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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 Nelson (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 Nelson. 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.

Nelson is located in Nuckolls 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 Nuckolls County: Jewell (KS), Republic (KS), Clay, Fillmore, Thayer & Webster.

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

  • Nuckolls County     (The home county of Nelson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Nora
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Angus
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Oak
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Ruskin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ruskin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruskin
      • Ruskin is located in Nuckolls County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 113 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ruskin <1>
    • Lawrence
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawrence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawrence
      • Lawrence is located in Nuckolls County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 278 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lawrence <1>
    • Superior
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Sedan
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Hardy
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Adams County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Ayr
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ayr have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ayr
      • Ayr is located in Adams County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ayr <1>
    • Good Samaritan Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Good Samaritan Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good Samaritan Village
      • Good Samaritan Village is located in Adams County
  • Clay County
  • Fillmore County
  • Thayer County
  • Webster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Guide Rock
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guide Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guide Rock
      • Guide Rock is located in Webster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 197 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Guide Rock <1>
    • Rosemont
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Pawnee Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pawnee Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pawnee Village
      • Pawnee Village is located in Webster County
    • Cowles
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • 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 Nelson to Cowles
    • Amboy
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Blue Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <1>
    • Red Cloud
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Bladen
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Jewell County (KS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Webber
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Webber have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webber
      • Webber is located in Jewell County (KS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Webber <1>
    • Burr Oak
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burr Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burr Oak
      • Burr Oak is located in Jewell County (KS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
    • Montrose
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Formoso
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Mankato
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Republic County (KS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • White Rock
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for White Rock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Rock
      • White Rock is located in Republic County (KS)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to White Rock
      • From Nelson to White Rock
    • Republic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Sherdahl
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sherdahl. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherdahl
      • Sherdahl is located in Republic County (KS)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sherdahl
      • From Nelson to Sherdahl
    • Courtland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Nelson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Nelson.

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

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

  • Oxbow Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oxbow Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oxbow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Salem Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salem Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Salem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Nora Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nora Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nora Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Smith Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beulah Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beulah Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beulah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Hill Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Union Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Assumption Church Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Oak Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beaver Creek Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beaver Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beaver Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (133 more) ...
    • Ladies Evergreen Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ladies Evergreen Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ladies Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Spring Creek Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spring Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Liberty Creek Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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 Nelson had a population of 913 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Nelson had a population of 442 people.

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

  • Smyrna
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smyrna have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smyrna
    • Smyrna is located in Nuckolls County
  • Nora
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Cadams
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cadams have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cadams
    • Cadams is located in Nuckolls County
  • Angus
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Oak
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Mount Clare
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Clare have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Clare
    • Mount Clare is located in Nuckolls County
  • Deweese
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Ruskin
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ruskin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruskin
    • Ruskin is located in Nuckolls County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 113 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ruskin <1>
  • Lawrence
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawrence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawrence
    • Lawrence is located in Nuckolls County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 278 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lawrence <1>
  • Bostwick
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bostwick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bostwick
    • Bostwick is located in Nuckolls County
  • Superior
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Edgar
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Nelson ...

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 85 newspapers that have been published in the area around Nelson.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Nelson. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Nelson and those printed in the larger area surrounding Nelson.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6> of Nelson.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Nelson:

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

The official website for State of Nebraska: https://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>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 Nelson, 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 from Point A (ie- Nelson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Nelson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.2016, Longitude: -98.0674    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025