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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 Blue Hill (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 Blue Hill. 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 and hospitals 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.

Blue Hill is located in Webster County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Webster County: Jewell (KS), Smith (KS), Adams, Clay, Franklin, Kearney & Nuckolls.

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

  • Webster County     (The home county of Blue Hill)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Hill, with the one closest to Blue Hill listed first.
    • Rosemont
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Rosemont is located in Webster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosemont
    • Bladen
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Cowles
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Cowles is located in Webster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowles
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
    • Amboy
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Amboy is located in Webster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amboy
    • Red Cloud
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Guide Rock
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Pawnee Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Pawnee Village is located in Webster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pawnee Village
    • Inavale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Adams County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Hill, with the one closest to Blue Hill listed first.
    • Ayr
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Ayr is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ayr
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ayr <1>
    • Brickton ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Brickton is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brickton
    • Roseland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Assumption
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Assumption is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Assumption
    • Holstein
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Good Samaritan Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Hastings
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Juniata
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Blaine
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Blaine is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blaine
    • Kenesaw
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Hayland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Hayland is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayland
    • Hansen
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Hansen is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hansen
  • Buffalo County
    • Denman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Denman is located in Buffalo County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denman
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Hill, with the one closest to Blue Hill listed first.
    • Glenvil
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Deweese
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Fairfield
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Inland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Clay Center
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Edgar
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Trumbull
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Harvard
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Verona
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Verona is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verona
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Hill, with the one closest to Blue Hill listed first.
    • Campbell
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Riverton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Upland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Macon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Macon is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macon
  • Hall County
    • Doniphan
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Kearney County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Hill, with the one closest to Blue Hill listed first.
    • Norman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Heartwell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Minden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Valley City ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Valley City is located in Kearney County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley City
  • Nuckolls County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Hill, with the one closest to Blue Hill listed first.
    • Lawrence
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Nelson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Angus
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Angus is located in Nuckolls County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Angus
    • Nora
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Nora is located in Nuckolls County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19 people
    • Oak
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Oak is located in Nuckolls County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 61 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oak <1>
    • Sedan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Sedan is located in Nuckolls County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sedan
    • Superior
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Smith County (KS)
    • Womer
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Womer is located in Smith County (KS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Womer

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

Cemeteries Near Blue Hill ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Blue Hill.

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 Blue Hill - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Blue Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Walker Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Saxour Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Cloverton Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Presbyterian Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Oak Creek Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Batin Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batin Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Batin Cemetery is located 4 miles [6.4 km]<3> to the northwest of Cowles.
    • The Batin Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Elm Creek Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #100364 <2>
  • Salem Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • East Lawn Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Plainview Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Roseland Mennonite Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (122 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Blue Hill had a population of 796 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Blue Hill had a population of 850 people.

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

  • Rosemont
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Rosemont is located in Webster County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosemont
  • Pauline
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Pauline is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pauline
  • Ayr
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Ayr is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ayr
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ayr <1>
  • Bladen
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Lawrence
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Brickton ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Brickton is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brickton
  • Cowles
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Cowles is located in Webster County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowles
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
  • Roseland
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Spring Ranch ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Spring Ranch is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Ranch
  • Holstein
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Mount Clare
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Mount Clare is located in Nuckolls County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Clare
  • Glenvil
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Campbell
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Amboy
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Amboy is located in Webster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amboy
    • Deweese
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Blue Hill ...

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 126 newspapers that have been published in the area around Blue Hill.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Blue Hill. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Blue Hill and those printed in the larger area surrounding Blue Hill.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Blue Hill.

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 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 Blue Hill:

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