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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 Rugby (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 Rugby. 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 northwest 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 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 west 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.

Rugby is located in Pierce 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 Pierce County: Benson, Bottineau, McHenry, Rolette, Sheridan, Towner & Wells.

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

  • Pierce County     (The home county of Rugby)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rugby, with the one closest to Rugby listed first.
    • Barton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barton
      • Barton is located in Pierce County
    • Balta
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Balta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balta
      • Balta is located in Pierce County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Balta <2>
    • Wolford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wolford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Orrin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
  • Benson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rugby, with the one closest to Rugby listed first.
    • Pleasant Lake
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Knox
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Knox have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knox
      • Knox is located in Benson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Knox <2>
    • York
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Esmond
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Leeds
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Isabel
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Niles
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Niles. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Niles
      • Niles is located in Benson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Niles
      • From Rugby to Niles
  • Bottineau County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rugby, with the one closest to Rugby listed first.
    • Willow City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow City
      • Willow City is located in Bottineau County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 150 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Willow City <2>
    • Overly
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Overly have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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
    • Omemee ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • McHenry County
  • Rolette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rugby, with the one closest to Rugby listed first.
    • Rolette
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Mylo
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mylo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Agate
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Dunseith
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunseith have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Shell Valley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shell Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shell Valley
      • Shell Valley is located in Rolette County

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

Cemeteries Near Rugby ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rugby.

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

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

  • Little Flower Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Flower Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Flower Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Anselm Catholic Church of Fulda Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Southwest Barton Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Southwest Barton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Southwest Barton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Berwick Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Berwick Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Berwick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Knox Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Knox Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Knox Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Knox Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Knox Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Knox Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Carmel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Trinity Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trinity Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trinity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • South Ox Creek Lutheran Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Anns Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Anns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Anns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (31 more) ...
    • North Ox Creek Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Ox Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Ox Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Notre Dame Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Notre Dame Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Notre Dame Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Mathis Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mathis Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mathis 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Rugby had a population of 453 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Rugby had a population of 2,566 people.

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

  • Pleasant Lake
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Berwick
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Berwick. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
    • Berwick is located in McHenry County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Berwick
    • From Rugby to Berwick
  • Barton
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barton
    • Barton is located in Pierce County
  • Knox
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Knox have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knox
    • Knox is located in Benson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 24 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Knox <2>
  • York
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
  • Willow City
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow City
    • Willow City is located in Bottineau County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 150 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Willow City <2>
  • Leeds
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
  • Denbigh
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Denbigh have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denbigh
    • Denbigh is located in McHenry County
  • Omemee ‑ Historic
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Rugby ...

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 50 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rugby.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 Rugby:

The official website for Rugby: www.cityofrugby.com/

The official website for State of North Dakota: https://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>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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Rugby) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rugby. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 48.3677, Longitude: -99.9961    
<5>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.
<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 Rugby, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025