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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 Staples (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 Staples. 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 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.

Staples is primarily located in Todd County. A portion of Staples extends into Wadena 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 Todd County: Douglas, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns & Wadena.

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

  • Todd County     (The home county of Staples)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Staples, with the one closest to Staples listed first.
    • Philbrook
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Philbrook is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philbrook
    • Bertha
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Hewitt
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Hewitt is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewitt
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
    • Clarissa
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Eagle Bend
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Browerville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Browerville is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browerville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
    • Long Prairie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Clotho
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Clotho is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clotho
    • Pillsbury
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Pillsbury is located in Todd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pillsbury
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Staples, with the one closest to Staples listed first.
    • Ellis
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Ellis is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellis
    • Pillager
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • East Gull Lake
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Lake Shore
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
  • Crow Wing County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Staples, with the one closest to Staples listed first.
    • Baxter
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Baxter is located in Crow Wing County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baxter
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,483 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baxter <1>
    • Fort Ripley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Nisswa
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Nisswa is located in Crow Wing County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nisswa
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,115 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nisswa <1>
    • Lake Hubert
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Lake Hubert is located in Crow Wing County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Hubert
    • Brainerd
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Pequot Lakes
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Merrifield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Jenkins
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Douglas County
    • Rose City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Rose City is located in Douglas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose City
  • Morrison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Staples, with the one closest to Staples listed first.
    • Motley
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Lincoln
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Lincoln is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
    • Cushing
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Randall
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Flensburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Flensburg is located in Morrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flensburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 223 people
  • Otter Tail County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Staples, with the one closest to Staples listed first.
    • Wadena
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Wadena is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wadena
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,121 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wadena <1>
    • Bluffton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Bluffton is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
    • Deer Creek
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Deer Creek is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Creek
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 321 people
    • Parkers Prairie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Davies
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Davies is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davies
    • New York Mills
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Henning
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Wadena County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Staples, with the one closest to Staples listed first.
    • Aldrich
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Aldrich is located in Wadena County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aldrich
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
    • Verndale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Nimrod
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Sebeka
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Menahga
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Staples ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Staples.

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

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

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

  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Hallet Family Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • St. James Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Mother of Sorrows Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • St. Isadore Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Motley Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Montrose Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Balsamlund Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Moran - Germania Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Moran Riverside Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Esterdy Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Immanuel Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (148 more) ...
    • Bridgeman Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Swan Valley Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • St. Fredericks Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 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 Staples had a population of 585 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Staples had a population of 3,068 people.

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

  • Philbrook
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Philbrook is located in Todd County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philbrook
  • Aldrich
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Aldrich is located in Wadena County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aldrich
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
  • Motley
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Verndale
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Ellis
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Ellis is located in Cass County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellis
  • Lincoln
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Lincoln is located in Morrison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
  • Bertha
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Hewitt
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Hewitt is located in Todd County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewitt
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
  • Pillager
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Eagle Bend
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Clarissa
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Wadena
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Wadena is located in Otter Tail County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wadena
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,121 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wadena <1>
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Cushing
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Wrightstown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Wrightstown is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrightstown
    • Nimrod
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Staples ...

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 51 newspapers that have been published in the area around Staples.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Staples. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Staples and those printed in the larger area surrounding Staples.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Staples.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Staples:

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 Staples, 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- Staples) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.