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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 Fessenden (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 Fessenden. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals 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.

Fessenden is located in Wells County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of North Dakota's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wells County: Benson, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, Pierce, Sheridan & Stutsman.

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

  • Wells County     (The home county of Fessenden)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fessenden, with the one closest to Fessenden listed first.
    • Hamberg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamberg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamberg
      • Hamberg is located in Wells County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 20 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hamberg <2>
    • Cathay
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cathay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cathay
      • Cathay is located in Wells County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 38 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cathay <2>
    • Bremen
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Bowdon
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bowdon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowdon
      • Bowdon is located in Wells County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 115 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bowdon <2>
    • Harvey
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harvey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvey
      • Harvey is located in Wells County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,587 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harvey <2>
    • Sykeston
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Chaseley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Hurdsfield
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hurdsfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurdsfield
      • Hurdsfield is located in Wells County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 73 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hurdsfield <2>
  • Benson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fessenden, with the one closest to Fessenden listed first.
    • Maddock
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maddock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maddock
      • Maddock is located in Benson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 375 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maddock <2>
    • Esmond
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Esmond have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Esmond
      • Esmond is located in Benson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Esmond <2>
    • Oberon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oberon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oberon
      • Oberon is located in Benson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 101 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oberon <2>
    • Isabel
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Eddy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fessenden, with the one closest to Fessenden listed first.
    • New Rockford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Sheyenne
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Foster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fessenden, with the one closest to Fessenden listed first.
    • Barlow
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barlow
      • Barlow is located in Foster County
    • Guptill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guptill
      • Guptill is located in Foster County
    • Carrington
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Pierce County
    • Selz
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selz
      • Selz is located in Pierce County
  • Sheridan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fessenden, with the one closest to Fessenden listed first.
    • Martin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Martin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
      • Martin is located in Sheridan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Martin <2>
    • Goodrich
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goodrich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodrich
      • Goodrich is located in Sheridan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Goodrich <2>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Fessenden ...

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 53 newspapers that have been published in the area around Fessenden.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Fessenden. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Fessenden and those printed in the larger area surrounding Fessenden.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3> of Fessenden.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Fessenden:

Cemeteries Near Fessenden ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Fessenden.

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 Fessenden covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • German Baptist Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the German Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the German Baptist Cemetery
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Concordia Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Concordia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Concordia Cemetery
  • Hoff Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hoff Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hoff Cemetery
  • Dunkard Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dunkard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dunkard Cemetery
  • Bowdon Lutheran Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • German Baptist Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the German Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the German Baptist Cemetery
  • Tolbert Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tolbert Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tolbert Cemetery
  • Hamberg Lutheran Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Lake View Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Bethania Church Cemetery South
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Mennonite Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mennonite Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mennonite Cemetery
  • Continue List   (46 more) ...
    • Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery
    • Wayside Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wayside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wayside Cemetery
    • Heaton Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Heaton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Heaton Cemetery

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>

While we didn't find Fessenden in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Fessenden.

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

  • Sykeston
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • New Rockford
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • Barlow
    (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barlow
    • Barlow is located in Foster County
  • Sheyenne
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Carrington
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Oberon
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oberon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oberon
    • Oberon is located in Benson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 101 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oberon <2>
  • Lallie
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lallie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lallie
    • Lallie is located in Benson County

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

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

The official website for State of North Dakota: www.nd.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>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 from Point A (ie- Fessenden) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Fessenden. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.6497, Longitude: -99.6262       In this case, the coordinates for Fessenden have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Fessenden, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024