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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 Watson (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 Watson. 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 doctors 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.

Watson is located in Chippewa County.

To see how the shape of Minnesota's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Chippewa County: Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Renville, Swift & Yellow Medicine.

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

  • Chippewa County     (The home county of Watson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Montevideo
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Milan
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Big Bend City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Bend City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Bend City
      • Big Bend City is located in Chippewa County
    • Maynard
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maynard have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maynard
      • Maynard is located in Chippewa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 344 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maynard <1>
    • Clara City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clara City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clara City
      • Clara City is located in Chippewa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,273 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clara City <1>
  • Big Stone County
    • Correll
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Correll have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Correll
      • Correll is located in Big Stone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
  • Kandiyohi County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Raymond
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Raymond have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
      • Raymond is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 759 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Raymond <1>
    • Prinsburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prinsburg
      • Prinsburg is located in Kandiyohi County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 497 people
  • Lac qui Parle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Boyd
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boyd have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
      • Boyd is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boyd <1>
    • Dawson
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dawson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawson
      • Dawson is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,378 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dawson <1>
    • Madison
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Madison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madison
      • Madison is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,376 people
    • Providence
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Providence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Providence
      • Providence is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Louisburg
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louisburg
      • Louisburg is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 43 people
    • Bellingham
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellingham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellingham
      • Bellingham is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 147 people
    • Marietta
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marietta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
      • Marietta is located in Lac qui Parle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 138 people
  • Lyon County
    • Cottonwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cottonwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottonwood
      • Cottonwood is located in Lyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,223 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cottonwood <1>
  • Renville County
    • Sacred Heart
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Swift County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Holloway
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holloway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holloway
      • Holloway is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
    • Appleton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Appleton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleton
      • Appleton is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,311 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Appleton <1>
    • Danvers
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Danvers have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danvers
      • Danvers is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
    • Benson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • De Graff
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for De Graff have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Graff
      • De Graff is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
    • Murdock
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murdock
      • Murdock is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
    • Clontarf
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clontarf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clontarf
      • Clontarf is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clontarf <1>
    • Kerkhoven
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kerkhoven have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kerkhoven
      • Kerkhoven is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 696 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kerkhoven <1>
  • Yellow Medicine County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Clarkfield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarkfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkfield
      • Clarkfield is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 775 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarkfield <1>
    • Hazel Run
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hazel Run have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Run
      • Hazel Run is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
    • Granite Falls
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Hanley Falls
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanley Falls
      • Hanley Falls is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
    • Saint Leo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Leo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Leo
      • Saint Leo is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 90 people
    • Wood Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wood Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood Lake
      • Wood Lake is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people
    • Canby
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canby
      • Canby is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,645 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canby <1>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Watson ...

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 97 newspapers that have been published in the area around Watson.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Watson:

Cemeteries Near Watson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Watson.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery
  • Zion Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
  • German American Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the German American Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the German American Cemetery
  • Sunset Memorial Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Brono Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brono Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brono Cemetery
  • Sommerfeld Family Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sommerfeld Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sommerfeld Family Cemetery
  • Camp Release Twp. Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Camp Release Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Camp Release Twp. Cemetery
  • Terrace Lawn Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Terrace Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Terrace Lawn Cemetery
  • Our Saviour's Lutheran Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Our Saviour's Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Our Saviour's Lutheran Cemetery
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Cemetery
  • St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery
  • Original Big Bend Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Original Big Bend Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Original Big Bend Cemetery
  • Continue List   (142 more) ...
    • Kviteseid Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kviteseid Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kviteseid Cemetery
    • St. Petri Cemetery West
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Petri Cemetery West have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Petri Cemetery West
    • St. Petri Cemetery East
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Petri Cemetery East have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Petri Cemetery East

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Watson had a population of 150 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Watson had a population of 192 people.

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

  • Montevideo
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Lac qui Parle
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lac qui Parle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lac qui Parle
    • Lac qui Parle is located in Lac qui Parle County
  • Milan
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Hagan
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hagan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hagan
    • Hagan is located in Chippewa County
  • Wegdahl
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wegdahl have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wegdahl
    • Wegdahl is located in Chippewa County
  • Cerro Gordo
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cerro Gordo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cerro Gordo
    • Cerro Gordo is located in Lac qui Parle County
  • Boyd
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boyd have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
    • Boyd is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boyd <1>
  • Dawson
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dawson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawson
    • Dawson is located in Lac qui Parle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,378 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dawson <1>
  • Clarkfield
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarkfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkfield
    • Clarkfield is located in Yellow Medicine County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 775 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarkfield <1>
  • Holloway
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holloway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holloway
    • Holloway is located in Swift County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
  • Maynard
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maynard have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maynard
    • Maynard is located in Chippewa County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 344 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maynard <1>
  • Louriston
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louriston have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louriston
    • Louriston is located in Chippewa County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Appleton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Appleton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleton
      • Appleton is located in Swift County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,311 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Appleton <1>
    • Hazel Run
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hazel Run have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Run
      • Hazel Run is located in Yellow Medicine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
    • Granite Falls
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Watson. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Chippewa County: www.co.chippewa.mn.us/

The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/

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 location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Watson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Watson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.0102, Longitude: -95.7997       In this case, the coordinates for Watson have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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 Watson, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024