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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 Park Rapids (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 Park Rapids. 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 Park Rapids ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Park Rapids: Park Rpds.

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.

Park Rapids is located in Hubbard 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 Hubbard County: Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater & Wadena.

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

  • Hubbard County     (The home county of Park Rapids)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Park Rapids, with the one closest to Park Rapids listed first.
    • Dorset
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorset
      • Dorset is located in Hubbard County
    • Nevis
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nevis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nevis
      • Nevis is located in Hubbard County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 416 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nevis <2>
    • Akeley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Akeley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Akeley
      • Akeley is located in Hubbard County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 449 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Akeley <2>
    • Lake George
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake George have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake George
      • Lake George is located in Hubbard County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake George <2>
    • Benedict
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benedict have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benedict
      • Benedict is located in Hubbard County
    • Laporte
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Laporte have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laporte
      • Laporte is located in Hubbard County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 118 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Laporte <2>
  • Becker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Park Rapids, with the one closest to Park Rapids listed first.
    • Osage
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Osage have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osage
      • Osage is located in Becker County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Osage <2>
    • Two Inlets
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Two Inlets
      • Two Inlets is located in Becker County
    • Wolf Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • 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
    • Pine Point
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pine Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Point
      • Pine Point is located in Becker County
    • Ponsford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ponsford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ponsford
      • Ponsford is located in Becker County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ponsford <2>
    • Evergreen
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen
      • Evergreen is located in Becker County
    • Elbow Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elbow Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elbow Lake
      • Elbow Lake is located in Becker County
    • Rochert
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • 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>
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Park Rapids, with the one closest to Park Rapids listed first.
    • Hackensack
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hackensack have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hackensack
      • Hackensack is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 308 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hackensack <2>
    • Ah-gwah-ching
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ah-gwah-ching have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ah-gwah-ching
      • Ah-gwah-ching is located in Cass County
    • Walker
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walker have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
      • Walker is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 928 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walker <2>
    • Backus
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Backus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Backus
      • Backus is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 255 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Backus <2>
  • Clearwater County
    • Long Lost Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Lost Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Lost Lake
      • Long Lost Lake is located in Clearwater County
      • Estimated population in 2015: 44 people
  • Wadena County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Park Rapids, with the one closest to Park Rapids listed first.
    • Menahga
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menahga have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menahga
      • Menahga is located in Wadena County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,307 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Menahga <2>
    • Sebeka
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • 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>
    • Nimrod
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Park Rapids ...

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 41 newspapers that have been published in the area around Park Rapids.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Park Rapids. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Park Rapids and those printed in the larger area surrounding Park Rapids.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3> of Park Rapids.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Park Rapids:

Cemeteries Near Park Rapids ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Park Rapids.

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

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

  • St. Peters Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Peters Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Peters Cemetery
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
  • Straight River Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Straight River Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Straight River Cemetery
  • Henrietta Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Henrietta Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Henrietta Cemetery
  • Crandall Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crandall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crandall Cemetery
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
  • Hubbard Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hubbard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hubbard Cemetery
  • Lake Emma Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake Emma Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake Emma Cemetery
  • Osage Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Osage Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osage Cemetery
  • Green Valley Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Valley Cemetery
  • Shell City Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shell City Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shell City Cemetery
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Continue List   (81 more) ...
    • Lakeview Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeview Cemetery
    • Alajoki Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Alajoki Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Alajoki Cemetery
    • St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary's Catholic 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, Park Rapids had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Park Rapids had a population of 4,335 people.

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

  • Hubbard
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hubbard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hubbard
    • Hubbard is located in Hubbard County
  • Osage
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Osage have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osage
    • Osage is located in Becker County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Osage <2>
  • Menahga
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menahga have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menahga
    • Menahga is located in Wadena County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,307 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Menahga <2>
  • Sebeka
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • 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>
  • Nimrod
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Davies
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • 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
  • Hackensack
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hackensack have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hackensack
    • Hackensack is located in Cass County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 308 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hackensack <2>

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

The official website for Park Rapids: www.ci.park-rapids.mn.us/

The official website for Hubbard County: www.co.hubbard.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 drawn from Point A (ie- Park Rapids) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Park Rapids. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.9221, Longitude: -95.0585    
<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 Park Rapids, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024