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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 Johnstown (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 Johnstown. 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.

Johnstown is located in Grand Forks County.

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 Grand Forks County: Polk (MN), Nelson, Steele, Traill & Walsh.

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

  • Grand Forks County     (The home county of Johnstown)
  • Nelson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Johnstown, with the one closest to Johnstown listed first.
    • Petersburg
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petersburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg
      • Petersburg is located in Nelson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Petersburg <1>
    • Whitman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Walsh County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Johnstown, with the one closest to Johnstown listed first.
    • Forest River
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Ardoch
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ardoch have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ardoch
      • Ardoch is located in Walsh County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ardoch <1>
    • Minto
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Conway
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Conway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
      • Conway is located in Walsh County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21 people
    • Herriott
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Herriott. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herriott
      • Herriott is located in Walsh County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Herriott
      • From Johnstown to Herriott
    • Warsaw
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Pisek
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Fordville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fordville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fordville
      • Fordville is located in Walsh County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 194 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fordville <1>
    • Grafton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Mandt
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Park River
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park River
      • Park River is located in Walsh County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,305 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Park River <1>
    • Lankin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lankin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lankin
      • Lankin is located in Walsh County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 90 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lankin <1>
    • Pleasant Valley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Marshall County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Johnstown, with the one closest to Johnstown listed first.
    • Oslo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oslo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oslo
      • Oslo is located in Marshall County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 323 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oslo <1>
    • Big Woods
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Alvarado
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alvarado have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvarado
      • Alvarado is located in Marshall County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 362 people
  • Polk County (MN)

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

Cemeteries Near Johnstown ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Johnstown.

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

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

  • Prairie Home Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prairie Home Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prairie Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Inkster Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Minto Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Minto Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Minto Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Patrick Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Patrick Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Patrick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marks Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marks Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest River Colony Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest River Colony Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest River Colony Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • East Forest River Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Forest River Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Forest River Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Lukes Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Lukes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Lukes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Timothy Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Timothy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Timothy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Arvilla Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Arvilla Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Arvilla Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (63 more) ...
    • Riverside Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverside Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Johns Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Bellevue Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Johnstown had a population of 27 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Gilby
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Forest River
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Ardoch
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ardoch have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ardoch
    • Ardoch is located in Walsh County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ardoch <1>
  • Inkster
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Orr
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Mekinock
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Voss
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Voss have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voss
    • Voss is located in Walsh County
  • Minto
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Conway
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Conway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
    • Conway is located in Walsh County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 21 people
  • Veseleyville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Veseleyville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veseleyville
    • Veseleyville is located in Walsh County
  • McCanna
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Kelly
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kelly. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelly
    • Kelly is located in Grand Forks County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Kelly
    • From Johnstown to Kelly
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Johnstown ...

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 59 newspapers that have been published in the area around Johnstown.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Johnstown, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Johnstown.

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 Johnstown:

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

The official website for Grand Forks County: www.grandforkscountygov.com/

The official website for State of North Dakota: https://www.nd.gov/

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 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.
<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>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 from Point A (ie- Johnstown) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Johnstown. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 48.1462, Longitude: -97.4695    
<6>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 Johnstown, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025