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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 Chadron (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 Chadron. 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 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.

Chadron is located in Dawes County and is the County Seat.

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 Dawes County: Box Butte, Sheridan, Sioux, Fall River (SD) & Oglala Lakota (SD).

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

  • Dawes County     (The home county of Chadron)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chadron, with the one closest to Chadron listed first.
    • Bordeaux ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bordeaux. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bordeaux
      • Bordeaux is located in Dawes County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bordeaux
      • From Chadron to Bordeaux
    • Whitney
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitney have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitney
      • Whitney is located in Dawes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitney <3>
    • Horn
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Horn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horn
      • Horn is located in Dawes County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Horn
      • From Chadron to Horn
    • Crawford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Belmont
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Marsland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Sheridan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chadron, with the one closest to Chadron listed first.
    • Hay Springs
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hay Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hay Springs
      • Hay Springs is located in Sheridan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 527 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hay Springs <3>
    • Whiteclay
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Rushville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rushville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushville
      • Rushville is located in Sheridan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 871 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rushville <3>
  • Fall River County (SD)
    • Oelrichs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oelrichs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oelrichs
      • Oelrichs is located in Fall River County (SD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oelrichs <3>
  • Oglala Lakota County (SD)

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

Cemeteries Near Chadron ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Chadron.

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

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

  • Calvary Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Highland Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shisler Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shisler Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shisler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Whitney Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whitney Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whitney Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beaver Valley Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beaver Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beaver Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Antelope Valley Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Antelope Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Antelope Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Highland Center Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Center Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hay Springs Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hay Springs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hay Springs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Abold Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Abold Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Abold Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (19 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 Chadron had a population of 1,867 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Chadron had a population of 5,250 people.

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

  • Dakota Junction
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dakota Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dakota Junction
    • Dakota Junction is located in Dawes County
  • Bordeaux ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bordeaux. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bordeaux
    • Bordeaux is located in Dawes County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Bordeaux
    • From Chadron to Bordeaux
  • Adaton ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adaton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adaton
    • Adaton is located in Sheridan County
  • Whitney
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitney have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitney
    • Whitney is located in Dawes County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitney <3>
  • Crawford
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  • Fort Robinson ‑ Historic
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Robinson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Robinson
    • Fort Robinson is located in Dawes County
  • Belmont
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Oelrichs
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oelrichs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oelrichs
    • Oelrichs is located in Fall River County (SD)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oelrichs <3>
  • Rushville
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rushville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushville
    • Rushville is located in Sheridan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 871 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rushville <3>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Chadron ...

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 55 newspapers that have been published in the area around Chadron.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Chadron. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Chadron and those printed in the larger area surrounding Chadron.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5> of Chadron.

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 Chadron:

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

The official website for Dawes County: www.co.dawes.ne.us/

The official website for State of Nebraska: https://www.nebraska.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Chadron, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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- Chadron) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Chadron. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.8294, Longitude: -103.0006    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025