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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 Odessa (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 Odessa. 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 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.

Odessa is located in Big Stone County.

To see how the shape of Minnesota's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Big Stone County: Lac qui Parle, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Grant (SD) & Roberts (SD).

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

  • Big Stone County     (The home county of Odessa)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Odessa, with the one closest to Odessa listed first.
    • Ortonville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ortonville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ortonville
      • Ortonville is located in Big Stone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,748 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ortonville <2>
    • Correll
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Correll have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Correll
      • Correll is located in Big Stone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
    • Clinton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Graceville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graceville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graceville
      • Graceville is located in Big Stone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 552 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graceville <2>
    • Johnson
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnson
      • Johnson is located in Big Stone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
    • Barry
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barry
      • Barry is located in Big Stone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15 people
    • Beardsley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Chippewa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Odessa, with the one closest to Odessa listed first.
    • Milan
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Big Bend City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Bend City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Bend City
      • Big Bend City is located in Chippewa County
  • Lac qui Parle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Odessa, with the one closest to Odessa listed first.
    • Bellingham
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellingham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellingham
      • Bellingham is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 147 people
    • Louisburg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louisburg
      • Louisburg is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 43 people
    • Nassau
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nassau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nassau
      • Nassau is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nassau <2>
    • Marietta
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marietta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
      • Marietta is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 138 people
    • Madison
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Madison have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madison
      • Madison is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,376 people
    • Dawson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dawson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawson
      • Dawson is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,378 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dawson <2>
  • Stevens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Odessa, with the one closest to Odessa listed first.
    • Chokio
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Alberta
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alberta
      • Alberta is located in Stevens County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
    • Hancock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Morris
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Swift County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Odessa, with the one closest to Odessa listed first.
    • Appleton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Holloway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holloway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holloway
      • Holloway is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
    • Danvers
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Danvers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danvers
      • Danvers is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
  • Traverse County
    • Collis
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collis
      • Collis is located in Traverse County
  • Deuel County (SD)
    • Tunerville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tunerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunerville
      • Tunerville is located in Deuel County (SD)
      • Estimated population in 2014: 218 people
  • Grant County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Odessa, with the one closest to Odessa listed first.
    • Big Stone City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Milbank
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milbank have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milbank
      • Milbank is located in Grant County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,066 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milbank <2>
    • Albee
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albee
      • Albee is located in Grant County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17 people
    • Revillo
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Revillo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Revillo
      • Revillo is located in Grant County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Revillo <2>
    • La Bolt
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for La Bolt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Bolt
      • La Bolt is located in Grant County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
    • LaBolt
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Twin Brooks
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Stockholm
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stockholm have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stockholm
      • Stockholm is located in Grant County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stockholm <2>
    • Strandburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Marvin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Roberts County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Odessa, with the one closest to Odessa listed first.
    • Shady Beach
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Beach
      • Shady Beach is located in Roberts County (SD)
    • Hartford Beach
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartford Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartford Beach
      • Hartford Beach is located in Roberts County (SD)
      • Estimated population in 2014: 126 people
    • South Dakota Park
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Dakota Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Dakota Park
      • South Dakota Park is located in Roberts County (SD)
      • Estimated population in 2014: 15 people
    • Corona
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corona
      • Corona is located in Roberts County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 107 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Corona <2>
    • Wilmot
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilmot have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmot
      • Wilmot is located in Roberts County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 497 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wilmot <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Odessa ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Odessa.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Odessa Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Odessa Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Odessa Trinity Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Yellow Bank Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Yellow Bank Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Yellow Bank Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rest Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Immanuel Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Immanuel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Immanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Odessa Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Odessa Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Odessa Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Salem Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salem Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Salem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Akron Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Akron Cemetery
    • The Akron Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Ebed Nezar Cemetery
  • Eids Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eids Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eids Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mound Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mound Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mound Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Eidskog Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eidskog Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eidskog Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (104 more) ...
    • St. Charles Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Charles Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Charles Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Bellingham Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bellingham Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bellingham Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Odessa had a population of 100 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Odessa had a population of 131 people.

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

  • Ortonville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ortonville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ortonville
    • Ortonville is located in Big Stone County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,748 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ortonville <2>
  • Big Stone City
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Bellingham
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellingham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellingham
    • Bellingham is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 147 people
  • Correll
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Correll have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Correll
    • Correll is located in Big Stone County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
  • Louisburg
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louisburg
    • Louisburg is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 43 people
  • Nassau
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nassau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nassau
    • Nassau is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nassau <2>
  • Clinton
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Appleton
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Marietta
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marietta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
    • Marietta is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 138 people
  • Albee
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albee
    • Albee is located in Grant County (SD)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 17 people
  • Madison
    (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Madison have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madison
    • Madison is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,376 people
  • Fairfield
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfield
    • Fairfield is located in Swift County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Revillo
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Revillo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Revillo
      • Revillo is located in Grant County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Revillo <2>
    • Cerro Gordo
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cerro Gordo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cerro Gordo
      • Cerro Gordo is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Holloway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holloway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holloway
      • Holloway is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Odessa ...

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 81 newspapers that have been published in the area around Odessa.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 Odessa:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Odessa. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Big Stone County: www.bigstonecounty.org/

The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Odessa) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Odessa. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.2621, Longitude: -96.3308       In this case, the coordinates for Odessa have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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 Odessa, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025