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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 Badnation (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 Badnation. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Badnation is located in Mellette County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Mellette County: Bennett, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Todd & Tripp.

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

  • Mellette County     (The home county of Badnation)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Badnation, with the one closest to Badnation listed first.
    • Wood
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood
      • Wood is located in Mellette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 63 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wood <2>
    • Mosher
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mosher have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mosher
      • Mosher is located in Mellette County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 25 people
    • White River
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White River
      • White River is located in Mellette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 586 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for White River <2>
  • Jones County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Badnation, with the one closest to Badnation listed first.
    • Westover ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westover
      • Westover is located in Jones County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 6 people
    • Draper
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Draper have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Draper
      • Draper is located in Jones County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Draper <2>
    • Murdo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murdo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murdo
      • Murdo is located in Jones County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 459 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Murdo <2>
    • Okaton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Lyman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Badnation, with the one closest to Badnation listed first.
    • Vivian
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vivian have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vivian
      • Vivian is located in Lyman County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 149 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vivian <2>
    • Presho
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Presho have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Presho
      • Presho is located in Lyman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 489 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Presho <2>
    • Kennebec
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Todd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Badnation, with the one closest to Badnation listed first.
    • Okreek
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • White Horse
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White Horse have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Horse
      • White Horse is located in Todd County
    • Antelope
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antelope
      • Antelope is located in Todd County
    • Mission
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Hidden Timber
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hidden Timber
      • Hidden Timber is located in Todd County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 45 people
  • Tripp County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Badnation, with the one closest to Badnation listed first.
    • Carter
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • New Witten
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Witten have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Witten
      • New Witten is located in Tripp County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
    • Witten
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Witten have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Witten
      • Witten is located in Tripp County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 21 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Witten <2>
    • Ideal
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Jordan Junction
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordan Junction
      • Jordan Junction is located in Tripp County

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

Cemeteries Near Badnation ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Badnation.

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

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

  • St. Georges Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • St. Catherine Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Hilmoe Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Marys Garden Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Garden Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Garden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mediator Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mediator Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mediator Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Phillip Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Phillip Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Phillip Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Advent Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • St. John the Baptist Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John the Baptist Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John the Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Vivian Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vivian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vivian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Ignatius Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Ignatius Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Ignatius Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. James Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. James Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. James Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (19 more) ...
    • Draper Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Draper Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Draper Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located less than 2 miles<4> to the southeast of Draper.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #96927 <3>
    • Holy Angels Cemetery
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Medicine Creek Cemetery
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)

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>

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

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

  • Westover ‑ Historic
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westover
    • Westover is located in Jones County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 6 people
  • Presho
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Presho have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Presho
    • Presho is located in Lyman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 489 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Presho <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Badnation ...

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 21 newspapers that have been published in the area around Badnation.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Badnation, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Badnation.

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 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 Badnation:

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

The official website for State of South Dakota: https://www.sd.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>The 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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Badnation) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Badnation. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.6517, Longitude: -100.3699       In this case, the coordinates for Badnation have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Badnation, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025