RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Nebraska >> Madison County >> Madison >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Madison (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 Madison. 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.

Madison is located in Madison 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 Madison County: Antelope, Boone, Pierce, Platte, Stanton & Wayne.

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

  • Madison County     (The home county of Madison)
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Vorhees
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vorhees. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vorhees
      • Vorhees is located in Boone County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Vorhees
      • From Madison to Vorhees
    • Boone
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Edward
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Albion
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Albion have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albion
      • Albion is located in Boone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,558 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Albion <2>
  • Colfax County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Leigh
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Clarkson
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarkson have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkson
      • Clarkson is located in Colfax County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 630 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarkson <2>
    • Howells
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Howells have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howells
      • Howells is located in Colfax County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 557 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Howells <2>
    • Richland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richland have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
      • Richland is located in Colfax County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
  • Cuming County
  • Dodge County
    • Dodge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dodge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dodge
      • Dodge is located in Dodge County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dodge <2>
  • Nance County
  • Pierce County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Hadar
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Pierce
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierce have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierce
      • Pierce is located in Pierce County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,734 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pierce <2>
    • Wee Town
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wee Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wee Town
      • Wee Town is located in Pierce County
  • Platte County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Humphrey
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Humphrey have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Humphrey
      • Humphrey is located in Platte County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 800 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Humphrey <2>
    • Creston
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Cornlea
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornlea have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornlea
      • Cornlea is located in Platte County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
    • Saint Bernard
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Tarnov
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Lindsay
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Platte Center
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Platte Center have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Platte Center
      • Platte Center is located in Platte County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 329 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Platte Center <2>
    • Rosenburg
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Oconee
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Monroe
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroe have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe
      • Monroe is located in Platte County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monroe <2>
    • Sheldonville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Carriage House Estates
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Stanton County
  • Wayne County

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

Cemeteries Near Madison ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Madison.

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

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

  • St. Leonards Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Leonards Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Leonards Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crown Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crown Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crown Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Besk Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Besk Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Besk Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Green Garden Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tracy Valley Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tracy Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tracy Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kalamazoo Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kalamazoo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kalamazoo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Humphrey Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Humphrey Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Humphrey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Francis Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Francis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Francis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Pauls Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Pauls Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Pauls Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Allbery Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Allbery Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Allbery Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (94 more) ...
    • Osborn Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osborn Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Osborn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Iowa Valley Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Iowa Valley Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Iowa Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Bernard Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Madison had a population of 930 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Madison had a population of 2,343 people.

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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Madison ...

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 98 newspapers that have been published in the area around Madison.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Madison. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Madison and those printed in the larger area surrounding Madison.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Madison.

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 websites either 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 Madison:

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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Madison) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Madison. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.8280, Longitude: -97.4550    
<5>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.
<6>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 Madison, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.