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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 Pelican 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 Pelican 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 Pelican 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 Pelican Rapids: Pelican 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 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.

Pelican Rapids 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 Pelican Rapids. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Pelican Rapids:

  • Otter Tail County     (The home county of Pelican Rapids)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pelican Rapids, with the one closest to Pelican Rapids listed first.
    • Erhard
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erhard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erhard
      • Erhard is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Erhard <2>
    • Edwards
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
      • Edwards is located in Otter Tail County
    • Rothsay
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rothsay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rothsay
      • Rothsay is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 476 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rothsay <2>
    • Elizabeth
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elizabeth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabeth
      • Elizabeth is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 170 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elizabeth <2>
    • Vergas
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vergas have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vergas
      • Vergas is located in Otter Tail County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 354 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vergas <2>
    • Dent
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • 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>
    • Fergus Falls
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Amor
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
    • Richville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • 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>
    • Underwood
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Perham
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • 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
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Becker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pelican Rapids, with the one closest to Pelican Rapids listed first.
    • Cormorant
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cormorant
      • Cormorant is located in Becker County
    • Bucks Mill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • 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
    • Detroit Lakes
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Audubon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Lake Park
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Park
      • Lake Park is located in Becker County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 787 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Park <2>
    • Frazee
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Rochert
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Callaway
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Callaway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Callaway
      • Callaway is located in Becker County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 227 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Callaway <2>
    • Richwood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richwood
      • Richwood is located in Becker County
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pelican Rapids, with the one closest to Pelican Rapids listed first.
    • Barnesville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Hawley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hawley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawley
      • Hawley is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,210 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hawley <2>
    • Baker
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baker have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker
      • Baker is located in Clay County
    • Muskoda
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Muskoda have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muskoda
      • Muskoda is located in Clay County
    • Hitterdal
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hitterdal have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitterdal
      • Hitterdal is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 213 people
    • Sabin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sabin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabin
      • Sabin is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 558 people
  • Wilkin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pelican Rapids, with the one closest to Pelican Rapids listed first.
    • Lawndale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawndale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawndale
      • Lawndale is located in Wilkin County
    • Foxhome
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foxhome have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foxhome
      • Foxhome is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 112 people
    • Kent
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Kent is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
    • Wolverton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverton
      • Wolverton is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Pelican 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 60 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pelican Rapids.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 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 Pelican Rapids:

Cemeteries Near Pelican Rapids ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pelican 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 Pelican Rapids covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Lake View Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake View Cemetery
  • St. Leonard's Catholic Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Leonard's Catholic Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Leonard's Catholic Church Cemetery
  • Pelican Valley Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pelican Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pelican Valley Cemetery
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Central Swede Grove Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Old Pelican Valley Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Pelican Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Pelican Valley Cemetery
  • Ringsaker Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ringsaker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ringsaker Cemetery
  • Bagstevold Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bagstevold Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bagstevold Cemetery
  • Grove Lake Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grove Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grove Lake Cemetery
  • Norwegian Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwegian Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwegian Grove Cemetery
  • Lake Lida Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake Lida Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake Lida Cemetery
  • Scandinavian Christian Mission Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (182 more) ...
    • Grove Lake Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grove Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grove Lake Cemetery
    • Scambler Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Scambler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Scambler Cemetery
    • North Immanuel Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Immanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Immanuel 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 Pelican Rapids had a population of 624 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Pelican Rapids had a population of 2,634 people.

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

  • Erhard
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erhard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erhard
    • Erhard is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Erhard <2>
  • Norwegian Grove
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norwegian Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwegian Grove
    • Norwegian Grove is located in Otter Tail County
  • Edwards
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
    • Edwards is located in Otter Tail County
  • Tansem
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tansem have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tansem
    • Tansem is located in Clay County
  • Cormorant
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cormorant
    • Cormorant is located in Becker County
  • Rothsay
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rothsay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rothsay
    • Rothsay is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 476 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rothsay <2>
  • Elizabeth
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elizabeth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabeth
    • Elizabeth is located in Otter Tail County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 170 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elizabeth <2>
  • Bucks Mill
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
  • Rollag
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rollag have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollag
    • Rollag is located in Clay County
  • Lawndale
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawndale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawndale
    • Lawndale is located in Wilkin County
  • Carlisle
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carlisle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlisle
    • Carlisle is located in Otter Tail County
  • Maine
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • 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
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Barnesville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Phelps
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
    • Fergus Falls
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)

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

The official website for Pelican Rapids: www.pelicanrapids.com/

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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Pelican Rapids) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pelican Rapids. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.5713, Longitude: -96.0835    
<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 Pelican 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