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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 Rolla (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 Rolla. 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 and 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.

Rolla is located in Rolette 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 Rolette County: Bottineau, Pierce & Towner.

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

  • Rolette County     (The home county of Rolla)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolla, with the one closest to Rolla listed first.
    • Belcourt
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Saint John
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint John have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint John
      • Saint John is located in Rolette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint John <1>
    • Shell Valley
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shell Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shell Valley
      • Shell Valley is located in Rolette County
    • Mylo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mylo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mylo
      • Mylo is located in Rolette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 23 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mylo <1>
    • Rolette
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Agate
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • East Dunseith
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Dunseith have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Dunseith
      • East Dunseith is located in Rolette County
    • San Haven
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Haven
      • San Haven is located in Rolette County
    • Dunseith
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunseith have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunseith
      • Dunseith is located in Rolette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 768 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dunseith <1>
    • Kelvin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelvin
      • Kelvin is located in Rolette County
  • Bottineau County
    • Overly
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Overly have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Overly
      • Overly is located in Bottineau County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17 people
  • Cavalier County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolla, with the one closest to Rolla listed first.
    • Sarles
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sarles have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sarles
      • Sarles is located in Cavalier County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sarles <1>
    • Calvin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Pierce County
    • Wolford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wolford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolford
      • Wolford is located in Pierce County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 32 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wolford <1>
  • Towner County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolla, with the one closest to Rolla listed first.
    • Hansboro
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hansboro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hansboro
      • Hansboro is located in Towner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hansboro <1>
    • Perth
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Rocklake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Bisbee
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bisbee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bisbee
      • Bisbee is located in Towner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bisbee <1>
    • Egeland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Egeland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egeland
      • Egeland is located in Towner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 25 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Egeland <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Rolla ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rolla.

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

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

  • St. Michael Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Michael Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Michael Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Paul Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Paul Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Paul Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • An-qui-ni-gay Indian Burial Ground
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the An-qui-ni-gay Indian Burial Ground
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the An-qui-ni-gay Indian Burial Ground have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Anns Addition Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Anns Addition Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Anns Addition Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Emanuel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Emanuel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Emanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. John Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Finnish Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Finnish Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Finnish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • White Stone Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the White Stone Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the White Stone Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Maryville Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maryville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maryville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. View Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. View Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mill Lake Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mill Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mill Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Perth Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Perth Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Perth Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (33 more) ...
    • Westland Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Westland Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Westland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Lakeview Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeview Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Rolette Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rolette Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rolette Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Rolla had a population of 255 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Rolla had a population of 1,273 people.

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

  • Belcourt
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Saint John
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint John have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint John
    • Saint John is located in Rolette County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint John <1>
  • Perth
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Bisbee
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bisbee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bisbee
    • Bisbee is located in Towner County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bisbee <1>
  • Dunseith
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunseith have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunseith
    • Dunseith is located in Rolette County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 768 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dunseith <1>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Rolla ...

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 29 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rolla.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 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 Rolla:

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

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>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 Rolla, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Rolla) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rolla. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 48.8586, Longitude: -99.6182       In this case, the coordinates for Rolla have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025