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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 Willshire (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 Willshire. 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.

Willshire is located in Van Wert County.

To see how the shape of Ohio's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Van Wert County: Adams (IN), Allen (IN), Allen, Auglaize, Mercer, Paulding & Putnam.

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

  • Van Wert County     (The home county of Willshire)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Schumm
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Schumm. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schumm
      • Schumm is located in Van Wert County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Schumm
      • From Willshire to Schumm
    • Wren
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wren have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wren
      • Wren is located in Van Wert County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 184 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wren <3>
    • Abanaka
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Glenmore
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Glenmore. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenmore
      • Glenmore is located in Van Wert County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Glenmore
      • From Willshire to Glenmore
    • Ohio City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ohio City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ohio City
      • Ohio City is located in Van Wert County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 669 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ohio City <3>
    • Convoy
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Dixon
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dixon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixon
      • Dixon is located in Van Wert County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dixon
      • From Willshire to Dixon
    • Van Wert
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Elgin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elgin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
      • Elgin is located in Van Wert County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elgin
      • From Willshire to Elgin
    • Venedocia
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Venedocia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Venedocia
      • Venedocia is located in Van Wert County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 118 people
    • Converse Station
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Converse
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Converse. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Converse
      • Converse is located in Van Wert County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Converse
      • From Willshire to Converse
  • Allen County
  • Auglaize County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Saint Marys
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Buckland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buckland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckland
      • Buckland is located in Auglaize County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 221 people
    • Moulton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Moulton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moulton
      • Moulton is located in Auglaize County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Moulton
      • From Willshire to Moulton
    • New Bremen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Bremen have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Bremen
      • New Bremen is located in Auglaize County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,949 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Bremen <3>
    • New Knoxville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Darke County
    • New Weston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Weston have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Weston
      • New Weston is located in Darke County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Weston <3>
  • Mercer County
  • Paulding County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Batson ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Batson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batson
      • Batson is located in Paulding County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Batson
      • From Willshire to Batson
    • McGill ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McGill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGill
      • McGill is located in Paulding County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to McGill
      • From Willshire to McGill
    • Tipton ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tipton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tipton
      • Tipton is located in Paulding County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tipton
      • From Willshire to Tipton
    • Haviland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Folmer ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Folmer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Folmer
      • Folmer is located in Paulding County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Folmer
      • From Willshire to Folmer
    • Payne
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Worstville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Dague ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dague. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dague
      • Dague is located in Paulding County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dague
      • From Willshire to Dague
    • Grover Hill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Latty
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Latty have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latty
      • Latty is located in Paulding County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 180 people
    • Broughton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Broughton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broughton
      • Broughton is located in Paulding County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 115 people
    • Hedges
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hedges. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hedges
      • Hedges is located in Paulding County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hedges
      • From Willshire to Hedges
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Ottoville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ottoville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottoville
      • Ottoville is located in Putnam County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 960 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ottoville <3>
    • Fort Jennings
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Jennings have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Jennings
      • Fort Jennings is located in Putnam County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 495 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fort Jennings <3>
    • Muntanna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Muntanna. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muntanna
      • Muntanna is located in Putnam County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Muntanna
      • From Willshire to Muntanna
  • Adams County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Pleasant Mills
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Mills
      • Pleasant Mills is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pleasant Mills <3>
    • Monroe
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroe have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe
      • Monroe is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 882 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monroe <3>
    • Coppess Corner
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Decatur
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Decatur have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decatur
      • Decatur is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,884 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Decatur <3>
    • Berne
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Honduras
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Honduras. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honduras
      • Honduras is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Honduras
      • From Willshire to Honduras
    • Preble
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Preble have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Preble
      • Preble is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Preble <3>
    • Geneva
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geneva have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geneva
      • Geneva is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,362 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Geneva <3>
    • Magley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Magley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magley
      • Magley is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Magley
      • From Willshire to Magley
    • Linn Grove
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Allen County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Dixon
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dixon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixon
      • Dixon is located in Allen County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dixon
      • From Willshire to Dixon
    • Monroeville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Hoagland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hoagland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoagland
      • Hoagland is located in Allen County (IN)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hoagland <3>
    • Zulu
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Edgerton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Yoder
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Anthony Wayne Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anthony Wayne Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anthony Wayne Village
      • Anthony Wayne Village is located in Allen County (IN)
    • New Haven
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Woodburn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Hacienda Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hacienda Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hacienda Village
      • Hacienda Village is located in Allen County (IN)
    • Indian Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Village
      • Indian Village is located in Allen County (IN)
    • Fort Wayne
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Blackford County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Montpelier
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montpelier have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montpelier
      • Montpelier is located in Blackford County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,666 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Montpelier <3>
    • Ridertown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ridertown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridertown
      • Ridertown is located in Blackford County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ridertown
      • From Willshire to Ridertown
  • Huntington County (IN)
  • Jay County (IN)
  • Randolph County (IN)
    • New Pittsburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Wells County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willshire, with the one closest to Willshire listed first.
    • Craigville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Vera Cruz
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vera Cruz have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vera Cruz
      • Vera Cruz is located in Wells County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
    • Tocsin
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Bluffton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluffton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
      • Bluffton is located in Wells County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,094 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bluffton <3>
    • Reiffsburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Phenix
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Phenix. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phenix
      • Phenix is located in Wells County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Phenix
      • From Willshire to Phenix
    • North Oaks
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Ossian
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ossian have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ossian
      • Ossian is located in Wells County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,370 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ossian <3>
    • Nottingham
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Petroleum
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petroleum have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petroleum
      • Petroleum is located in Wells County (IN)
    • Travisville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Greenville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
      • Greenville is located in Wells County (IN)

