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 Phelps City (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 Phelps City. 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.
Name Variations for Phelps City ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.
While the name of this town is Phelps City, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Phelps City may originally have been Phelp's City.
Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Phelps City might be written as Phelp City.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
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 doctors 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.
Phelps City is located in Atchison 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 Atchison County: Fremont (IA), Page (IA), Holt, Nodaway, Nemaha (NE), Otoe (NE) & Richardson (NE).
Below are the counties that are near Phelps City. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Phelps City:
- Atchison County (The home county of Phelps City)
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Rock Port
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Watson
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Watson is located in Atchison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
- Fairfax
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Tarkio
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Farmers City
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Farmers City is located in Atchison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmers City
- Westboro
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Westboro is located in Atchison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westboro
- Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
- Holt County
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Corning
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Corning is located in Holt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corning
- Population from the 2020 Census: 13 people
- Craig
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Big Lake
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Big Lake is located in Holt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Lake
- Population from the 2020 Census: 138 people
- Bigelow
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Bigelow is located in Holt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigelow
- Population from the 2020 Census: 23 people
- Mound City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Fortescue
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Fortescue is located in Holt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fortescue
- Population from the 2020 Census: 28 people
- Maitland
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Maitland is located in Holt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maitland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 296 people
- Nodaway County
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Elmo
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Elmo is located in Nodaway County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
- Quitman
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Quitman is located in Nodaway County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quitman
- Estimated population in 2017: 42 people
- Burlington Junction
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Skidmore
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Clearmont
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Fremont County (IA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Hamburg
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- High Creek
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- High Creek is located in Fremont County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Creek
- Riverton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Payne
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Payne is located in Fremont County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Payne
- Farragut
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Sidney
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Percival
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Anderson
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Anderson is located in Fremont County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
- Thurman
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Thurman is located in Fremont County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thurman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 210 people
- McPaul
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- McPaul is located in Fremont County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McPaul
- Page County (IA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Northboro
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Northboro is located in Page County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northboro
- Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
- Blanchard
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Blanchard is located in Page County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanchard
- Population from the 2020 Census: 36 people
- Coin
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Coin is located in Page County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 175 people
- Shenandoah
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- College Springs
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- College Springs is located in Page County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for College Springs
- Population from the 2020 Census: 204 people
- Brown County (KS)
- Reserve
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Reserve is located in Brown County (KS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reserve
- Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
- Johnson County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Graf ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Graf is located in Johnson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graf
- Elk Creek
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Cook
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Cook is located in Johnson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cook
- Population from the 2020 Census: 300 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cook <2>
- Nemaha County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Brownville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Nemaha
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Nemaha is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nemaha
- Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
- Nemaha has also been known as:
- Nemaha City
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nemaha <2>
- Peru
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Deroin ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Saint Deroin is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Deroin
- Howe
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Howe is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howe
- Auburn
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Julian
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Julian is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Julian
- Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
- Rohrs
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Rohrs is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rohrs
- Brock
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Johnson
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Otoe County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Nebraska City
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Talmage
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Lorton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Wyoming
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Wyoming is located in Otoe County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyoming
- Dunbar
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Pawnee County (NE)
- Table Rock
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Richardson County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Barada
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Barada is located in Richardson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barada
- Population from the 2020 Census: 22 people
- Shubert
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Stella
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Arago ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Arago is located in Richardson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arago
- Verdon
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Straussville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Straussville is located in Richardson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Straussville
- Dawson
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Falls City
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Salem
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Salem is located in Richardson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem
- Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Salem <2>
- Humboldt
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Preston
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Preston is located in Richardson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Preston
- Population from the 2020 Census: 26 people
- Rulo
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Rulo is located in Richardson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rulo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 159 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rulo <2>
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Phelps City, see our County-by-County Page for Phelps City.
Cemeteries Near Phelps City ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Phelps City.
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 Phelps City - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Phelps City covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Millsap Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Walnut Grove Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Hunter Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Elmwood Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Green Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Addington Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Nemaha Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nemaha Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Nemaha Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northeast of Nemaha (NE).
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #101036 <3>
- Smith Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Sonora Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Bush Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Linden Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Hillsdale Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Continue List (194 more) ...
- Stoner Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- High Creek Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Mt. Vernon Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mt. Vernon Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Mt. Vernon Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the east of Peru (NE).
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #101020 <3>
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.<5>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Phelps City had a population of 203 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 1990, Phelps City had a population of 32 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Phelps City, with the one closest to Phelps City listed first.
- Langdon ‑ Historic
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Langdon is located in Atchison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langdon
- Brownville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Rock Port
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Nemaha
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Nemaha is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nemaha
- Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
- Nemaha has also been known as:
- Nemaha City
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nemaha <2>
- Watson
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Watson is located in Atchison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
- Nishnabotna ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Nishnabotna is located in Atchison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nishnabotna
- Peru
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Deroin ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Saint Deroin is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Deroin
- Fairfax
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Tarkio
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Howe
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Howe is located in Nemaha County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howe
- Shubert
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Barada
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Barada is located in Richardson County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barada
- Population from the 2020 Census: 22 people
- Milton ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Milton is located in Atchison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milton
- Auburn
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Phelps City. See our List of 1890's Communities around Phelps City.
Newspapers Published in Phelps City ...
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 161 newspapers that have been published in the area around Phelps City.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Phelps City, 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 Phelps City.
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 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 Phelps City:
- Websites specific to Missouri
- Pages specific to Atchison County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Holt County
- Nodaway County
- Fremont County
- Page County
- Brown County
- Johnson County
- Nemaha County
- Otoe County
- Pawnee County
- Richardson County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Missouri
Footnotes ...
| <1> | It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties). |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Phelps City) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <5> | 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 Phelps City, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |