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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 Oakbury (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 Oakbury. 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 northwest 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 north.

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 north 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.

Oakbury is located in Washington 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 Washington County: Anoka, Chisago, Dakota, Ramsey, Pierce (WI), Polk (WI) & Saint Croix (WI).

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

  • Washington County     (The home county of Oakbury)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Landfall
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Landfall is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Landfall
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 733 people
    • Oakdale
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Oakdale is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakdale
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27,773 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakdale <1>
    • Woodbury
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Lake Elmo
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Pine Springs
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Pine Springs is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Springs
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 390 people
    • Newport
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Birchwood Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Birchwood Village is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birchwood Village
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 880 people
    • Willernie
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Cottage Grove
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Duluth Junction
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Duluth Junction is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duluth Junction
    • Bayport
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Afton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Afton is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Afton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,036 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Afton <1>
  • Anoka County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Centerville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Circle Pines
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Columbia Heights
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Lino Lakes
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Hilltop
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Hilltop is located in Anoka County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilltop
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 764 people
    • Lexington
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Fridley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Spring Lake Park
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Blaine
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Coon Creek
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Coon Creek is located in Anoka County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coon Creek
    • City of Columbus
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • City of Columbus is located in Anoka County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for City of Columbus
      • Estimated population in 2015: 4,007 people
    • Coon Rapids
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Carver County
    • Chanhassen
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Chisago County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Wyoming
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Chisago City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Lindstrom
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Dakota County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • South Saint Paul
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • West Saint Paul
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Sunfish Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Inver Grove Heights
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Lilydale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Lilydale is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lilydale
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 838 people
    • Mendota Heights
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Nininger
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Nininger is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nininger
    • Mendota
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Eagan
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Eagan is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 65,975 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eagan <1>
    • Hastings
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Rosemount
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Coates
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Coates is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coates
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 155 people
  • Goodhue County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Welch
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Cannon Falls
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Hennepin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Saint Anthony
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Minneapolis
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Richfield
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Bloomington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Edina
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • 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>
    • Golden Valley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Robbinsdale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Brooklyn Center
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Crystal
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Saint Louis Park
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • New Hope
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Brooklyn Park
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Ramsey County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Highwood
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Highwood is located in Ramsey County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highwood
    • North Saint Paul
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Maplewood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Paul
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Gem Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Gem Lake is located in Ramsey County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gem Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 536 people
    • Little Canada
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • White Bear Beach
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • White Bear Beach is located in Ramsey County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Bear Beach
    • White Bear Lake
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Vadnais Heights
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Cardigan Junction
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Cardigan Junction is located in Ramsey County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardigan Junction
    • Roseville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Falcon Heights
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Scott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Savage
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Credit River
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Credit River is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Credit River
    • Prior Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Shakopee
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Pierce County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Prescott
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Prescott is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prescott
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,279 people
    • River Falls
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • River Falls is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Falls
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,306 people
    • Trimbelle
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Trimbelle is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trimbelle
    • Beldenville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Beldenville is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beldenville
    • Morton Corner
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Morton Corner is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morton Corner
    • Ellsworth
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Ellsworth is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellsworth
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,272 people
    • Moeville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Moeville is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moeville
    • Martell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Martell is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martell
    • Hager City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Hager City is located in Pierce County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hager City
  • Polk County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Horse Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Horse Creek is located in Polk County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horse Creek
    • Osceola
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Osceola is located in Polk County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,580 people
  • Saint Croix County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury listed first.
    • Hudson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Hudson is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudson
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,168 people
    • North Hudson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • North Hudson is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Hudson
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,833 people
    • Burkhardt
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Burkhardt is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burkhardt
    • Somerset
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Somerset is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somerset
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,992 people
    • Roberts
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Roberts is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,018 people
    • New Richmond
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • New Richmond is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Richmond
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,730 people
    • Hammond
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Hammond is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hammond
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,890 people
    • Erin Corner
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Erin Corner is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erin Corner
    • Star Prairie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Star Prairie is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star Prairie
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 549 people
    • Baldwin
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Baldwin is located in Saint Croix County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baldwin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,078 people

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

Cemeteries Near Oakbury ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Oakbury.

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

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Oakbury, with the one closest to Oakbury 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.<3>

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

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

  • Oakdale
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Oakdale is located in Washington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakdale
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 27,773 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakdale <1>
  • Hazel Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Hazel Park is located in Ramsey County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Park
  • Highwood
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Highwood is located in Ramsey County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highwood
  • Lake Elmo
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • North Saint Paul
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • South Saint Paul
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Newport
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Gladstone
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Gladstone is located in Ramsey County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gladstone
  • Cottage Grove
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Saint Paul
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • West Saint Paul
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Saint Paul Park
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Afton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Afton is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Afton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,036 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Afton <1>
    • Lakeland
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Duluth Junction
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Duluth Junction is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duluth Junction

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

Newspapers Published in Oakbury ...

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 422 newspapers that have been published in the area around Oakbury.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Oakbury, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Oakbury.

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 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 Oakbury:

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