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

Cemeteries Near Willshire ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Willshire.

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

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

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

  • Willshire Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Willshire Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Willshire Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Grove Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fletcher Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fletcher Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fletcher Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tricker Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • 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.
  • Zion Lutheran Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wren Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wren Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wren Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Duck Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Duck Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Duck Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Coats Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coats Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coats Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zimerman Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Old Mt. Tabor Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Mt. Tabor Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Mt. Tabor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (313 more) ...
    • Mt. Tabor Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Tabor Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Tabor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Greenbriar Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenbriar Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenbriar Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • East Bethel Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Bethel Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Bethel 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 Willshire had a population of 566 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Willshire had a population of 380 people.

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

  • Schumm
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Schumm. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schumm
    • Schumm is located in Van Wert County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Schumm
    • From Willshire to Schumm
  • Wren
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wren have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wren
    • Wren is located in Van Wert County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 184 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wren <3>
  • Pleasant Mills
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Mills
    • Pleasant Mills is located in Adams County (IN)
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pleasant Mills <3>
  • Abanaka
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Glenmore
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Glenmore. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenmore
    • Glenmore is located in Van Wert County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Glenmore
    • From Willshire to Glenmore
  • Rivare
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rivare have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rivare
    • Rivare is located in Adams County (IN)
  • Dull
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dull have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dull
    • Dull is located in Van Wert County
  • Chattanooga
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chattanooga have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chattanooga
    • Chattanooga is located in Mercer County
  • Monroe
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroe have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe
    • Monroe is located in Adams County (IN)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 882 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monroe <3>
  • Brehm ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brehm have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brehm
    • Brehm is located in Mercer County
  • Rockford
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Ohio City
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ohio City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ohio City
    • Ohio City is located in Van Wert County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 669 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ohio City <3>
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Wolfcale
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wolfcale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolfcale
      • Wolfcale is located in Van Wert County
    • Decatur
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Decatur have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decatur
      • Decatur is located in Adams County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,884 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Decatur <3>
    • Berne
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Willshire ...

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 146 newspapers that have been published in the area around Willshire.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Willshire. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Willshire and those printed in the larger area surrounding Willshire.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 23 miles [37 km]<6> of Willshire.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with 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 Willshire:

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>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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Willshire, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Willshire) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Willshire. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.7473, Longitude: -84.7916