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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 Shieldsville (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 Shieldsville. 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 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.

Shieldsville is located in Rice 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 Rice County: Dakota, Dodge, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Scott, Steele & Waseca.

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

  • Rice County     (The home county of Shieldsville)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Millersburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Millersburg is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millersburg
    • Lonsdale
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Trondjem
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Trondjem is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trondjem
    • Wheatland
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Wheatland is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland
    • Warsaw
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Warsaw is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
    • Faribault
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Morristown
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Cannon City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Cannon City is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannon City
    • Dundas
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Webster
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Northfield
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Walcott
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Walcott is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walcott
  • Blue Earth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Madison Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Smiths Mill
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Smiths Mill is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Mill
    • Eagle Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Clair
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Pemberton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Pemberton is located in Blue Earth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pemberton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
  • Carver County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Carver
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Chaska
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Gotha
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Gotha is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gotha
  • Dakota County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Waterford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Waterford is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterford
    • Castle Rock
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Castle Rock is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castle Rock
    • Eureka Center
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Eureka Center is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka Center
    • Lakeville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Randolph
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Randolph is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randolph
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 444 people
    • Farmington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Hampton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Apple Valley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Burnsville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • New Trier
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • New Trier is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Trier
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
    • Coates
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Coates is located in Dakota County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coates
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 155 people
    • Vermillion
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Dodge County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • West Concord
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Claremont
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Goodhue County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Dennison
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Stanton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Stanton is located in Goodhue County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanton
    • Kenyon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Wangs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Wangs is located in Goodhue County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wangs
    • Cannon Falls
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Hader
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Hader is located in Goodhue County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hader
    • Wanamingo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Le Sueur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Kilkenny
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Montgomery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Waterville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Heidelberg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Heidelberg is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heidelberg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
    • Cordova
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Cordova is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordova
    • Lexington
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Lexington is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lexington
    • Le Center
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Saint Thomas
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Saint Thomas is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Thomas
    • Greenland
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Greenland is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
    • Marysburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Marysburg is located in Le Sueur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysburg
    • Cleveland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Le Sueur
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Nicollet County
    • Saint Peter
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
  • Scott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Elko New Market
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Elko New Market is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elko New Market
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,733 people
    • Elko
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • New Market
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • New Prague
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Cedar Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Cedar Lake is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Lake
    • Saint Patrick
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Saint Patrick is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Patrick
    • Union Hill
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Union Hill is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Hill
    • Credit River
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Credit River is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Credit River
    • Prior Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Jordan
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Marystown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Marystown is located in Scott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marystown
    • Belle Plaine
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Sibley County
    • Henderson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Steele County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Medford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Medford is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,255 people
    • Owatonna
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Havana
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Havana is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
    • Rice Lake
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Rice Lake is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice Lake
    • Pratt
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Pratt is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
    • Steele Center
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Steele Center is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele Center
    • Hope
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Hope is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
    • River Point
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • River Point is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Point
  • Waseca County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shieldsville, with the one closest to Shieldsville listed first.
    • Palmer
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Palmer is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
    • Elysian
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Waseca
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Janesville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Wilton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Wilton is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
    • Vista
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Vista is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vista
    • Alma City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Alma City is located in Waseca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma City

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

Cemeteries Near Shieldsville ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shieldsville.

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 Shieldsville - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Shieldsville covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Maple Lawn Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Lawrence Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Oak Ridge Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Ridge Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Oak Ridge Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the north of Faribault.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #82928 <2>
  • St. Michael Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Calvary Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Forest Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calvary Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Calvary Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the west of Kilkenny.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2178144 <2>
  • Cordova Family Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Gregor Farm Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (255 more) ...
    • Horseshoe Lake Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Riverside Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Meadow Ridge Memorial Park
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)

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, Shieldsville had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Millersburg
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Millersburg is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millersburg
  • Wheatland
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Wheatland is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland
  • Trondjem
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Trondjem is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trondjem
  • Kilkenny
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Warsaw
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Warsaw is located in Rice County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
  • Faribault
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Doyle
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Doyle is located in Le Sueur County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doyle
  • Morristown
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Montgomery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Dundas
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Webster
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Waterville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Hazelwood
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Hazelwood is located in Rice County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelwood
    • Deerfield
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Deerfield is located in Steele County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
    • Northfield
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Shieldsville ...

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 208 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shieldsville.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shieldsville, 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 Shieldsville.

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 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 Shieldsville:

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>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 from Point A (ie- Shieldsville) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<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 Shieldsville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.