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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 Duncan (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 Duncan. 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 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.

Duncan is located in Platte 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 Platte County: Boone, Butler, Colfax, Madison, Merrick, Nance & Polk.

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

  • Platte County     (The home county of Duncan)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Gardiner
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Gardiner is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardiner
    • Oconee
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Oconee is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oconee
    • Sheldonville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Sheldonville is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheldonville
    • Columbus
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Monroe
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Carriage House Estates
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Platte Center
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Tarnov
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Tarnov is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tarnov
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 45 people
    • Cornlea
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Cornlea is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornlea
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
    • Humphrey
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Rosenburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Rosenburg is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosenburg
    • Creston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Lindsay
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Saint Edward
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Boone
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Boone is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boone
    • Vorhees
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Vorhees is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vorhees
  • Butler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Bellwood
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Rising City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Millerton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Millerton is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
    • David City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Surprise
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Surprise is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Surprise
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 40 people
    • Octavia
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Octavia is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Octavia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 117 people
    • Garrison
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Garrison is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • Ulysses
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Abie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Bruno
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Nimburg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Nimburg is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nimburg
    • Linwood
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Brainard
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Colfax County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Richland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Richland is located in Colfax County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
    • Schuyler
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Leigh
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Clarkson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Rogers
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Rogers is located in Colfax County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogers
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 93 people
  • Hamilton County
    • Hordville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Newman Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Madison
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Merrick County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Silver Creek
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Clarks
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Nance County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Genoa
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Krakow
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Krakow is located in Nance County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Krakow
    • Merchiston
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Merchiston is located in Nance County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merchiston
    • Fullerton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Belgrade
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Shelby
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Osceola
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Swedehome
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Swedehome is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swedehome
    • Stromsburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Polk
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan listed first.
    • Gresham
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Benedict
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Thayer
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Thayer is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thayer
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
    • Arborville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Arborville is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arborville

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

Cemeteries Near Duncan ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Duncan.

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 Duncan - one of the links might be able to help.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Duncan, with the one closest to Duncan 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Duncan had a population of 85 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Duncan had a population of 370 people.

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

  • Gardiner
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Gardiner is located in Platte County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardiner
  • Oconee
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Oconee is located in Platte County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oconee
  • Columbus
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Monroe
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Silver Creek
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Platte Center
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Genoa
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Shelby
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Bellwood
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Osceola
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • Richland
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Richland is located in Colfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
  • Havens
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Havens is located in Merrick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havens
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Tarnov
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Tarnov is located in Platte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tarnov
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 45 people
    • Rising City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Swedehome
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Swedehome is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swedehome

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

Newspapers Published in Duncan ...

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 186 newspapers that have been published in the area around Duncan.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Duncan, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Duncan.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Duncan:

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>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 Duncan, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Duncan) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.