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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 Prosper (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 Prosper. 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 doctors 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.

Prosper is located in Cass County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Cass County: Clay (MN), Norman (MN), Barnes, Ransom, Richland, Steele & Traill.

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

  • Cass County     (The home county of Prosper)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Prosper, with the one closest to Prosper listed first.
    • Mapleton
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Harwood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Reile's Acres
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Reile's Acres is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reile's Acres
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 748 people
    • Argusville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Argusville is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argusville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 467 people
    • West Fargo
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Amenia
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • North River
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • North River is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North River
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Fargo
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Casselton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Gardner
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Durbin
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Durbin is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durbin
    • Arthur
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Richland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Prosper, with the one closest to Prosper listed first.
    • Barrie
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Barrie is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barrie
    • Christine
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Walcott
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Traill County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Prosper, with the one closest to Prosper listed first.
    • Grandin
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Greenfield
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Greenfield is located in Traill County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
    • Kelso
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Kelso is located in Traill County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelso
    • Alton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Alton is located in Traill County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
    • Blanchard
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Galesburg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Hillsboro
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Clay County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Prosper, with the one closest to Prosper listed first.
    • Oakport
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Oakport is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakport
    • Kragnes
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Kragnes is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kragnes
    • Georgetown
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Georgetown is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Georgetown
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
    • Moorhead
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Dilworth
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Finkle
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Finkle is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finkle
    • Glyndon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Sabin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Sabin is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 558 people
    • Comstock
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Comstock is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comstock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 108 people
    • Felton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Baker
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Baker is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker
    • Muskoda
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Muskoda is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muskoda
  • Norman County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Prosper, with the one closest to Prosper listed first.
    • Perley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Perley is located in Norman County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 83 people
    • Hendrum
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Hendrum is located in Norman County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hendrum
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 282 people
    • Halstad
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Borup
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Borup is located in Norman County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borup
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
  • Wilkin County (MN)
    • Wolverton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Wolverton is located in Wilkin County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people

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

Cemeteries Near Prosper ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Prosper.

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

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

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

  • Lower Maple River Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Mapleton Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Oak Wood Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Argusville Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Casselton Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Leos Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Leos Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Leos Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Casselton.
    • The St. Leos Cemetery has also been known as:
    • St. Leo Cemetery
  • Fridhem Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Oak Mound Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Rose Valley Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Riverside Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Riverside Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northeast of Fargo.
    • The Riverside Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Moorhead Riverside Cemetery
    • Be careful not to confuse this cemetery with another one that is also named Riverside Cemetery (located 68 miles to the north).
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #790540 <2>
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Horace Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (70 more) ...

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>

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

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

  • Mapleton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Harwood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Argusville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Argusville is located in Cass County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argusville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 467 people
  • Amenia
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Casselton
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Fargo
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Durbin
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Durbin is located in Cass County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durbin
  • Kragnes
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Kragnes is located in Clay County (MN)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kragnes
  • Georgetown
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Georgetown is located in Clay County (MN)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Georgetown
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
  • Arthur
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Moorhead
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Wheatland
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Horace
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Warren
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Warren is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren
    • Finkle
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Finkle is located in Clay County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finkle

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

Newspapers Published in Prosper ...

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 124 newspapers that have been published in the area around Prosper.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Prosper, 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 Prosper.

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 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 Prosper:

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 Prosper, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Prosper) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.