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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 Decatur (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 Decatur. 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.

Decatur is located in Cole 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 Cole County: Boone, Callaway, Miller, Moniteau & Osage.

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

  • Cole County     (The home county of Decatur)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Russellville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Hickory Hill
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Lohman
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Eugene
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Henley
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Henley is located in Cole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henley
    • Saint Martins
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Saint Martins is located in Cole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Martins
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,204 people
    • Scruggs
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Centertown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Saint Thomas
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Saint Thomas is located in Cole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Thomas
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
    • Teal ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Wardsville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Wardsville is located in Cole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wardsville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,570 people
    • Jefferson City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Taos
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Taos is located in Cole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taos
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,157 people
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Hartsburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Oldham
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Ashland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Pierpont
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Pierpont is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierpont
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
    • McBaine
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • McBaine is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBaine
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12 people
  • Callaway County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Cedar City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Cedar City is located in Callaway County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar City
    • Holts Summit
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Mykee Town
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Lake Mykee Town is located in Callaway County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Mykee Town
      • Estimated population in 2018: 351 people
    • Folsom
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • New Bloomfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Tebbetts
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Tebbetts is located in Callaway County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tebbetts
    • Hord ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Hord is located in Callaway County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hord
  • Camden County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Lake Ozark
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Four Seasons
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Osage Beach
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Shawnee Bend
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Damsel
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Damsel is located in Camden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Damsel
    • Sunrise Beach
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Cooper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Pisgah
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Prairie Home
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Prairie Home is located in Cooper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Home
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 280 people
    • Bunceton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Lone Elm
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Maries County
    • Brinktown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Brinktown is located in Maries County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brinktown
  • Miller County
  • Moniteau County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • High Point
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • McGirk
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • McGirk is located in Moniteau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGirk
    • California
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Latham
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Latham is located in Moniteau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latham
    • Clarksburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Clarksburg is located in Moniteau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarksburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 346 people
    • Jamestown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Fortuna
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Fortuna is located in Moniteau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fortuna
    • Tipton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Lupus
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Lupus is located in Moniteau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lupus
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
  • Morgan County
  • Osage County
  • Pulaski County

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

Cemeteries Near Decatur ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Decatur.

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

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

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

  • Roark Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Enloe Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Campbell Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Trinity Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Enon Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Russellville Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Wilson Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Spring Garden Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Blank Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Enloe Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Allen Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (249 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Decatur had a population of 59 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Enon
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Enon is located in Moniteau County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enon
  • Russellville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Spring Garden
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Spring Garden is located in Miller County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Garden
  • Hickory Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Bass
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Bass is located in Cole County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bass
  • Olean
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Lohman
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Pleasant Mount
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Honey Creek
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Honey Creek is located in Cole County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honey Creek
  • High Point
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Marys Home
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Scruggs
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Eldon
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • McGirk
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • McGirk is located in Moniteau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGirk
    • Osage Bluff
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Osage Bluff is located in Cole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osage Bluff

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

Newspapers Published in Decatur ...

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 114 newspapers that have been published in the area around Decatur.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Decatur, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Decatur.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Decatur:

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 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Decatur) 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 Decatur, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.