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 Erastus (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 Erastus. 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 hospitals 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.
Erastus is located in Mercer County.
To see how the shape of Ohio's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Mercer County: Adams (IN), Jay (IN), Auglaize, Darke, Shelby & Van Wert.
Below are the counties that are near Erastus. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Erastus:
- Mercer County (The home county of Erastus)
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Wabash
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Wabash is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wabash
- Macedon
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Macedon is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macedon
- Scudder
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Scudder is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scudder
- Coldwater
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Skeels Crossroads
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Skeels Crossroads is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skeels Crossroads
- Celina
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Wendelin
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Wendelin is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wendelin
- Saint Henry
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Fort Recovery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Montezuma
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Montezuma is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montezuma
- Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
- Earley ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Earley is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earley
- Tama
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Tama is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tama
- Allen County
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Spencerville
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Conant
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Conant is located in Allen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conant
- Landeck
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Landeck is located in Allen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Landeck
- Southworth
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Southworth is located in Allen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southworth
- Delphos
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Auglaize County
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Saint Marys
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- New Bremen
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Minster
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- New Knoxville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- New Knoxville is located in Auglaize County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Knoxville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 862 people
- Moulton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Moulton is located in Auglaize County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moulton
- Buckland
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Buckland is located in Auglaize County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 221 people
- Pusheta Town ‑ Historic
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Pusheta Town is located in Auglaize County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pusheta Town
- Wapakoneta
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Fryburg
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Fryburg is located in Auglaize County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fryburg
- Darke County
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- New Weston
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- North Star
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Lightsville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Lightsville is located in Darke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lightsville
- Rossburg
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Osgood
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Yorkshire
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Brock
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Brock is located in Darke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brock
- Ansonia
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Ansonia is located in Darke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ansonia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,120 people
- Frenchtown
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Frenchtown is located in Darke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenchtown
- Dawn
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Dawn is located in Darke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawn
- Union City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Union City is located in Darke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,585 people
- Versailles
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Miami County
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Bloomer
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Bloomer is located in Miami County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomer
- Bradford
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Polo
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Polo is located in Miami County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Polo
- Shelby County
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Filburns Island
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Filburns Island is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Filburns Island
- Fort Laramie
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Lehmkuhl Landing
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Lehmkuhl Landing is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lehmkuhl Landing
- Kettlersville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Russia
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Dawson
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Dawson is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawson
- Botkins
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Hardin
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Hardin is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardin
- Anna
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Van Wert County
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Schumm
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Schumm is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schumm
- Abanaka
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Abanaka is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abanaka
- Willshire
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Ohio City
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Glenmore
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Glenmore is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenmore
- Monticello
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Monticello is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monticello
- Wren
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Elgin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Elgin is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
- Converse Station
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Converse Station is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Converse Station
- Converse
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Converse is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Converse
- Venedocia
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Venedocia is located in Van Wert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Venedocia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 118 people
- Van Wert
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Adams County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Geneva
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Berne
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Pleasant Mills
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Linn Grove
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Linn Grove is located in Adams County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linn Grove
- Coppess Corner
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Coppess Corner is located in Adams County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coppess Corner
- Monroe
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Decatur
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Honduras
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Honduras is located in Adams County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honduras
- Preble
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Magley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Magley is located in Adams County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magley
- Allen County (IN)
- Dixon
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Dixon is located in Allen County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixon
- Blackford County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Ridertown
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Ridertown is located in Blackford County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridertown
- Millgrove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Millgrove is located in Blackford County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millgrove
- Montpelier
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Delaware County (IN)
- Albany
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jay County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Trinity
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Trinity is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trinity
- Jay City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Jay City is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jay City
- Salamonia
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Salamonia is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salamonia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
- Bloomfield
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Bloomfield is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
- Bryant
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Antiville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Antiville is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antiville
- Boundary City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Boundary City is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boundary City
- Portland
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Collett
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Collett is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collett
- Bluff Point
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Bluff Point is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff Point
- Blaine
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Blaine is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blaine
- Pony
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Pony is located in Jay County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pony
- Randolph County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- New Pittsburg
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- New Pittsburg is located in Randolph County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Pittsburg
- Union City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Saratoga
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Ridgeville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Ridgeville is located in Randolph County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 734 people
- Haysville Corner
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Haysville Corner is located in Randolph County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haysville Corner
- Stone
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Stone is located in Randolph County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone
- Winchester
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Rural
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Rural is located in Randolph County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rural
- Wells County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Phenix
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Phenix is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phenix
- Vera Cruz
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Vera Cruz is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vera Cruz
- Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
- Nottingham
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Nottingham is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nottingham
- Petroleum
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Petroleum is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petroleum
- Reiffsburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Reiffsburg is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reiffsburg
- Craigville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Craigville is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Craigville
- Greenville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Greenville is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
- Poneto
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Poneto is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poneto
- Population from the 2020 Census: 191 people
- Bluffton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Travisville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Travisville is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Travisville
- Keystone
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Keystone is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keystone
- North Oaks
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- North Oaks is located in Wells County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Oaks
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Erastus, see our County-by-County Page for Erastus.
Cemeteries Near Erastus ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Erastus.
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 Erastus - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Erastus covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Macedon Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Swamp College Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Live Oak Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Lutheran Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- St. Peters Catholic Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Stevenson Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- St. Elizabeth Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Elizabeth Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Elizabeth Cemetery is located outside and to the east of Coldwater.
- Skeels Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Zion State Line Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zion State Line Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Zion State Line Cemetery is located 8 miles [12.9 km]<2> to the north of Fort Recovery.
- The Zion State Line Cemetery has also been known as:
- State Line Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #43583 <3>
- Continue List (395 more) ...
- Landfair Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Anderson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Burntwood Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Erastus had a population of 110 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Erastus, with the one closest to Erastus listed first.
- Macedon
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Macedon is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macedon
- Wabash
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Wabash is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wabash
- Padua
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Padua is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Padua
- Saint Peter
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Saint Peter is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Peter
- Philothea
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Philothea is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philothea
- Coldwater
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Scudder
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Scudder is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scudder
- Skeels Crossroads
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Skeels Crossroads is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skeels Crossroads
- Hinton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Hinton is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinton
- Fort Recovery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Wendelin
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Wendelin is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wendelin
- Saint Henry
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Celina
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Brehm ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Brehm is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brehm
- Montezuma
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Montezuma is located in Mercer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montezuma
- Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Erastus. See our List of 1890's Communities around Erastus.
Newspapers Published in Erastus ...
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 97 newspapers that have been published in the area around Erastus.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Erastus, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Erastus.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Erastus:
- Websites specific to Ohio
- Pages specific to Mercer County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Allen County
- Auglaize County
- Darke County
- Miami County
- Shelby County
- Van Wert County
- Adams County
- Allen County
- Blackford County
- Delaware County
- Jay County
- Randolph County
- Wells County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Ohio
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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Erastus) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <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 Erastus, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |