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 Matawan (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 Matawan. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.
Matawan is located in Waseca 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 Waseca County: Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Rice & Steele.
Below are the counties that are near Matawan. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Matawan:
- Waseca County (The home county of Matawan)
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Waldorf
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Waldorf is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldorf
- Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
- New Richland
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Vista
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Vista is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vista
- Wilton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Wilton is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
- Alma City
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Alma City is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma City
- Waseca
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Janesville
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Palmer
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Palmer is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
- Elysian
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Blue Earth County
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Pemberton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Pemberton is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pemberton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
- Mapleton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Saint Clair
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Beauford
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Beauford is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beauford
- Smiths Mill
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Smiths Mill is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Mill
- Good Thunder
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Eagle Lake
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Madison Lake
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Rapidan
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Rapidan is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rapidan
- Amboy
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Mankato
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Skyline
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Skyline is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skyline
- Population from the 2020 Census: 299 people
- Vernon Center
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Vernon Center is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon Center
- Population from the 2020 Census: 313 people
- Faribault County
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Wells
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Minnesota Lake
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Easton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Easton is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Walters
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Walters is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walters
- Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
- Delavan
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Delavan is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delavan
- Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
- Dell
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Dell is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dell
- Kiester
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Bricelyn
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Bricelyn is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bricelyn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Frost
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Blue Earth
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Blue Earth is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Earth
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,098 people
- Former name for Blue Earth:
- Blue Earth City
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blue Earth <1>
- Winnebago
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Freeborn County
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Freeborn
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Hartland
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Hartland is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 307 people
- Bath
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Bath is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
- Manchester
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Manchester is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
- Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
- Alden
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Clarks Grove
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Conger
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Conger is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conger
- Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
- Geneva
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Albert Lea
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Hollandale
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Twin Lakes
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Twin Lakes is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin Lakes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
- Hayward
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Emmons
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Emmons is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmons
- Population from the 2020 Census: 380 people
- Le Sueur County
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Greenland
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Greenland is located in Le Sueur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
- Waterville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Marysburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Marysburg is located in Le Sueur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysburg
- Nicollet County
- North Mankato
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Rice County
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Morristown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Warsaw
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Warsaw is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
- Steele County
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Ellendale
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Hope
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Hope is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
- River Point
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- River Point is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Point
- Steele Center
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Steele Center is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele Center
- Union
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Union is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Owatonna
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Pratt
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Pratt is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
- Blooming Prairie
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Havana
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Havana is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
- Medford
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Medford is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,255 people
- Winnebago County (IA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Scarville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Vinje
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Vinje is located in Winnebago County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinje
- Rake
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Rake is located in Winnebago County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rake
- Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
- Lake Mills
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Worth County (IA)
- Silver Lake
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Silver Lake is located in Worth County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Matawan, see our County-by-County Page for Matawan.
Cemeteries Near Matawan ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Matawan.
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 Matawan - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Matawan covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Hendrickson Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Seven Day Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Vivian Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Radloff Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- St. Paul Evangelical Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- First Lutheran Church Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Zions Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Freeborn Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeborn Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Freeborn Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the north of Freeborn.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #82353 <2>
- St. Peter Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Zoars Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Trahm's Farm Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- St. Paul's Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Continue List (257 more) ...
- Calvary Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- St. John's Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Catholic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
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>
While we didn't find Matawan in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Matawan.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Matawan, with the one closest to Matawan listed first.
- Freeborn
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- New Richland
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Hartland
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Hartland is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 307 people
- Minnesota Lake
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Otisco
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Otisco is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otisco
- Alma City
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Alma City is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma City
- Manchester
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Manchester is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
- Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
- Bath
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Bath is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
- Alden
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Easton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Easton is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Armstrong
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Armstrong is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armstrong
- Lemond
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Lemond is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lemond
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Clarks Grove
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Waseca
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Mapleton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Matawan. See our List of 1890's Communities around Matawan.
Newspapers Published in Matawan ...
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 72 newspapers that have been published in the area around Matawan.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Matawan, 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 Matawan.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we start with 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 everyone.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Matawan:
- Websites specific to Minnesota
- Pages specific to Waseca County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Blue Earth County
- Faribault County
- Freeborn County
- Le Sueur County
- Nicollet County
- Rice County
- Steele County
- Winnebago County
- Worth County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Minnesota
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 Matawan, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Matawan) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |