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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 Owatonna (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 Owatonna. 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 Owatonna ...

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: Owatonia.

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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Owatonna is located in Steele County and is the County Seat.

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 Steele County: Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Rice & Waseca.

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

  • Steele County     (The home county of Owatonna)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Havana
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Medford
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Pratt
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pratt. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
      • Pratt is located in Steele County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pratt
      • From Owatonna to Pratt
    • Steele Center
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Rice Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rice Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice Lake
      • Rice Lake is located in Steele County
    • Hope
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • River Point
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Union
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Ellendale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ellendale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellendale
      • Ellendale is located in Steele County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 669 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ellendale <3>
    • Blooming Prairie
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blooming Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blooming Prairie
      • Blooming Prairie is located in Steele County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,927 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blooming Prairie <3>
  • Blue Earth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Smiths Mill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smiths Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Mill
      • Smiths Mill is located in Blue Earth County
    • Pemberton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pemberton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pemberton
      • Pemberton is located in Blue Earth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
    • Madison Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Madison Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madison Lake
      • Madison Lake is located in Blue Earth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,202 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Madison Lake <3>
  • Dakota County
    • Waterford
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Waterford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterford
      • Waterford is located in Dakota County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Waterford
      • From Owatonna to Waterford
  • Dodge County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Claremont
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Claremont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claremont
      • Claremont is located in Dodge County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 534 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Claremont <3>
    • West Concord
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Concord
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Concord. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
      • Concord is located in Dodge County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Concord
      • From Owatonna to Concord
    • Dodge Center
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dodge Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dodge Center
      • Dodge Center is located in Dodge County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,798 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dodge Center <3>
    • Kasson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kasson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kasson
      • Kasson is located in Dodge County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,530 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kasson <3>
    • Mantorville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mantorville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mantorville
      • Mantorville is located in Dodge County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,205 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mantorville <3>
    • Hayfield
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Freeborn County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Geneva
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geneva have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geneva
      • Geneva is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 537 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Geneva <3>
    • Bath
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Clarks Grove
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Hollandale
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hollandale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollandale
      • Hollandale is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 298 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hollandale <3>
    • Hartland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
      • Hartland is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 307 people
    • Freeborn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Manchester
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manchester have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
      • Manchester is located in Freeborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
    • Oakland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
      • Oakland is located in Freeborn County
    • Hayward
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Goodhue County
  • Le Sueur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Waterville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waterville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterville
      • Waterville is located in Le Sueur County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,870 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waterville <3>
    • Kilkenny
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Greenland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Greenland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
      • Greenland is located in Le Sueur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Greenland
      • From Owatonna to Greenland
    • Cordova
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Montgomery
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Mower County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Waltham
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waltham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waltham
      • Waltham is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waltham <3>
    • Lansing
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lansing. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lansing
      • Lansing is located in Mower County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lansing
      • From Owatonna to Lansing
    • Sargeant
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Brownsdale
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownsdale
      • Brownsdale is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 696 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brownsdale <3>
    • Mapleview
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mapleview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mapleview
      • Mapleview is located in Mower County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 177 people
  • Olmsted County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Byron
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Byron have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Byron
      • Byron is located in Olmsted County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,691 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Byron <3>
    • Post Town
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Post Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Post Town
      • Post Town is located in Olmsted County
    • Genoa
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Shanty Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shanty Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shanty Town
      • Shanty Town is located in Olmsted County
  • Rice County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Moland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moland
      • Moland is located in Rice County
    • Warsaw
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Faribault
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Morristown
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Cannon City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cannon City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannon City
      • Cannon City is located in Rice County
    • Nerstrand
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Dundas
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dundas have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dundas
      • Dundas is located in Rice County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,652 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dundas <3>
    • Millersburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Northfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Lonsdale
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lonsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lonsdale
      • Lonsdale is located in Rice County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,299 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lonsdale <3>
    • Trondjem
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Waseca County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Owatonna, with the one closest to Owatonna listed first.
    • Waseca
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Waseca. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waseca
      • Waseca is located in Waseca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,835 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waseca <3>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Waseca
      • From Owatonna to Waseca
    • Vista
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Palmer
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Palmer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
      • Palmer is located in Waseca County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Palmer
      • From Owatonna to Palmer
    • Wilton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
      • Wilton is located in Waseca County
    • New Richland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Richland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Richland
      • New Richland is located in Waseca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,171 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Richland <3>
    • Elysian
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Janesville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Janesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Janesville
      • Janesville is located in Waseca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,247 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Janesville <3>
    • Waldorf
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waldorf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldorf
      • Waldorf is located in Waseca County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
    • Alma City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alma City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma City
      • Alma City is located in Waseca County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Alma City
      • From Owatonna to Alma City

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

Cemeteries Near Owatonna ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Owatonna.

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

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

  • Forest Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. John Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Grand View Memorial Gardens
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grand View Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grand View Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bohemian Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bohemian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bohemian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Oak Hill Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Degner Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Degner Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Degner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Havana Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Havana Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Havana Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crane Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crane Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crane Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mueller Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mueller Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mueller Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Riverside Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bohemian Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bohemian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bohemian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (218 more) ...
    • Resurrection Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Resurrection Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Resurrection Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Danish Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Danish Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Danish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Dania Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dania Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dania Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<4>

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

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

  • Clinton Falls
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clinton Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinton Falls
    • Clinton Falls is located in Steele County
  • Havana
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Pratt
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pratt. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
    • Pratt is located in Steele County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Pratt
    • From Owatonna to Pratt
  • Merton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merton
    • Merton is located in Steele County
  • Medford
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Steele Center
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Deerfield
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deerfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
    • Deerfield is located in Steele County
  • Meriden
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meriden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden
    • Meriden is located in Steele County
  • Lemond
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lemond have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lemond
    • Lemond is located in Steele County
  • River Point
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Walcott
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walcott have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walcott
    • Walcott is located in Rice County
  • Bixby
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bixby have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bixby
    • Bixby is located in Steele County
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Claremont
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Claremont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claremont
      • Claremont is located in Dodge County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 534 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Claremont <3>
    • Moland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moland
      • Moland is located in Rice County
    • Warsaw
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Owatonna ...

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 149 newspapers that have been published in the area around Owatonna.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Owatonna. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Owatonna and those printed in the larger area surrounding Owatonna.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5> of Owatonna.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Owatonna:

The official website for Owatonna: www.ci.owatonna.mn.us/

The official website for Steele County: www.co.steele.mn.us/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Owatonna, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Owatonna) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Owatonna. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.0879, Longitude: -93.2260    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025