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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 Dorchester (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 Dorchester. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Dorchester is located in 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 Saline County: Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Lancaster, Seward, Thayer & York.

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

  • Saline County     (The home county of Dorchester)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester listed first.
    • Crete
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Friend
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Wilber
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Swanton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Western
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Tobias
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • De Witt
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Butler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester listed first.
    • Ulysses
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Dwight
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Fillmore County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester listed first.
    • Milligan
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Exeter
      (17 miles [27.4 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>
    • Ohiowa
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Fairmont
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Geneva
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Strang
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strang have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strang
      • Strang is located in Fillmore County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Strang <1>
  • Gage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester listed first.
    • Clatonia
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Cortland
      (23 miles [37 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
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Jefferson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester 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
      (24 miles [38.6 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>
    • Powell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell
      • Powell is located in Jefferson County
  • Lancaster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester listed first.
    • Berks
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berks
      • Berks is located in Lancaster County
    • Kramer
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kramer
      • Kramer is located in Lancaster County
    • Denton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Martell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Emerald
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emerald
      • Emerald is located in Lancaster County
    • Hallam
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Sprague
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Princeton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • 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
    • Malcolm
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Roca
      (23 miles [37 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>
    • Gaslight Village
      (24 miles [38.6 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
      (24 miles [38.6 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>
  • Seward County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester listed first.
    • Milford
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Grover
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
      • Grover is located in Seward County
    • Ruby
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • 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
    • Beaver Crossing
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Pleasant Dale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Goehner
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Cordova
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Tamora
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tamora
      • Tamora is located in Seward County
    • Seward
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • 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>
    • Utica
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Garland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Staplehurst
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester listed first.
    • Waco
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • McCool Junction
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Thayer
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thayer
      • Thayer is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
    • York
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Gresham
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Dorchester ...

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 35 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dorchester.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 Dorchester:

Cemeteries Near Dorchester ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dorchester.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Dorchester, with the one closest to Dorchester 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 Dorchester had a population of 540 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Dorchester had a population of 572 people.

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

  • Pleasant Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • 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
  • Camden ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
  • Crete
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Friend
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Grover
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
    • Grover is located in Seward County
  • Milford
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Berks
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berks
    • Berks is located in Lancaster County
  • Ruby
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Beaver Crossing
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Goehner
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Kramer
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kramer
    • Kramer is located in Lancaster County
  • Pleasant Dale
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Wilber
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Denton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Milligan
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)

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

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

The official website for Saline County: www.co.saline.ne.us/

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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Dorchester) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Dorchester. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.6490, Longitude: -97.1148    
<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 Dorchester, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024