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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 Sumner (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 Sumner. 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 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.

Sumner is located in Chariton 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 Chariton County: Carroll, Howard, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Randolph & Saline.

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

  • Chariton County     (The home county of Sumner)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumner, with the one closest to Sumner listed first.
    • Mendon
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Mendon is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mendon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
    • Rothville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Rothville is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rothville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
    • Snyder
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Triplett
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Brunswick
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Chraneville ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Chraneville is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chraneville
    • Missouri Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Missouri Village is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missouri Village
    • Grand River City ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Grand River City is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand River City
    • Dalton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Dalton is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dalton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16 people
    • Keytesville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Namrash ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Namrash is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Namrash
    • Salisbury
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Oil City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Oil City is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oil City
  • Caldwell County
  • Carroll County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumner, with the one closest to Sumner listed first.
    • Hale
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Asper ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Asper is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Asper
    • Bosworth
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Tina
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Tina is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tina
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 142 people
    • De Witt
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • De Witt is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Witt
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 113 people
    • Bogard
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Latoh ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Latoh is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latoh
    • Mandeville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Wakenda
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Carrollton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Palemon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Grundy County
    • Laredo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Laredo is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laredo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 184 people
  • Linn County
  • Livingston County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumner, with the one closest to Sumner listed first.
    • Bedford
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Avalon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Wheeling
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Wheeling is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeling
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 263 people
    • Chillicothe
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Dawn
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Utica
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Utica is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utica
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 250 people
    • Chula
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Chula is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chula
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 204 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chula <1>
    • Ludlow
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Farmersville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Mooresville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Mooresville is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mooresville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
  • Macon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumner, with the one closest to Sumner listed first.
    • Lingo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Hart
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • New Cambria
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Kaseyville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Saline County

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

Cemeteries Near Sumner ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sumner.

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

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

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

  • Lakeside Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Purvis Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Taylor Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Cameron Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Hale Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Fairland Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Elizabeth Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Stephenson Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Old Mendon Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Macklin Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Jackson Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (173 more) ...
    • Rothville Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Winfrey Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Meadville Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)

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 Sumner had a population of 250 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Sumner had a population of 95 people.

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

  • Fountain Grove
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Hale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Little Compton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Little Compton is located in Carroll County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Compton
  • Mendon
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Mendon is located in Chariton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mendon
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
  • Bedford
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Snyder
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Meadville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Meadville is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 425 people
  • Rothville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Rothville is located in Chariton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rothville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
  • Laclede
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Avalon
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Triplett
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Wheeling
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Wheeling is located in Livingston County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeling
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 263 people
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Asper ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Asper is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Asper
    • Newcomer ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Newcomer is located in Chariton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newcomer
    • Brookfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Sumner ...

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 88 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sumner.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Sumner. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Sumner and those printed in the larger area surrounding Sumner.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Sumner.

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 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 Sumner:

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