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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 Lonsdale (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 Lonsdale. 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 southwest 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 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.

Lonsdale is located in Rice 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 Rice County: Dakota, Dodge, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Scott, Steele & Waseca.

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

  • Rice County     (The home county of Lonsdale)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Trondjem
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Trondjem is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trondjem
    • Wheatland
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Wheatland is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland
    • Webster
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Millersburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Millersburg is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millersburg
    • Dundas
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Northfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Cannon City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Cannon City is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannon City
    • Faribault
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Warsaw
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Warsaw is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
    • Morristown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Nerstrand
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Walcott
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Walcott is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walcott
    • Moland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Moland is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moland
  • Blue Earth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Madison Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Smiths Mill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Smiths Mill is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Mill
  • Carver County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Carver
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Chaska
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Dahlgren
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Dahlgren is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dahlgren
    • Gotha
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Gotha is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gotha
    • Hazeltine
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Hazeltine is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazeltine
    • Chanhassen
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Assumption
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Assumption is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Assumption
    • Cologne
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Victoria
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Dakota County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Eureka Center
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Eureka Center is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka Center
    • Waterford
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Waterford is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterford
    • Castle Rock
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Castle Rock is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castle Rock
    • Lakeville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Farmington
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Randolph
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Randolph is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randolph
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 444 people
    • Burnsville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Apple Valley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Hampton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • New Trier
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • New Trier is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Trier
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
    • Nicols
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Nicols is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicols
    • Coates
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Coates is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coates
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 155 people
    • Rosemount
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Goodhue County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Dennison
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Stanton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Stanton is located in Goodhue County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanton
    • Wangs
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Wangs is located in Goodhue County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wangs
    • Cannon Falls
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Kenyon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Hennepin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Bloomington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Eden Prairie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Edina
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Edina is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edina
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52,477 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Edina <1>
    • Richfield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Excelsior
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Greenwood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Greenwood is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 937 people
    • Hopkins
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Le Sueur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Montgomery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Heidelberg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Heidelberg is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heidelberg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
    • Kilkenny
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Lexington
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Lexington is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lexington
    • Cordova
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Cordova is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordova
    • Le Center
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Thomas
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Saint Thomas is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Thomas
    • Waterville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Cleveland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Greenland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Greenland is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
    • Le Sueur
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Marysburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Marysburg is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysburg
    • Ottawa
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Ottawa is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottawa
  • Nicollet County
    • Saint Peter
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Scott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Cedar Lake
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Cedar Lake is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Lake
    • Elko New Market
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Elko New Market is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elko New Market
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,733 people
    • Elko
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • New Market
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • New Prague
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Patrick
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Saint Patrick is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Patrick
    • Union Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Union Hill is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Hill
    • Credit River
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Credit River is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Credit River
    • Prior Lake
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Jordan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Marystown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Marystown is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marystown
    • Savage
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Belle Plaine
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Sibley County
    • Henderson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
  • Steele County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Medford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Medford is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,255 people
    • Owatonna
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Waseca County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lonsdale, with the one closest to Lonsdale listed first.
    • Elysian
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Palmer
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Palmer is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
    • Waseca
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Janesville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Lonsdale ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Lonsdale.

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

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

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

  • Calvary Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Forest Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Rolling Green Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • St. Michael Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Sancti Wenceslai Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Bohemian Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Solar Lutheran Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (250 more) ...

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.<4>

While we didn't find Lonsdale in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Lonsdale.

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

  • Trondjem
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Trondjem is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trondjem
  • Wheatland
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Wheatland is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland
  • Webster
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Millersburg
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Millersburg is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millersburg
  • Shieldsville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Shieldsville is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shieldsville
  • Hazelwood
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Hazelwood is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelwood
  • New Market
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Cedar Lake
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Cedar Lake is located in Scott County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Lake
  • Montgomery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Saint Patrick
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Patrick is located in Scott County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Patrick
  • New Prague
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Doyle
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Doyle is located in Le Sueur County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doyle
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Heidelberg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Heidelberg is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heidelberg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
    • Dundas
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Lydia
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Lydia is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lydia

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Lonsdale ...

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 242 newspapers that have been published in the area around Lonsdale.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Lonsdale. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Lonsdale and those printed in the larger area surrounding Lonsdale.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Lonsdale.

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 Lonsdale:

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>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- Lonsdale) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<4>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 Lonsdale, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.