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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 Bemis (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 Bemis. 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.

Name Variations for Bemis ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Bemis was originally named Palmer

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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.

Bemis is located in Deuel 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 Deuel County: Lac qui Parle (MN), Lincoln (MN), Yellow Medicine (MN), Brookings, Codington, Grant & Hamlin.

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

  • Deuel County     (The home county of Bemis)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bemis, with the one closest to Bemis listed first.
    • Goodwin
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goodwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodwin
      • Goodwin is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 150 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Goodwin <2>
    • Altamont
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
      • Altamont is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
    • Tunerville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tunerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunerville
      • Tunerville is located in Deuel County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 218 people
    • Clear Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Moritz
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moritz
      • Moritz is located in Deuel County
      • Estimated population in 2011: 13 people
    • Brandt
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brandt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandt
      • Brandt is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 107 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brandt <2>
    • Gary
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gary have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gary
      • Gary is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gary <2>
    • Johnsonville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsonville
      • Johnsonville is located in Deuel County
    • Toronto
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Astoria
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Astoria have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Astoria
      • Astoria is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Astoria <2>
  • Brookings County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bemis, with the one closest to Bemis listed first.
    • Bruce
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruce
      • Bruce is located in Brookings County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bruce <2>
    • North Grove Addition
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Grove Addition have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Grove Addition
      • North Grove Addition is located in Brookings County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 471 people
    • White
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White
      • White is located in Brookings County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 487 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for White <2>
  • Codington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bemis, with the one closest to Bemis listed first.
    • Kranzburg
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kranzburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kranzburg
      • Kranzburg is located in Codington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 176 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kranzburg <2>
    • Appleby
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleby
      • Appleby is located in Codington County
    • Waverly
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Watertown
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Rauville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rauville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rauville
      • Rauville is located in Codington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 292 people
    • South Shore
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Grover
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grover have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
      • Grover is located in Codington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 171 people
    • Kampeska
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kampeska
      • Kampeska is located in Codington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 331 people
    • Florence
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Florence have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
      • Florence is located in Codington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 358 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Florence <2>
    • Henry
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henry
      • Henry is located in Codington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 264 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henry <2>
  • Grant County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bemis, with the one closest to Bemis listed first.
    • Strandburg
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • La Bolt
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for La Bolt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Bolt
      • La Bolt is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
    • LaBolt
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Stockholm
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stockholm have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stockholm
      • Stockholm is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stockholm <2>
    • Revillo
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Revillo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Revillo
      • Revillo is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Revillo <2>
    • Albee
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albee
      • Albee is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17 people
    • Twin Brooks
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Milbank
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milbank have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milbank
      • Milbank is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,066 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milbank <2>
    • Marvin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Hamlin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bemis, with the one closest to Bemis listed first.
    • Castlewood
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Dempster
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dempster
      • Dempster is located in Hamlin County
    • Kones Corner
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kones Corner
      • Kones Corner is located in Hamlin County
    • Estelline
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Estelline have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estelline
      • Estelline is located in Hamlin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Estelline <2>
    • Thomas
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomas
      • Thomas is located in Hamlin County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 290 people
    • Stone Bridge
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stone Bridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone Bridge
      • Stone Bridge is located in Hamlin County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 105 people
    • Hayti
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hayti have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayti
      • Hayti is located in Hamlin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 381 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hayti <2>
    • Alsville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alsville
      • Alsville is located in Hamlin County
    • Lake Norden
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Hazel
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hazel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel
      • Hazel is located in Hamlin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hazel <2>
  • Kingsbury County
    • Badger
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Lac qui Parle County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bemis, with the one closest to Bemis listed first.
    • Marietta
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marietta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
      • Marietta is located in Lac qui Parle County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 138 people
    • Nassau
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nassau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nassau
      • Nassau is located in Lac qui Parle County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nassau <2>
  • Lincoln County (MN)
    • Hendricks
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Yellow Medicine County (MN)
    • Canby
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canby
      • Canby is located in Yellow Medicine County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,645 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canby <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Bemis ...

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 78 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bemis.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bemis, 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 Bemis.

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 websites either 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 Bemis:

Cemeteries Near Bemis ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bemis.

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

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

  • Bemis Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Havana Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Havana Cemetery is located 7 miles [11.3 km]<3> to the east of Clear Lake.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Havana Cemetery
  • Swedish Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swedish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swedish Cemetery
  • Goodwin Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Goodwin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Goodwin Cemetery
  • Bemis Christian Reformed Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Holy Rosary Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Spooner Children Graves
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spooner Children Graves have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spooner Children Graves
  • Bemis Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bemis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bemis Cemetery
  • Tabor Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Larson Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Larson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Larson Cemetery
  • Schneider's Grove Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Schneider's Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Schneider's Grove Cemetery
  • Continue List   (109 more) ...
    • Hamlin Reformed Church Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hamlin Reformed Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hamlin Reformed Church Cemetery
    • Lake View Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake View Cemetery
    • Castlewood Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)

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 Bemis had a population of 27 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Goodwin
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goodwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodwin
    • Goodwin is located in Deuel County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 150 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Goodwin <2>
  • Kranzburg
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kranzburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kranzburg
    • Kranzburg is located in Codington County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 176 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kranzburg <2>
  • Altamont
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
    • Altamont is located in Deuel County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
  • Clear Lake
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Appleby
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleby
    • Appleby is located in Codington County
  • Castlewood
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Waverly
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Watertown
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Dempster
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dempster
    • Dempster is located in Hamlin County
  • Troy
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Troy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Troy
    • Troy is located in Grant County
  • Brandt
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brandt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandt
    • Brandt is located in Deuel County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 107 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brandt <2>
  • Strandburg
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • LaBolt
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Estelline
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Estelline have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estelline
      • Estelline is located in Hamlin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Estelline <2>
    • Revillo
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Revillo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Revillo
      • Revillo is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Revillo <2>

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

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

The official website for State of South Dakota: 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>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 from Point A (ie- Bemis) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bemis. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.8341, Longitude: -96.8446    
<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 Bemis, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024