      • Freeport is located in Stearns County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 671 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Freeport <3>
  • Todd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Little Falls, with the one closest to Little Falls listed first.
    • Pillsbury
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Burtrum
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Grey Eagle
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Long Prairie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Prairie
      • Long Prairie is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,297 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Long Prairie <3>
    • Browerville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Browerville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browerville
      • Browerville is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
    • Philbrook
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Clarissa
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarissa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarissa
      • Clarissa is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 651 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarissa <3>

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

Cemeteries Near Little Falls ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Little Falls.

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 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 Little Falls covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Little Falls, with the one closest to Little Falls 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Little Falls had a population of 2,354 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Little Falls had a population of 8,619 people.

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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Little Falls ...

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 52 newspapers that have been published in the area around Little Falls.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Little Falls. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Little Falls and those printed in the larger area surrounding Little Falls.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6> of Little Falls.

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 websites either 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 Little Falls:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Little Falls. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Morrison County: www.co.morrison.mn.us/

The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<5>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 Little Falls, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Little Falls) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Little Falls. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.9765, Longitude: -94.3626    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025