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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 Watson (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 Watson. 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 hospitals 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.

Watson is located in Atchison County.

To see how the shape of Missouri's counties 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 Watson. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Watson:

  • Atchison County     (The home county of Watson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Phelps City
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phelps City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelps City
      • Phelps City is located in Atchison County
    • Rock Port
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Farmers City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farmers City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmers City
      • Farmers City is located in Atchison County
    • Tarkio
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Fairfax
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairfax have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfax
      • Fairfax is located in Atchison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 568 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairfax <2>
    • Westboro
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westboro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westboro
      • Westboro is located in Atchison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
  • Holt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Corning
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Corning. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corning
      • Corning is located in Holt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Corning
      • From Watson to Corning
    • Craig
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Nodaway County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Elmo
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmo
      • Elmo is located in Nodaway County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
    • Burlington Junction
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Quitman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quitman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quitman
      • Quitman is located in Nodaway County
      • Estimated population in 2017: 42 people
  • Fremont County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Hamburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hamburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamburg
      • Hamburg is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,041 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hamburg <2>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hamburg
      • From Watson to Hamburg
    • High Creek
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for High Creek. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Creek
      • High Creek is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to High Creek
      • From Watson to High Creek
    • Riverton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverton
      • Riverton is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 270 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Riverton <2>
    • Payne
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Payne. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Payne
      • Payne is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Payne
      • From Watson to Payne
    • Sidney
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Farragut
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farragut have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farragut
      • Farragut is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 437 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Farragut <2>
    • Percival
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Percival have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Percival
      • Percival is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Percival <2>
    • Anderson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Thurman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • McPaul
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Randolph
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Bartlett
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Imogene
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Imogene have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Imogene
      • Imogene is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Imogene <2>
  • Page County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Northboro
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Blanchard
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blanchard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanchard
      • Blanchard is located in Page County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 36 people
    • Coin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Shenandoah
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shenandoah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shenandoah
      • Shenandoah is located in Page County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,783 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shenandoah <2>
    • College Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for College Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for College Springs
      • College Springs is located in Page County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 204 people
    • Tarkio City ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tarkio City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tarkio City
      • Tarkio City is located in Page County (IA)
    • Essex
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Essex have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Essex
      • Essex is located in Page County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 737 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Essex <2>
    • Yorktown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yorktown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorktown
      • Yorktown is located in Page County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 83 people
  • Cass County (NE)
  • Johnson County (NE)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Graf ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Graf. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graf
      • Graf is located in Johnson County (NE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Graf
      • From Watson to Graf
    • Cook
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cook
      • Cook is located in Johnson County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 300 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cook <2>
    • Elk Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Tecumseh
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Nemaha County (NE)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watson, with the one closest to Watson listed first.
    • Brownville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Peru
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Nemaha
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Auburn
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Auburn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auburn
      • Auburn is located in Nemaha County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,342 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Auburn <2>
    • Julian
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Saint Deroin ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Saint Deroin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Deroin
      • Saint Deroin is located in Nemaha County (NE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Saint Deroin
      • From Watson to Saint Deroin
    • Howe
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Brock
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Rohrs
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Johnson
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Johnson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnson
      • Johnson is located in Nemaha County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 327 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Johnson <2>
  • Otoe County (NE)
  • Richardson County (NE)

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

Cemeteries Near Watson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Watson.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Sonora Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sonora Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sonora Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Addington Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Addington Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Addington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • High Creek Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the High Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the High Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stoner Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stoner Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stoner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Linden Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Linden Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Linden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Walnut Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Millsap Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Millsap Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Millsap Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Vernon Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Elmwood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elmwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elmwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Green Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beehive Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beehive Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beehive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (196 more) ...
    • London Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Grange Hall Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grange Hall Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grange Hall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Columbia & French Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Columbia & French Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Columbia & French Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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 Watson had a population of 238 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Watson had a population of 89 people.

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

  • Brownville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Phelps City
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phelps City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelps City
    • Phelps City is located in Atchison County
  • Peru
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Rock Port
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Hamburg
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hamburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamburg
    • Hamburg is located in Fremont County (IA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,041 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hamburg <2>
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Hamburg
    • From Watson to Hamburg
  • Langdon ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Langdon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langdon
    • Langdon is located in Atchison County
  • Nemaha
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • High Creek
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for High Creek. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Creek
    • High Creek is located in Fremont County (IA)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to High Creek
    • From Watson to High Creek
  • Minersville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minersville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minersville
    • Minersville is located in Otoe County (NE)
  • Auburn
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Auburn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auburn
    • Auburn is located in Nemaha County (NE)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,342 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Auburn <2>
  • Tarkio
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Julian
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (19 more) ...
    • Saint Deroin ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Saint Deroin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Deroin
      • Saint Deroin is located in Nemaha County (NE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Saint Deroin
      • From Watson to Saint Deroin
    • Nishnabotna ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nishnabotna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nishnabotna
      • Nishnabotna is located in Atchison County
    • Payne
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Payne. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Payne
      • Payne is located in Fremont County (IA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Payne
      • From Watson to Payne

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

Newspapers Published in Watson ...

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 211 newspapers that have been published in the area around Watson.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Watson, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Watson.

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 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 Watson:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Watson. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Missouri: https://www.mo.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>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.
<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 Watson, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Watson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Watson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.4795, Longitude: -95.6234    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025