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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 Kearney (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 Kearney. 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.

Kearney is located in Clay 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 Clay County: Wyandotte (KS), Clinton, Jackson, Platte & Ray.

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

  • Clay County     (The home county of Kearney)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney listed first.
    • Chandler
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Stockdale ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Mosby
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Prathersville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Prathersville is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prathersville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
    • Holt
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Roosterville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Excelsior Springs
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Liberty
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Missouri City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Glenaire
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Glenaire is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenaire
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 583 people
    • Smithville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Nashua
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Pleasant Valley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Pleasant Valley is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Valley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,047 people
  • Buchanan County
  • Caldwell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney listed first.
    • Polo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Kingston
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Kingston is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
    • Cowgill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Bonanza ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Bonanza is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonanza
  • Clinton County
  • DeKalb County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney listed first.
    • Osborn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Stewartsville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
  • Jackson County
  • Lafayette County
  • Platte County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney listed first.
    • Linkville ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Ridgely
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Ridgely is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgely
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 112 people
    • Ferrelview
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Ferrelview is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferrelview
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 800 people
    • Edgerton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake Waukomis
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Lake Waukomis is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Waukomis
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 874 people
    • Northmoor
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Northmoor is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northmoor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 362 people
    • Houston Lake
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Houston Lake is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 248 people
    • Platte Woods
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Platte Woods is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Platte Woods
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 406 people
    • Riverside
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Parkville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Weatherby Lake
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Weatherby Lake is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weatherby Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,086 people
    • Camden Point
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Platte City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  • Ray County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney listed first.
    • Excelsior Estates
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Excelsior Estates is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Excelsior Estates
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 146 people
    • Homestead
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Homestead is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homestead
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 184 people
    • Crystal Lakes
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Crystal Lakes is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lakes
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 352 people
    • Lawson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Wood Heights
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Wood Heights is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood Heights
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 700 people
    • Woods Heights
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Elmira
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Elmira is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmira
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
    • Rayville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Albany
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Albany is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albany
    • Orrick
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Knoxville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Fleming
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Fleming is located in Ray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleming
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
    • Camden
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Johnson County (KS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney listed first.
    • Mission Woods
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Mission Woods is located in Johnson County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Woods
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Westwood Hills
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Westwood Hills is located in Johnson County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 390 people
    • Westwood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Westwood is located in Johnson County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,642 people
    • Fairway
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Fairway is located in Johnson County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairway
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,963 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairway <1>
    • Mission Hills
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Mission Hills is located in Johnson County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,533 people
    • Roeland Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Countryside
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Countryside is located in Johnson County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Countryside
    • Mission
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Mission is located in Johnson County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,873 people
      • Former name for Mission:
      • Mission Hill Acres
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mission <1>
    • Merriam
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Prairie Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Leawood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Leavenworth County (KS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney listed first.
    • Highland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Highland is located in Leavenworth County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland
    • Bain City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Bain City is located in Leavenworth County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bain City
    • Lansing
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Leavenworth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Wyandotte County (KS)

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

Cemeteries Near Kearney ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Kearney.

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

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Kearney, with the one closest to Kearney 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Kearney had a population of 588 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Kearney had a population of 11,155 people.

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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Kearney ...

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 232 newspapers that have been published in the area around Kearney.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Kearney. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Kearney and those printed in the larger area surrounding Kearney.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<4> of Kearney.

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 helpful 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 Kearney:

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 Kearney, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Kearney) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.