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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 Mankato (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 Mankato. 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 Mankato ...

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.

In past government published Postal Guides, Mankato was referred to as Mankato Courthouse.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Mankato. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Mankato.

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.

For more information about how community names might have been affected by the Board of Geographic Names (BGN), see our page about Placename Rules.

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.

Mankato is primarily located in Blue Earth County and is the County Seat. A portion of Mankato extends into Le Sueur 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 Blue Earth County: Brown, Faribault, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Waseca & Watonwan.

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

  • Blue Earth County     (The home county of Mankato)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Skyline
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Skyline is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skyline
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 299 people
    • Eagle Lake
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Rapidan
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Rapidan is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rapidan
    • Madison Lake
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Saint Clair
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Smiths Mill
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Smiths Mill is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Mill
    • Judson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Judson is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Judson
    • Beauford
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Beauford is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beauford
    • Good Thunder
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Garden City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Garden City is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
    • Lake Crystal
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Pemberton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Pemberton is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pemberton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
  • Brown County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Searles
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Searles is located in Brown County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Searles
    • Hanska
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • New Ulm
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Faribault County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Minnesota Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Delavan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Delavan is located in Faribault County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delavan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
    • Easton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Easton is located in Faribault County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
    • Winnebago
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Le Sueur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Kasota
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Marysburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Marysburg is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysburg
    • Greenland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Greenland is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
    • Cleveland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Ottawa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Ottawa is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottawa
    • Cordova
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Cordova is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordova
    • Le Center
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Waterville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Le Sueur
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Kilkenny
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Lexington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Lexington is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lexington
    • Saint Thomas
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Saint Thomas is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Thomas
  • Nicollet County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • North Mankato
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Saint Peter
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Oshawa
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Oshawa is located in Nicollet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oshawa
    • Nicollet
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • New Sweden
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • New Sweden is located in Nicollet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Sweden
    • Courtland
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Lafayette
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Rice County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Morristown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Warsaw
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Warsaw is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
  • Scott County
    • Union Hill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Union Hill is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Hill
  • Sibley County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Henderson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Gaylord
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Arlington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Waseca County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Janesville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Elysian
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Alma City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Alma City is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma City
    • Palmer
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Palmer is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
    • Waldorf
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Waldorf is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldorf
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
    • Waseca
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Wilton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Wilton is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
    • Vista
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Vista is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vista
    • New Richland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Watonwan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mankato, with the one closest to Mankato listed first.
    • Madelia
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Lewisville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Lewisville is located in Watonwan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 244 people
    • Grogan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Grogan is located in Watonwan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grogan
    • La Salle
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • La Salle is located in Watonwan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Salle
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people

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

Cemeteries Near Mankato ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mankato.

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

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

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

  • Old Masonic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Good Counsel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Bunker Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Mankato Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Glenwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Sibley Mound Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Grand View Memorial Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Pilgrims Rest Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Woodland Hills Memorial Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Tivoli Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Burgess Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (259 more) ...
    • Belgrade Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Bochland Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Belgrade Swedish Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 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.<2>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Mankato had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Mankato had a population of 43,435 people.

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

  • Eagle Lake
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Rapidan
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Rapidan is located in Blue Earth County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rapidan
  • Saint Clair
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Madison Lake
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Kasota
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Marysburg
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Marysburg is located in Le Sueur County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysburg
  • Oshawa
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Oshawa is located in Nicollet County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oshawa
  • Saint Peter
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Judson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Judson is located in Blue Earth County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Judson
  • Beauford
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Beauford is located in Blue Earth County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beauford
  • Lake Crystal
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Garden City
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Garden City is located in Blue Earth County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Good Thunder
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Greenland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Greenland is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
    • Cleveland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Mankato ...

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 196 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mankato.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 professional and volunteer 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 Mankato:

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>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 Mankato, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Mankato) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.