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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 Columbus (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 Columbus. 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 northeast 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 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 east 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.

Columbus is located in Johnson 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 Johnson County: Cass, Henry, Jackson, Lafayette, Pettis & Saline.

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

  • Johnson County     (The home county of Columbus)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Greendoor
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Centerview
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Warrensburg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Holden
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Kingsville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Valley City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Valley City is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley City
    • Cornelia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Knob Noster
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Chilhowee
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Chilhowee is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chilhowee
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 322 people
    • La Tour
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • La Tour is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Tour
    • Latour
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Quick City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Quick City is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quick City
    • Dunksburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
  • Carroll County
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Strasburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Gunn City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Baldwin Park
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Baldwin Park is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baldwin Park
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 96 people
    • Pleasant Hill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • East Lynne
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake Winnebago
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Lake Winnebago is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Winnebago
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,370 people
    • Creighton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Garden City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Lee's Summit
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Harrisonville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Coleman
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Raymore
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Henry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Blairstown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Norris
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Maurine
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Maurine is located in Henry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maurine
    • Bowen
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Bowen is located in Henry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowen
    • Urich
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Hartwell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Hartwell is located in Henry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartwell
    • Calhoun
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Calhoun is located in Henry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calhoun
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 456 people
    • Windsor
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Jackson County
  • Lafayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Lake Lafayette
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Odessa
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Mayview
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Bates City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Aullville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Aullville is located in Lafayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aullville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
    • Higginsville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Wellington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Concordia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Waterloo
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Page City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Page City is located in Lafayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Page City
    • Corder
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Napoleon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Napoleon is located in Lafayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Napoleon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
    • Emma
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • Pettis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • La Monte
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Houstonia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Green Ridge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Green Ridge is located in Pettis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Ridge
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 495 people
  • Ray County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Camden
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Fleming
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Fleming is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleming
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
    • Henrietta
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Henrietta is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henrietta
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 355 people
    • Albany
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Albany is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albany
    • Orrick
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Hardin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Hardin is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 531 people
    • Richmond
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Saline County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Sweet Springs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Blackburn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Columbus ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Columbus.

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

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

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

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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Columbus had a population of 153 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Greendoor
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Pittsville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Pittsville is located in Johnson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsville
  • Fayetteville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Fayetteville is located in Johnson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayetteville
  • Centerview
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Elm
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Elm is located in Johnson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm
  • Chapel Hill
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Chapel Hill is located in Lafayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapel Hill
  • Odessa
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Warrensburg
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Fulkerson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Fulkerson is located in Johnson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fulkerson
  • Holden
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Kingsville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Hicks City
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Greenton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Greenton is located in Lafayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenton
    • Mayview
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Bates City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Columbus ...

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 118 newspapers that have been published in the area around Columbus.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Columbus, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Columbus.

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 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 Columbus:

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>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 from Point A (ie- Columbus) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<4>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 Columbus, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.