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 Waldorf (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 Waldorf. 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 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.
Waldorf is located in Waseca 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 Waseca County: Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Rice & Steele.
Below are the counties that are near Waldorf. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Waldorf:
- Waseca County (The home county of Waldorf)
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Alma City
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Alma City is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma City
- Wilton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Wilton is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
- New Richland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Vista
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Vista is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vista
- Janesville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Waseca
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Palmer
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Palmer is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
- Elysian
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Blue Earth County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Pemberton
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Pemberton is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pemberton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
- Saint Clair
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Mapleton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Beauford
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Beauford is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beauford
- Smiths Mill
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Smiths Mill is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Mill
- Eagle Lake
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Madison Lake
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Good Thunder
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Mankato
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Rapidan
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Rapidan is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rapidan
- Skyline
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Skyline is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skyline
- Population from the 2020 Census: 299 people
- Amboy
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Faribault County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Minnesota Lake
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Wells
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Easton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Easton is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Delavan
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Delavan is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delavan
- Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
- Walters
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Walters is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walters
- Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
- Dell
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Dell is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dell
- Winnebago
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bricelyn
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Bricelyn is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bricelyn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Frost
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Kiester
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Blue Earth
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Blue Earth is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Earth
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,098 people
- Former name for Blue Earth:
- Blue Earth City
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blue Earth <1>
- Huntley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Huntley is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntley
- Freeborn County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Freeborn
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Hartland
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Hartland is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 307 people
- Bath
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Bath is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
- Manchester
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Manchester is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
- Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
- Alden
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Clarks Grove
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Geneva
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Conger
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Conger is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conger
- Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
- Albert Lea
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Hollandale
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hayward
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Twin Lakes
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Twin Lakes is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin Lakes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
- Le Sueur County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Greenland
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Greenland is located in Le Sueur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
- Waterville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Marysburg
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Marysburg is located in Le Sueur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysburg
- Kilkenny
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Cleveland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Cordova
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Cordova is located in Le Sueur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordova
- Kasota
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Nicollet County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- North Mankato
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Peter
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Rice County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Morristown
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Warsaw
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Warsaw is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
- Steele County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Ellendale
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Hope
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Hope is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
- River Point
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- River Point is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Point
- Steele Center
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Steele Center is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele Center
- Owatonna
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Pratt
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Pratt is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
- Medford
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Medford is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,255 people
- Havana
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Havana is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
- Union
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Union is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Waldorf, see our County-by-County Page for Waldorf.
Cemeteries Near Waldorf ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Waldorf.
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 Waldorf - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Waldorf covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- First Lutheran Church Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Vivian Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Radloff Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Zoars Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Hendrickson Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Freedom Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Freedom Lutheran Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- St. Paul Evangelical Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Medo Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Danville Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- St. John's Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Catholic Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (251 more) ...
- Trahm's Farm Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Peddler's Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Alma City Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
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.<2>
While we didn't find Waldorf in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Waldorf.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Waldorf, with the one closest to Waldorf listed first.
- Alma City
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Alma City is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma City
- Minnesota Lake
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- New Richland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Otisco
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Otisco is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otisco
- Janesville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Saint Clair
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Mapleton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Freeborn
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Hartland
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Hartland is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 307 people
- Waseca
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Beauford
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Beauford is located in Blue Earth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beauford
- Easton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Easton is located in Faribault County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Lemond
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Lemond is located in Steele County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lemond
- Palmer
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Palmer is located in Waseca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
- Bath
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Bath is located in Freeborn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Waldorf. See our List of 1890's Communities around Waldorf.
Newspapers Published in Waldorf ...
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 152 newspapers that have been published in the area around Waldorf.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Waldorf, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Waldorf.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Waldorf:
- Websites specific to Minnesota
- Pages specific to Waseca County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Blue Earth County
- Faribault County
- Freeborn County
- Le Sueur County
- Nicollet County
- Rice County
- Steele 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> | 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 Waldorf, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Waldorf) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |