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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 Macon (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 Macon. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Macon is located in Franklin 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 Franklin County: Phillips (KS), Smith (KS), Harlan, Kearney, Phelps & Webster.

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

  • Franklin County     (The home county of Macon)
  • Adams County
  • Harlan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Macon, with the one closest to Macon listed first.
    • Republican City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Huntley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huntley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntley
      • Huntley is located in Harlan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 42 people
    • Ragan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ragan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ragan
      • Ragan is located in Harlan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 38 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ragan <2>
    • Alma
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
      • Alma is located in Harlan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,116 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alma <2>
    • Orleans
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orleans
      • Orleans is located in Harlan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 363 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Orleans <2>
    • Flynn Junction
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Kearney County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Macon, with the one closest to Macon listed first.
    • Wilcox
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilcox have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilcox
      • Wilcox is located in Kearney County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 349 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wilcox <2>
    • Keene
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Minden
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Norman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Axtell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Heartwell
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heartwell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heartwell
      • Heartwell is located in Kearney County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Heartwell <2>
    • Kearney City ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kearney City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kearney City
      • Kearney City is located in Kearney County
      • Kearney City has also been known as:
      • Dobytown
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kearney City
      • From Macon to Kearney City
    • Newark
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newark. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newark
      • Newark is located in Kearney County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Newark
      • From Macon to Newark
    • Valley City ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valley City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley City
      • Valley City is located in Kearney County
  • Phelps County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Macon, with the one closest to Macon listed first.
    • Sacramento
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sacramento. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sacramento
      • Sacramento is located in Phelps County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sacramento
      • From Macon to Sacramento
    • Funk
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Funk have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funk
      • Funk is located in Phelps County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Funk <2>
    • Holdrege
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Atlanta
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Atlanta. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atlanta
      • Atlanta is located in Phelps County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 131 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Atlanta <2>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Atlanta
      • From Macon to Atlanta
  • Webster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Macon, with the one closest to Macon listed first.
    • Inavale
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Bladen
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Red Cloud
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Cowles
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cowles. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowles
      • Cowles is located in Webster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cowles
      • From Macon to Cowles
    • Blue Hill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Hill
      • Blue Hill is located in Webster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 850 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blue Hill <2>
    • Amboy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Pawnee Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pawnee Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pawnee Village
      • Pawnee Village is located in Webster County
  • Smith County (KS)

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

Cemeteries Near Macon ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Macon.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Macon, with the one closest to Macon 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 Macon had a population of 82 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Franklin
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
    • Franklin is located in Franklin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 899 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Franklin <2>
  • Bloomington
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Upland
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Hildreth
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Riverton
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Naponee
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Campbell
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Wilcox
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilcox have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilcox
    • Wilcox is located in Kearney County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 349 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wilcox <2>
  • Republican City
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Keene
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
  • Inavale
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Huntley
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huntley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntley
    • Huntley is located in Harlan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 42 people
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Reamsville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reamsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reamsville
      • Reamsville is located in Smith County (KS)
    • Ragan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ragan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ragan
      • Ragan is located in Harlan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 38 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ragan <2>
    • Womer
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Macon ...

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 96 newspapers that have been published in the area around Macon.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Macon, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Macon.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we 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 Macon:

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

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<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 Macon, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Macon) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Macon. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.2050, Longitude: -98.9524    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025