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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 Ponca (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 Ponca. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Ponca is located in Knox 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 Knox County: Antelope, Boyd, Cedar, Holt, Pierce, Bon Homme (SD), Charles Mix (SD) & Yankton (SD).

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

  • Knox County     (The home county of Ponca)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca listed first.
    • Niobrara
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Dukeville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Dukeville is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dukeville
    • Pishelville ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Pishelville is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pishelville
    • Verdigre
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Verdel
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Verdel is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdel
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 30 people
    • Knoxville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Knoxville is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knoxville
    • Center
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Walnut
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Walnut is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut
    • Santee
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Santee is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santee
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 338 people
    • Winnetoon
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Bazile Mills
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Bazile Mills is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bazile Mills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
    • Lindy
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Lindy is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lindy
    • Tewsville ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Tewsville is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tewsville
  • Antelope County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca listed first.
    • Brunswick
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Royal
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Orchard
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Boyd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca listed first.
    • Monowi
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Monowi is located in Boyd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monowi
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1 people
    • Lynch
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Bristow
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Gross
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Gross is located in Boyd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gross
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2 people
  • Holt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca listed first.
    • Star
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Star is located in Holt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star
    • Redbird
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Redbird is located in Holt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redbird
    • Emporia ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Emporia is located in Holt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emporia
    • Page
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Paddock
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Paddock is located in Holt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paddock
  • Pierce County
    • Plainview
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Bon Homme County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca listed first.
    • Perkins
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Perkins is located in Bon Homme County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perkins
    • Springfield
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Kingsburg
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Kingsburg is located in Bon Homme County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsburg
      • Estimated population in 2014: 697 people
    • Avon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Avon is located in Bon Homme County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 584 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avon <1>
    • Tyndall
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Tyndall is located in Bon Homme County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyndall
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,015 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tyndall <1>
    • Tabor
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Tabor is located in Bon Homme County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tabor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 398 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tabor <1>
  • Charles Mix County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca listed first.
    • Greenwood
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Greenwood is located in Charles Mix County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
      • Estimated population in 2014: 7 people
    • Dante
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Dante is located in Charles Mix County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dante
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dante <1>
    • Marty
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Marty is located in Charles Mix County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marty
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 402 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marty <1>
    • Wagner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Wagner is located in Charles Mix County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wagner
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,537 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wagner <1>
  • Yankton County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca listed first.
    • Fairview Heights
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Fairview Heights is located in Yankton County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Heights
      • Estimated population in 2014: 77 people
    • Oak Hills Addition
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Oak Hills Addition is located in Yankton County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Hills Addition
      • Estimated population in 2014: 23 people

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

Cemeteries Near Ponca ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ponca.

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

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Ponca, with the one closest to Ponca 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.<4>

While we didn't find Ponca in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Ponca.

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

  • Dukeville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Dukeville is located in Knox County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dukeville
  • Niobrara
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Pishelville ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Pishelville is located in Knox County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pishelville
  • Verdigre
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Knoxville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Knoxville is located in Knox County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knoxville
  • Springfield
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Dorsey
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Dorsey is located in Holt County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorsey
  • Winnetoon
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Star
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Star is located in Holt County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star
  • Bazile Mills
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Bazile Mills is located in Knox County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bazile Mills
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
  • Creighton
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Venus ‑ Historic
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Venus is located in Knox County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Venus
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Avon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Avon is located in Bon Homme County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 584 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avon <1>
    • Greenwood
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Greenwood is located in Charles Mix County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
      • Estimated population in 2014: 7 people
    • Lynch
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Ponca ...

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 75 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ponca.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ponca, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ponca.

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 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 Ponca:

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Ponca) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<4>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 Ponca, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.