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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 Silver Lake (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 Silver Lake. 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 Silver Lake ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Silver Lake: Silver Lk.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Silver Lake. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Silver Lake.

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 southwest 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 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 west 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.

Silver Lake is located in McLeod 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 McLeod County: Carver, Meeker, Renville, Sibley & Wright.

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

  • McLeod County     (The home county of Silver Lake)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Biscay
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Biscay is located in McLeod County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biscay
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
    • Lester Prairie
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Winsted
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Hutchinson
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Glencoe
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Sumter
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Sumter is located in McLeod County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sumter
    • Plato
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Brownton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Stewart
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Stewart is located in McLeod County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewart
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 533 people
    • Fernando
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Fernando is located in McLeod County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernando
  • Carver County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Hollywood
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Hollywood is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollywood
    • New Germany
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Hazelton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Hazelton is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelton
    • Mayer
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Hamburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Hamburg is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 526 people
    • Norwood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Norwood Young America
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Norwood Young America is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwood Young America
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,794 people
    • Young America
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Watertown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Hydes Lake
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Hydes Lake is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hydes Lake
    • Waconia
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Assumption
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Assumption is located in Carver County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Assumption
    • Cologne
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Hennepin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Saint Bonifacius
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Minnetrista
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Independence
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Independence is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Independence
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,786 people
    • Mound
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Mound is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mound
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,404 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mound <1>
    • Maple Plain
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Spring Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Greenfield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Greenfield is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,058 people
    • Loretto
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Orono
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Orono is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orono
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,348 people
    • Tonka Bay
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Tonka Bay is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tonka Bay
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,551 people
    • Crystal Bay
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Crystal Bay is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Bay
    • Excelsior
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Minnetonka Beach
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Minnetonka Beach is located in Hennepin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minnetonka Beach
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 584 people
  • Meeker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Dassel
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Darwin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Cedar Mills
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Cedar Mills is located in Meeker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Mills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • Kingston
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Kingston is located in Meeker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 162 people
    • Litchfield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Forest City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Forest City is located in Meeker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
    • Cosmos
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Rosendale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Rosendale is located in Meeker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosendale
    • Grove City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Watkins
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Renville County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Buffalo Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Hector
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Scott County
    • Belle Plaine
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Sibley County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • New Auburn
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Green Isle
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Arlington
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Gaylord
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Winthrop
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Henderson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Gibbon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Stearns County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Fairhaven
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Fairhaven is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairhaven
    • Kimball Prairie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Kimball Prairie is located in Stearns County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimball Prairie
    • Kimball
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Wright County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Cokato
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Smith Lake
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Smith Lake is located in Wright County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Lake
    • Howard Lake
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Waverly
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Albright
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Albright is located in Wright County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albright
    • Montrose
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Albion Center
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Albion Center is located in Wright County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albion Center
    • Rassat
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Rassat is located in Wright County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rassat
    • Delano
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Annandale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Maple Lake
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Buffalo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Rockford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Silver Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Silver Lake.

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 Silver Lake - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • St. Adelbert's Catholic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Bohemian Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Bear Creek Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Koniska Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Old Holy Trinity Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Biscay Evangelical Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Evangelical Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • St. John's Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Getchell Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Lutheran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Lester Prairie City Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (249 more) ...
    • St. Paul Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • St. Peter Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Oakland 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Silver Lake had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Silver Lake had a population of 806 people.

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

  • Biscay
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Biscay is located in McLeod County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biscay
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
  • Lester Prairie
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Winsted
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Hutchinson
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Glencoe
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Sumter
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Sumter is located in McLeod County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sumter
  • Plato
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • New Germany
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Hollywood
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Hollywood is located in Carver County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollywood
  • Cokato
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Howard Lake
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Smith Lake
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Smith Lake is located in Wright County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Lake
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Dassel
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Brownton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Mayer
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Silver Lake ...

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 131 newspapers that have been published in the area around Silver Lake.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with 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 Silver Lake:

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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Silver Lake) 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 Silver Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.