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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 Ottertail (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 Ottertail. 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 Ottertail ...

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.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Another variation: Otter Tail.

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.

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 and 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.

Ottertail is located in Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Todd, Wadena & Wilkin.

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

  • Otter Tail County     (The home county of Ottertail)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ottertail, with the one closest to Ottertail listed first.
    • Leaf City
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leaf City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leaf City
      • Leaf City is located in Otter Tail County
    • Richville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richville
      • Richville is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Richville <2>
    • Henning
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Henning have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henning
      • Henning is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 806 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henning <2>
    • Amor
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amor
      • Amor is located in Otter Tail County
    • Nirvana
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nirvana
      • Nirvana is located in Otter Tail County
    • New York Mills
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Clitherall
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clitherall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clitherall
      • Clitherall is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clitherall <2>
    • Deer Creek
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Creek
      • Deer Creek is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 321 people
    • Dent
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dent have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dent
      • Dent is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 185 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dent <2>
    • Vining
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Perham
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perham
      • Perham is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,638 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Perham <2>
    • Battle Lake
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Bluffton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluffton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
      • Bluffton is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
  • Becker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ottertail, with the one closest to Ottertail listed first.
    • Frazee
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frazee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frazee
      • Frazee is located in Becker County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,381 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Frazee <2>
    • Evergreen
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen
      • Evergreen is located in Becker County
    • Bucks Mill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bucks Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bucks Mill
      • Bucks Mill is located in Becker County
    • Wolf Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wolf Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolf Lake
      • Wolf Lake is located in Becker County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
    • Detroit Lakes
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Detroit Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Detroit Lakes
      • Detroit Lakes is located in Becker County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,255 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Detroit Lakes <2>
    • Rochert
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rochert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochert
      • Rochert is located in Becker County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rochert <2>
  • Douglas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ottertail, with the one closest to Ottertail listed first.
    • Millerville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerville
      • Millerville is located in Douglas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
    • Melby
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melby
      • Melby is located in Douglas County
    • Evansville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Miltona
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Miltona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miltona
      • Miltona is located in Douglas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 425 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Miltona <2>
    • Rose City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose City
      • Rose City is located in Douglas County
  • Grant County
    • Ashby
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashby have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashby
      • Ashby is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 444 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ashby <2>
  • Todd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ottertail, with the one closest to Ottertail listed first.
    • Hewitt
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hewitt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewitt
      • Hewitt is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
    • Bertha
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bertha have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bertha
      • Bertha is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 481 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bertha <2>
    • Eagle Bend
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Bend
      • Eagle Bend is located in Todd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 518 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eagle Bend <2>
  • Wadena County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ottertail, with the one closest to Ottertail listed first.
    • Verndale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Verndale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verndale
      • Verndale is located in Wadena County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 576 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Verndale <2>
    • Sebeka
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sebeka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sebeka
      • Sebeka is located in Wadena County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 668 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sebeka <2>
    • Aldrich
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aldrich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aldrich
      • Aldrich is located in Wadena County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people

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

Newspapers Published in Ottertail ...

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 46 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ottertail.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ottertail, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ottertail.

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 helpful 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 Ottertail:

Cemeteries Near Ottertail ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ottertail.

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 Ottertail covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery
  • Otter Tail Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Otter Tail Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Otter Tail Cemetery
  • Zion Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
  • Leaf Lake Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leaf Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leaf Lake Cemetery
  • Salem EUB Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Salem EUB Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salem EUB Cemetery
  • Leaf Lake Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leaf Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leaf Lake Cemetery
  • Prairie Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prairie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prairie Cemetery
  • Girard Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Girard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Girard Cemetery
  • Grace Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grace Cemetery
  • Leaf Lake Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leaf Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leaf Lake Cemetery
  • St. Lawrence Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Lawrence Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Lawrence Church Cemetery
  • Oakwood Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakwood Cemetery
  • Continue List   (213 more) ...
    • Henning Ttwp. Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Henning Ttwp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Henning Ttwp. Cemetery
    • Norwegian Methodist Church Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwegian Methodist Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwegian Methodist Church Cemetery
    • Richville Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Richville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Richville Cemetery

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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Ottertail had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Ottertail had a population of 660 people.

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

  • Henning
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Henning have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henning
    • Henning is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 806 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henning <2>
  • Amor
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amor
    • Amor is located in Otter Tail County
  • Clitherall
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clitherall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clitherall
    • Clitherall is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clitherall <2>
  • New York Mills
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Vining
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Deer Creek
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Creek
    • Deer Creek is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 321 people
  • Phelps
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phelps have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelps
    • Phelps is located in Otter Tail County
  • Battle Lake
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Perham
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perham
    • Perham is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,638 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Perham <2>
  • Maine
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maine
    • Maine is located in Otter Tail County
  • Bluffton
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluffton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
    • Bluffton is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
  • Luce
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Luce have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luce
    • Luce is located in Otter Tail County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Davies
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Davies have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davies
      • Davies is located in Otter Tail County
    • Underwood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Underwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Underwood
      • Underwood is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 364 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Underwood <2>
    • Wrightstown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wrightstown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrightstown
      • Wrightstown is located in Otter Tail County

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

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

The official website for Otter Tail County: www.co.otter-tail.mn.us/

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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Ottertail) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ottertail. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.4255, Longitude: -95.5573       In this case, the coordinates for Ottertail have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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 Ottertail, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024