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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 Tansem (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 Tansem. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals 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.

Tansem is located in Clay 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 Clay County: Becker, Norman, Otter Tail, Wilkin, Cass (ND) & Richland (ND).

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

  • Clay County     (The home county of Tansem)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tansem, with the one closest to Tansem listed first.
    • Rollag
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Rollag is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollag
    • Barnesville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Hawley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Muskoda
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Muskoda is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muskoda
    • Baker
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Baker is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker
    • Hitterdal
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Hitterdal is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitterdal
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 213 people
    • Glyndon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sabin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Sabin is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 558 people
    • Comstock
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Comstock is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comstock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 108 people
    • Dilworth
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Finkle
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Finkle is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finkle
    • Ulen
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Moorhead
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Becker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tansem, with the one closest to Tansem listed first.
    • Cormorant
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Cormorant is located in Becker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cormorant
    • Bucks Mill
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Bucks Mill is located in Becker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bucks Mill
    • Lake Park
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Audubon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Detroit Lakes
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Frazee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Callaway
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Richwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Richwood is located in Becker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richwood
    • Rochert
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Otter Tail County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tansem, with the one closest to Tansem listed first.
    • Pelican Rapids
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Rothsay
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Erhard
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Edwards
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Edwards is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
    • Vergas
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Elizabeth
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Dent
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Dent is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dent
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 185 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dent <1>
    • Maine
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Maine is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maine
    • Fergus Falls
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Amor
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Amor is located in Otter Tail County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amor
  • Wilkin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tansem, with the one closest to Tansem listed first.
    • Lawndale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Lawndale is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawndale
    • Wolverton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Wolverton is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
    • Kent
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Kent is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
    • Foxhome
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Foxhome is located in Wilkin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foxhome
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 112 people
  • Cass County (ND)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tansem, with the one closest to Tansem listed first.
    • Oxbow
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Oxbow is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxbow
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
    • Briarwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Briarwood is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briarwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 70 people
    • Wild Rice
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Wild Rice is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wild Rice
    • Frontier
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Frontier is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frontier
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
    • Prairie Rose
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Prairie Rose is located in Cass County (ND)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Rose
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
  • Richland County (ND)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tansem, with the one closest to Tansem listed first.
    • Christine
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Abercrombie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Tansem ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Tansem.

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

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

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

  • Aspelund Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Grong Lutheran Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Little Bethany Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • West North Immanuel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • North Immanuel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Gran Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Grove Lake Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Grove Lake Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Old Yankee Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Prairie View Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Scambler Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (170 more) ...

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 in 1895, Tansem had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Norwegian Grove
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Norwegian Grove is located in Otter Tail County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwegian Grove
  • Rollag
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Rollag is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollag
  • Barnesville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Cormorant
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Cormorant is located in Becker County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cormorant
  • Lawndale
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Lawndale is located in Wilkin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawndale
  • Pelican Rapids
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Downer
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Downer is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Downer
  • Hawley
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Rothsay
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • Erhard
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Winnipeg Junction
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Winnipeg Junction is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winnipeg Junction
  • Bucks Mill
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Bucks Mill is located in Becker County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bucks Mill
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Muskoda
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Muskoda is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muskoda
    • Lake Park
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Baker
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Baker is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker

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

Newspapers Published in Tansem ...

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 29 newspapers that have been published in the area around Tansem.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Tansem, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Tansem.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Tansem:

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 Tansem, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Tansem) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.