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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 Rothsay (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 Rothsay. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Rothsay is primarily located in Otter Tail County. A portion of Rothsay extends into Wilkin 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 Rothsay. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Rothsay:

  • Otter Tail County     (The home county of Rothsay)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rothsay, with the one closest to Rothsay listed first.
    • Erhard
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • 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>
    • Elizabeth
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Pelican Rapids
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Edwards
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
      • Edwards is located in Otter Tail County
    • Fergus Falls
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Western
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Western have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Western
      • Western is located in Otter Tail County
    • Underwood
      (23 miles [37 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>
    • Amor
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • 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
    • Vergas
      (26 miles [41.8 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
      (27 miles [43.5 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>
    • Dalton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Battle Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Becker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rothsay, with the one closest to Rothsay listed first.
    • Cormorant
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cormorant
      • Cormorant is located in Becker County
    • Bucks Mill
      (24 miles [38.6 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
    • Lake Park
      (29 miles [46.7 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>
    • Audubon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rothsay, with the one closest to Rothsay listed first.
    • Barnesville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Baker
      (20 miles [32.2 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
    • Comstock
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Comstock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comstock
      • Comstock is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 108 people
    • Hawley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • 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>
    • Muskoda
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • 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
    • Sabin
      (27 miles [43.5 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 Rothsay, with the one closest to Rothsay listed first.
    • Lawndale
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • 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
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Kent is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
    • Breckenridge
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Doran
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doran have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doran
      • Doran is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 47 people
    • Wolverton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverton
      • Wolverton is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
    • Campbell
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Campbell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell
      • Campbell is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 152 people
    • Nashua
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nashua have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashua
      • Nashua is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
    • Childs
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Childs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Childs
      • Childs is located in Wilkin County
    • Tenney
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tenney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenney
      • Tenney is located in Wilkin County
      • Estimated population in 2011: 5 people
  • Cass County (ND)
    • Oxbow
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oxbow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxbow
      • Oxbow is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
  • Richland County (ND)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rothsay, with the one closest to Rothsay listed first.
    • Wahpeton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wahpeton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahpeton
      • Wahpeton is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,728 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wahpeton <2>
    • Abercrombie
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Dwight
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dwight have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dwight
      • Dwight is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
    • Christine
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Christine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christine
      • Christine is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 169 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Christine <2>
    • Galchutt
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galchutt
      • Galchutt is located in Richland County (ND)
    • Colfax
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colfax
      • Colfax is located in Richland County (ND)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colfax <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Rothsay ...

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 69 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rothsay.

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

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Rothsay:

Cemeteries Near Rothsay ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rothsay.

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

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

  • Our Saviors Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Our Saviors Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Our Saviors Cemetery
  • Hamar Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hamar Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hamar Cemetery
  • Old Friborg Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Friborg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Friborg Cemetery
  • South Immanuel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Immanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Immanuel Cemetery
  • Rothsay Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rothsay Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rothsay Cemetery
  • German Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the German Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the German Cemetery
  • Hedermarken Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Friborg Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Friborg Lutheran Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Friborg Lutheran Church Cemetery
  • Meadows Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Meadows Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Meadows Cemetery
  • Burau Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Burau Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Burau Cemetery
  • South Friborg Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Friborg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Friborg Cemetery
  • Zion Elizabeth Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Elizabeth Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Elizabeth Cemetery
  • Continue List   (162 more) ...
    • Norwegian Grove Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • 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
    • Prairie View Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prairie View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prairie View Cemetery
    • Manston Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Manston Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Manston 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Rothsay had a population of 174 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Rothsay had a population of 476 people.

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

  • Lawndale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • 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
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • 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
  • Elizabeth
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • 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>
  • Erhard
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • 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
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Pelican Rapids
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • French
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for French have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for French
    • French is located in Otter Tail County
  • Barnesville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Edwards
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
    • Edwards is located in Otter Tail County
  • Tansem
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Everdell
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Everdell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Everdell
    • Everdell is located in Wilkin County
  • Fergus Falls
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Rollag
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • 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
    • Kent
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Kent is located in Wilkin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
    • Wall Lake
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wall Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wall Lake
      • Wall Lake is located in Otter Tail County

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

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

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

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

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Rothsay) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rothsay. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.4717, Longitude: -96.2912       In this case, the coordinates for Rothsay 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 Rothsay, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024