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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 Brookings (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 Brookings. 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.

Brookings is located in Brookings County and is the County Seat.

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 Brookings County: Lincoln (MN), Deuel, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake & Moody.

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

  • Brookings County     (The home county of Brookings)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brookings, with the one closest to Brookings listed first.
    • Sunnyview
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Aurora
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aurora have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aurora
      • Aurora is located in Brookings County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 866 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Aurora <2>
    • Medary
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medary have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medary
      • Medary is located in Brookings County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 1,442 people
    • Volga
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Bushnell
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • North Grove Addition
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • 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
    • Bruce
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • White
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Sinai
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sinai have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinai
      • Sinai is located in Brookings County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sinai <2>
    • Elkton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Deuel County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brookings, with the one closest to Brookings listed first.
    • Johnsonville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Toronto
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Astoria
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • 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>
    • Brandt
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • 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>
  • Hamlin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brookings, with the one closest to Brookings listed first.
    • Estelline
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • 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>
    • Dempster
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Stone Bridge
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
    • Alsville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake Norden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Kingsbury County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brookings, with the one closest to Brookings listed first.
    • Arlington
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arlington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
      • Arlington is located in Kingsbury County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 872 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arlington <2>
    • Hetland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Badger
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Oldham
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oldham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oldham
      • Oldham is located in Kingsbury County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oldham <2>
    • Lake Preston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brookings, with the one closest to Brookings listed first.
    • Nunda
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nunda have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nunda
      • Nunda is located in Lake County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 50 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nunda <2>
    • Rutland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Wentworth
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Ramona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ramona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramona
      • Ramona is located in Lake County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ramona <2>
    • Madison
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Brant Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Peninsula Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peninsula Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peninsula Park
      • Peninsula Park is located in Lake County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 32 people
    • Prairie Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairie Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Village
      • Prairie Village is located in Lake County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 18 people
    • Chester
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Junius
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Moody County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brookings, with the one closest to Brookings listed first.
    • Dyce ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dyce. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dyce
      • Dyce is located in Moody County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dyce
      • From Brookings to Dyce
    • Ward
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ward have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ward
      • Ward is located in Moody County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ward <2>
    • Flandreau
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flandreau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flandreau
      • Flandreau is located in Moody County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,293 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Flandreau <2>
    • Colman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Egan
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Egan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egan
      • Egan is located in Moody County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 270 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Egan <2>
    • Lone Tree
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lone Tree have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Tree
      • Lone Tree is located in Moody County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 14 people
    • Sioux Falls Junction
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sioux Falls Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sioux Falls Junction
      • Sioux Falls Junction is located in Moody County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 119 people
    • Trent
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trent have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trent
      • Trent is located in Moody County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 226 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Trent <2>
  • Lincoln County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brookings, with the one closest to Brookings listed first.
    • Hendricks
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Benton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Ivanhoe
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ivanhoe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivanhoe
      • Ivanhoe is located in Lincoln County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 524 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ivanhoe <2>
    • Arco
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arco
      • Arco is located in Lincoln County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arco <2>
  • Pipestone County (MN)
    • Airlie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Airlie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airlie
      • Airlie is located in Pipestone County (MN)

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

Cemeteries Near Brookings ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brookings.

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

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

  • Lutheran Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • St. Thomas More Catholic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Fairlawn Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairlawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • First Lutheran Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the First Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the First Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethania Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Lake Campbell Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake Campbell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake Campbell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fountain Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fountain Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fountain Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Trinity Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Deer Creek Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Yeo Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Yeo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Yeo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (105 more) ...
    • Elmwood Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Olson Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Olson Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Olson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • South Lake Campbell Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Lake Campbell Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Lake Campbell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 Brookings had a population of 1,518 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Brookings had a population of 24,804 people.

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

  • Aurora
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aurora have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aurora
    • Aurora is located in Brookings County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 866 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Aurora <2>
  • Volga
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Bushnell
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Bruce
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • White
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • 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>
  • Sinai
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sinai have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinai
    • Sinai is located in Brookings County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sinai <2>
  • Elkton
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Prairie Queen ‑ Historic
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairie Queen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Queen
    • Prairie Queen is located in Lake County
  • Arlington
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arlington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
    • Arlington is located in Kingsbury County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 872 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arlington <2>
  • Estelline
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • 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>
  • Ward
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ward have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ward
    • Ward is located in Moody County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ward <2>
  • Toronto
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Brookings ...

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 62 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brookings.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Brookings. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Brookings and those printed in the larger area surrounding Brookings.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<6> of Brookings.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

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

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

The official website for Brookings: www.cityofbrookings.org/

The official website for Brookings County: www.brookingscountysd.gov/

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>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.
<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 Brookings, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Brookings) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Brookings. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.3045, Longitude: -96.7886    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025