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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 Pontoria (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 Pontoria. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest 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 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 west 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.

Pontoria is located in Cass 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 Cass County: Aitkin, Beltrami, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Morrison, Todd & Wadena.

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

  • Cass County     (The home county of Pontoria)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontoria, with the one closest to Pontoria listed first.
    • Wabedo
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wabedo
      • Wabedo is located in Cass County
    • Chickamaw Beach
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chickamaw Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chickamaw Beach
      • Chickamaw Beach is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 110 people
    • Backus
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • 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>
    • Hackensack
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • 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>
    • Longville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Longville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longville
      • Longville is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Longville <2>
    • Pine River
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Whipholt
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whipholt
      • Whipholt is located in Cass County
    • Outing
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Outing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Outing
      • Outing is located in Cass County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Outing <2>
    • Ah-gwah-ching
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • 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>
    • North Central Cass
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Central Cass have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Central Cass
      • North Central Cass is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
    • Boy River
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boy River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boy River
      • Boy River is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
  • Crow Wing County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontoria, with the one closest to Pontoria listed first.
    • Manhattan Beach
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manhattan Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manhattan Beach
      • Manhattan Beach is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 65 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Manhattan Beach <2>
    • Fifty Lakes
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fifty Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fifty Lakes
      • Fifty Lakes is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 406 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fifty Lakes <2>
    • Jenkins
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jenkins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jenkins
      • Jenkins is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 473 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jenkins <2>
    • Crosslake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Emily
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emily have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emily
      • Emily is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 841 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emily <2>
    • Breezy Point
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Breezy Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breezy Point
      • Breezy Point is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,435 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Breezy Point <2>
    • Pequot Lakes
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pequot Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pequot Lakes
      • Pequot Lakes is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,305 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pequot Lakes <2>
    • Lake Hubert
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Hubert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Hubert
      • Lake Hubert is located in Crow Wing County
    • Nisswa
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nisswa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nisswa
      • Nisswa is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,115 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nisswa <2>
    • Merrifield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merrifield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merrifield
      • Merrifield is located in Crow Wing County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Merrifield <2>
    • Trommald
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trommald have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trommald
      • Trommald is located in Crow Wing County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 100 people
  • Hubbard County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontoria, with the one closest to Pontoria listed first.
    • Akeley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • 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>
    • Nevis
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • 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>
    • Benedict
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
    • Dorset
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorset
      • Dorset is located in Hubbard County
  • Wadena County
    • Nimrod
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Pontoria ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pontoria.

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

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

  • Ponto Lake Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ponto Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ponto Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wabedo Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wabedo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wabedo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • 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.
  • Pine River Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine River Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine River Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Finnelly Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Finnelly Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Finnelly Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillcrest Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillcrest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillcrest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Riverside Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pine Ridge Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Norwood Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hope Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Swanburg Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swanburg Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swanburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Edwards Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Edwards Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Edwards Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (44 more) ...
    • Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jenkins Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jenkins Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jenkins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Anderson Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Anderson Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Anderson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

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

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

  • Hackensack
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • 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>
  • Pine River
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Ellis
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ellis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<6>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellis
    • Ellis is located in Cass County

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

Newspapers Published in Pontoria ...

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 34 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pontoria.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pontoria, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pontoria.

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 websites either offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Pontoria:

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

The official website for Cass County: www.co.cass.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 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Pontoria) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pontoria. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.8633, Longitude: -94.3367       In this case, the coordinates for Pontoria have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Pontoria, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025