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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 Berks (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 Berks. 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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Berks is primarily located in Lancaster County. A portion of Berks extends into Saline County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Lancaster County: Butler, Cass, Gage, Johnson, Otoe, Saline, Saunders & Seward.

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

  • Lancaster County     (The home county of Berks)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Kramer
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kramer
      • Kramer is located in Lancaster County
    • Denton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Martell
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Sprague
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Hallam
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Emerald
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emerald
      • Emerald is located in Lancaster County
    • Princeton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Princeton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Princeton
      • Princeton is located in Lancaster County
    • Roca
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roca have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roca
      • Roca is located in Lancaster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 358 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roca <1>
    • Hickman
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • College View
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for College View
      • College View is located in Lancaster County
    • Gaslight Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gaslight Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gaslight Village
      • Gaslight Village is located in Lancaster County
    • Lincoln
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
      • Lincoln is located in Lancaster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 290,505 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lincoln <1>
  • Butler County
    • Dwight
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Cass County
    • Eagle
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle
      • Eagle is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,105 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eagle <1>
  • Fillmore County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Milligan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Exeter
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Exeter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exeter
      • Exeter is located in Fillmore County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 525 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Exeter <1>
  • Gage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Clatonia
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Cortland
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cortland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cortland
      • Cortland is located in Gage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cortland <1>
    • Pickrell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Adams
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adams have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams
      • Adams is located in Gage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 622 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Adams <1>
    • Beatrice
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Ellis
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellis
      • Ellis is located in Gage County
  • Jefferson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Plymouth
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plymouth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
      • Plymouth is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 379 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Plymouth <1>
    • Daykin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Daykin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Daykin
      • Daykin is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Daykin <1>
  • Otoe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Douglas
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Palmyra
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palmyra have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmyra
      • Palmyra is located in Otoe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 575 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Palmyra <1>
  • Saline County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Crete
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Dorchester
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Wilber
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • De Witt
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Friend
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Swanton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Western
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Tobias
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Saunders County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Valparaiso
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Ceresco
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Seward County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Berks, with the one closest to Berks listed first.
    • Pleasant Dale
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Grover
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
      • Grover is located in Seward County
    • Milford
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Ruby
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ruby have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruby
      • Ruby is located in Seward County
    • Goehner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Seward
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seward have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seward
      • Seward is located in Seward County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,363 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Seward <1>
    • Garland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Beaver Crossing
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Tamora
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tamora
      • Tamora is located in Seward County
    • Cordova
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Bee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee
      • Bee is located in Seward County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 180 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bee <1>
    • Staplehurst
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Berks ...

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 63 newspapers that have been published in the area around Berks.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Berks, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Berks.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Berks:

Cemeteries Near Berks ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Berks.

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

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

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Berks had railroad service and no post office.

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

  • Crete
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Kramer
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kramer
    • Kramer is located in Lancaster County
  • Camden ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Camden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camden
    • Camden is located in Seward County
  • Denton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Sprague
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Pleasant Dale
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Pleasant Hill
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Hill
    • Pleasant Hill is located in Saline County
  • Grover
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
    • Grover is located in Seward County
  • Milford
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Dorchester
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Emerald
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emerald
    • Emerald is located in Lancaster County
  • Wilber
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Princeton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Princeton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Princeton
      • Princeton is located in Lancaster County
    • Hanlon
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hanlon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanlon
      • Hanlon is located in Lancaster County
    • Jamaica
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jamaica have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamaica
      • Jamaica is located in Lancaster County

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

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

The official website for Lancaster County: www.lancaster.ne.gov/

The official website for State of Nebraska: www.nebraska.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>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- Berks) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Berks. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.6587, Longitude: -96.9137    
<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 Berks, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024