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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 Louriston (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 Louriston. 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 doctors and 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.

Louriston is located in Chippewa 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 Chippewa County: Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Renville, Swift & Yellow Medicine.

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

  • Chippewa County     (The home county of Louriston)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Louriston, with the one closest to Louriston listed first.
    • Clara City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Maynard
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Big Bend City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Big Bend City is located in Chippewa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Bend City
    • Montevideo
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Watson
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Milan
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Kandiyohi County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Louriston, with the one closest to Louriston listed first.
    • Raymond
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Pennock
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Pennock is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pennock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 509 people
    • Prinsburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Prinsburg is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prinsburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 497 people
    • Willmar
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Wilmar
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Wilmar is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmar
    • Sunburg
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Sunburg is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
    • Roseland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Roseland is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseland
    • Svea
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Svea is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Svea
    • Blomkest
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Blomkest is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blomkest
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 157 people
    • Kandiyohi
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Kandiyohi is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kandiyohi
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 477 people
    • Spicer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Spicer is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spicer
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,224 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spicer <1>
    • New London
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Lillian
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Lac qui Parle County
    • Boyd
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Boyd is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boyd <1>
  • Renville County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Louriston, with the one closest to Louriston listed first.
    • Sacred Heart
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Renville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Danube
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Swift County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Louriston, with the one closest to Louriston listed first.
    • Murdock
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Murdock is located in Swift County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murdock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
    • Kerkhoven
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • De Graff
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • De Graff is located in Swift County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Graff
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
    • Benson
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Danvers
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Danvers is located in Swift County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danvers
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
    • Swift Falls
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Swift Falls is located in Swift County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swift Falls
    • Clontarf
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Holloway
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Holloway is located in Swift County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holloway
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
    • Appleton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Yellow Medicine County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Louriston, with the one closest to Louriston listed first.
    • Granite Falls
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Clarkfield
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Hazel Run
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Hazel Run is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Run
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
    • Hanley Falls
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Hanley Falls is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanley Falls
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
    • Wood Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Wood Lake is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people

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

Cemeteries Near Louriston ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Louriston.

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

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

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

  • Swedish Lutheran Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Louriston Twp. Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Buffalo Lake Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Buffalo Lake Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Havelock Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • St. John's Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (171 more) ...
    • Sacred Heart Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Molin Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)

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, Louriston had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Kerkhoven
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Murdock
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Murdock is located in Swift County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murdock
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
  • Clara City
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Raymond
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • De Graff
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • De Graff is located in Swift County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Graff
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
  • Maynard
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Montevideo
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Wegdahl
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Wegdahl is located in Chippewa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wegdahl
  • Prinsburg
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Prinsburg is located in Kandiyohi County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prinsburg
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 497 people
  • Benson
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Hagan
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Hagan is located in Chippewa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hagan
  • Watson
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Willmar
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Danvers
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Danvers is located in Swift County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danvers
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
    • Granite Falls
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)

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

Newspapers Published in Louriston ...

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 100 newspapers that have been published in the area around Louriston.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Louriston, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Louriston.

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 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 Louriston:

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 Louriston, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Louriston) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.