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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 Adel (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 Adel. 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.

Adel is located in Mercer County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Mercer County: Decatur (IA), Wayne (IA), Grundy, Harrison, Putnam & Sullivan.

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

  • Mercer County     (The home county of Adel)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Burrows
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Burrows is located in Mercer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burrows
    • Mercer
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • South Lineville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • South Lineville is located in Mercer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Lineville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
    • Princeton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Ravanna
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Ravanna is located in Mercer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravanna
    • Modena
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Modena is located in Mercer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Modena
  • Daviess County
    • Bancroft
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Bancroft is located in Daviess County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bancroft
  • Grundy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Spickard
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Tindall
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Tindall is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tindall
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
    • Brimson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Brimson is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brimson
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 59 people
    • Dunlap
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Dunlap is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunlap
  • Harrison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Akron
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Akron is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Akron
    • Cainsville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Cainsville is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cainsville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 272 people
    • Blythedale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Blythedale is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blythedale
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
    • Mount Moriah
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Mount Moriah is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Moriah
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
    • Ridgeway
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Eagleville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Gardner
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Gardner is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardner
    • Hatfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Hatfield is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatfield
    • Bethany
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Gilman City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Martinsville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Martinsville is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinsville
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Powersville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Powersville is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powersville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Lucerne
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Lucerne is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lucerne
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
    • Saint John
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Saint John is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint John
  • Sullivan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Newtown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Harris
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Osgood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Osgood is located in Sullivan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osgood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 42 people
  • Clarke County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Weldon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Weldon is located in Clarke County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weldon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
    • Green Bay ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Green Bay is located in Clarke County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Bay
    • Lacelle
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Lacelle is located in Clarke County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacelle
  • Decatur County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Morgan
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Morgan is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
    • Pleasanton
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Pleasanton is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasanton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 44 people
    • Davis City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Davis City is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 187 people
    • Woodland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Woodland is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland
    • Leon
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Leon is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,808 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Leon <1>
    • Lamoni
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Lamoni is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamoni
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,196 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lamoni <1>
    • Decatur City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Decatur City is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decatur City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 181 people
    • Garden Grove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Garden Grove is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
    • Le Roy
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Le Roy is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Le Roy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14 people
    • Van Wert
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Van Wert is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Wert
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 208 people
    • Grand River
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Grand River is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand River
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 215 people
  • Lucas County (IA)
    • Derby
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Derby is located in Lucas County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Derby
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 111 people
  • Ringgold County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Kellerton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Beaconsfield
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Beaconsfield is located in Ringgold County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaconsfield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15 people
  • Wayne County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Adel, with the one closest to Adel listed first.
    • Lineville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Lineville is located in Wayne County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lineville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 217 people
    • Clio
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Clio is located in Wayne County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clio
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 73 people
    • Hodge
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Hodge is located in Wayne County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hodge
    • Allerton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Humeston
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Corydon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Corydon is located in Wayne County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corydon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,593 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Corydon <1>
    • Genoa
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Genoa is located in Wayne County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa
    • Millerton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Millerton is located in Wayne County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 42 people
    • Seymour
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Adel ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Adel.

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

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

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

  • Pleasant Hill Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Middle Point Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • White Oak Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Moore Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • South Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Eastin Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Fogleman Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Cowles Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • McKinney Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Hollers Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Yingling Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (287 more) ...
    • Fugate Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Union Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Hughes Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 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 in 1895, Adel had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Wataga
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Wataga is located in Mercer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wataga
  • Saline
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Saline is located in Mercer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saline
  • Burrows
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Burrows is located in Mercer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burrows
  • Morgan
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Morgan is located in Decatur County (IA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
  • Pleasanton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Pleasanton is located in Decatur County (IA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasanton
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 44 people
  • Alvord ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Alvord is located in Mercer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvord
  • Mercer
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Akron
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Akron is located in Harrison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Akron
  • Cainsville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Cainsville is located in Harrison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cainsville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 272 people
  • Lineville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Lineville is located in Wayne County (IA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lineville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 217 people
  • Blockly
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Blockly is located in Decatur County (IA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockly
  • Goshen
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Goshen is located in Mercer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Princeton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Davis City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Davis City is located in Decatur County (IA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 187 people
    • Ravanna
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Ravanna is located in Mercer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravanna

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

Newspapers Published in Adel ...

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 Adel.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Adel, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Adel.

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 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 Adel:

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