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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 Bedwell (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 Bedwell. 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 northwest 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 north.

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 north 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.

Bedwell is located in Reynolds 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 Reynolds County: Carter, Dent, Iron, Shannon & Wayne.

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

  • Reynolds County     (The home county of Bedwell)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bedwell, with the one closest to Bedwell listed first.
    • Fruit City
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Fruit City is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruit City
    • Ellington
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Redford
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Redford is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redford
    • Corridon
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Corridon is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corridon
    • Reynolds
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Reynolds is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynolds
    • Bee Fork
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Bee Fork is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee Fork
    • Centerville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Lesterville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Black
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Greeley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Greeley is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greeley
    • Oates
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Oates is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oates
    • Munger
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Munger is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Munger
  • Carter County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bedwell, with the one closest to Bedwell listed first.
    • Van Buren
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Chicopee
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Chicopee is located in Carter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicopee
    • Fremont
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Fremont is located in Carter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fremont
    • Ellsinore
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Dent County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bedwell, with the one closest to Bedwell listed first.
    • Bunker
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Gila
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Gila is located in Dent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gila
    • Boss
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Boss is located in Dent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boss
  • Iron County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bedwell, with the one closest to Bedwell listed first.
    • Annapolis
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Vulcan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Vulcan is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vulcan
    • Sabula
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Sabula is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabula
    • Des Arc
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Des Arc is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Des Arc
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 162 people
    • Chloride
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Chloride is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chloride
    • Glover
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Glover is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glover
    • Bixby
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Good Water
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Good Water is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good Water
    • Arcadia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Shannon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bedwell, with the one closest to Bedwell listed first.
    • Eminence
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Round Spring
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Round Spring is located in Shannon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Round Spring
    • Winona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Alley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Alley is located in Shannon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alley
    • Akers
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Akers is located in Shannon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Akers
  • Wayne County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bedwell, with the one closest to Bedwell listed first.
    • Piedmont
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Mill Spring
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Mill Spring is located in Wayne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Spring
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 175 people
    • Brunot
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Brunot is located in Wayne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunot
    • Patterson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Bounds
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Bounds is located in Wayne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bounds
    • Dees Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Dees Town is located in Wayne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dees Town

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

Cemeteries Near Bedwell ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bedwell.

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

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

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

  • Imboden Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Newton Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Ratliff Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Ellington City Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Pumpkin Hollow Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Pratt Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Pyles Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Santhuff Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Chitwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Dickson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Nuckols Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Chitwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (216 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>

While we didn't find Bedwell in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Bedwell.

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

  • Alamode ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Alamode is located in Reynolds County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamode
  • Redford
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Redford is located in Reynolds County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redford
  • Bee Fork
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Bee Fork is located in Reynolds County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee Fork
  • Lesterville
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Shawnee
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Shawnee is located in Shannon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shawnee
  • West Fork
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • West Fork is located in Reynolds County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Fork
  • Van Buren
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
  • Gads Hill
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Gads Hill is located in Wayne County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gads Hill
  • Annapolis
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • Black
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Chicopee
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Chicopee is located in Carter County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicopee
  • Piedmont
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Vulcan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Vulcan is located in Iron County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vulcan
    • Greeley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Greeley is located in Reynolds County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greeley
    • Gila
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Gila is located in Dent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gila

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

Newspapers Published in Bedwell ...

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 18 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bedwell.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bedwell, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bedwell.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Bedwell:

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