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 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.
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 may 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)
- Elizabeth
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Pelican Rapids
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Edwards
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Edwards is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
- Fergus Falls
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Maine
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Maine is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maine
- Western
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Western is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Western
- Underwood
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Amor
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Amor is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amor
- Vergas
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Dent
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Dalton
(27 miles [43.5 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)
- Cormorant is located in Becker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cormorant
- Bucks Mill
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Bucks Mill is located in Becker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bucks Mill
- Lake Park
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- 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)
- Rollag
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Rollag is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollag
- Baker
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Baker is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker
- Comstock
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Comstock is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comstock
- Population from the 2020 Census: 108 people
- Hawley
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Muskoda
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Muskoda is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muskoda
- Sabin
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Sabin is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabin
- 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)
- Lawndale is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawndale
- Foxhome
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Foxhome is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foxhome
- Population from the 2020 Census: 112 people
- Kent
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Kent is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
- 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)
- Doran is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doran
- Population from the 2020 Census: 47 people
- Wolverton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Wolverton is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
- Campbell
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Campbell is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 152 people
- Nashua
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Nashua is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashua
- Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
- Childs
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Childs is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Childs
- Tenney
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Tenney is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenney
- Estimated population in 2011: 5 people
- Cass County (ND)
- Oxbow
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Oxbow is located in Cass County (ND)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxbow
- 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)
- Abercrombie
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Dwight
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Dwight is located in Richland County (ND)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dwight
- Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
- Christine
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Galchutt
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Galchutt is located in Richland County (ND)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galchutt
- Colfax
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Fairview Junction
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Fairview Junction is located in Richland County (ND)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Junction
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Rothsay, see our County-by-County Page for 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.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Rothsay - one of the links might be able to help.
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)
- Hamar Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Old Friborg Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- South Immanuel Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Rothsay Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- German Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Hedermarken Lutheran Church Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Friborg Lutheran Church Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Meadows Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Burau Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- South Friborg Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Zion Elizabeth Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Continue List (175 more) ...
- Norwegian Grove Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Prairie View Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Manston Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
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.<3>
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)
- Lawndale is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawndale
- Carlisle
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Carlisle is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlisle
- Elizabeth
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Erhard
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Norwegian Grove
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Norwegian Grove is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwegian Grove
- Pelican Rapids
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- French
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- French is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for French
- Barnesville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Edwards
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Edwards is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
- Tansem
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Tansem is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tansem
- Everdell
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Everdell is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Everdell
- Fergus Falls
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Rollag
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Rollag is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollag
- Kent
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Kent is located in Wilkin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
- Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
- Wall Lake
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Wall Lake is located in Otter Tail County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wall Lake
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.
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]<4>. 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 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 Rothsay:
- Websites specific to Minnesota
- Pages specific to Otter Tail County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Becker County
- Clay County
- Wilkin County
- Cass County
- Richland County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Minnesota
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | 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. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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- Rothsay) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |