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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 Bend (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 Bend. 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 doctors 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.

Bend is located in Meade 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 Meade County: Butte, Haakon, Lawrence, Pennington & Ziebach.

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

  • Meade County     (The home county of Bend)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bend, with the one closest to Bend listed first.
    • Viewfield
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Viewfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viewfield
      • Viewfield is located in Meade County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 44 people
    • Blackhawk
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Summerset
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Piedmont
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Tilford
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tilford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilford
      • Tilford is located in Meade County
    • Elm Springs
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Sturgis
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Union Center
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Custer County
    • Hermosa
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hermosa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermosa
      • Hermosa is located in Custer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 409 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hermosa <2>
  • Lawrence County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bend, with the one closest to Bend listed first.
    • Nemo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Tomahawk
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tomahawk have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tomahawk
      • Tomahawk is located in Lawrence County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 36 people
    • Greenwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
      • Greenwood is located in Lawrence County
      • Greenwood has also been known as:
      • Laflin
    • Merritt
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merritt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merritt
      • Merritt is located in Lawrence County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 175 people
  • Pennington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bend, with the one closest to Bend listed first.
    • Box Elder
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Box Elder have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Box Elder
      • Box Elder is located in Pennington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,564 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Box Elder <2>
    • Ashland Heights
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashland Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashland Heights
      • Ashland Heights is located in Pennington County
    • New Underwood
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Underwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Underwood
      • New Underwood is located in Pennington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 679 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Underwood <2>
    • Rapid Valley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rapid Valley
      • Rapid Valley is located in Pennington County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 8,260 people
    • Sioux Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sioux Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sioux Village
      • Sioux Village is located in Pennington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 262 people
    • Murphy
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murphy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murphy
      • Murphy is located in Pennington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 482 people
    • Green Valley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Valley
      • Green Valley is located in Pennington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 51 people
    • Rapid City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Caputa
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Wildwood Addition
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wildwood Addition have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood Addition
      • Wildwood Addition is located in Pennington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 55 people
    • Farmingdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farmingdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmingdale
      • Farmingdale is located in Pennington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 10 people
    • South Canyon Country Estates
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Canyon Country Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Canyon Country Estates
      • South Canyon Country Estates is located in Pennington County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 364 people
    • Ridgeland Heights
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ridgeland Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeland Heights
      • Ridgeland Heights is located in Pennington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 11 people

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

Newspapers Published in Bend ...

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 53 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bend.

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

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Bend:

Cemeteries Near Bend ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bend.

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

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

  • Elk Vale Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elk Vale Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elk Vale Cemetery
  • Viewfield Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Viewfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Viewfield Cemetery
  • Blackhawk Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blackhawk Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blackhawk Cemetery
  • Mountain View Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery
  • Pine Lawn Memorial Park
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Lawn Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Lawn Memorial Park
  • Piedmont Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Larsen Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Larsen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Larsen Cemetery
  • Haydraw Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Haydraw Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Haydraw Cemetery
  • Rockerville Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Owanka Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Owanka Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Owanka Cemetery
  • Black Hills National Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Ft. Meade National Cemetery
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Meade National Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Meade National Cemetery
  • Bear Butte Cemetery
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)

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 Bend had a population of 20 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Viewfield
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Viewfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viewfield
    • Viewfield is located in Meade County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 44 people
  • Rapid City
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Blackhawk
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Piedmont
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Farmingdale
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farmingdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmingdale
    • Farmingdale is located in Pennington County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 10 people
  • Tilford
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tilford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilford
    • Tilford is located in Meade County
  • Nemo
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
  • Pactola ‑ Historic
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pactola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pactola
    • Pactola is located in Pennington County
  • Rockerville
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Creston ‑ Historic
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creston
    • Creston is located in Pennington County
  • Sturgis
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Merritt
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merritt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merritt
    • Merritt is located in Lawrence County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 175 people
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Sheridan ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sheridan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheridan
      • Sheridan is located in Pennington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 447 people
    • Hermosa
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hermosa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermosa
      • Hermosa is located in Custer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 409 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hermosa <2>
    • Folsom
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Folsom have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Folsom
      • Folsom is located in Custer County

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

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

The official website for Meade County: www.meadecounty.org/

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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Bend) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bend. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.2278, Longitude: -103.0102       In this case, the coordinates for Bend have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Bend, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024