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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 Fairfax (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 Fairfax. 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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Fairfax is located in Gregory 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 Gregory County: Boyd (NE), Keya Paha (NE), Charles Mix, Lyman & Tripp.

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

  • Gregory County     (The home county of Fairfax)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fairfax, with the one closest to Fairfax listed first.
    • Bonesteel
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • East Gregory
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Gregory have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Gregory
      • East Gregory is located in Gregory County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
    • Saint Charles
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Fort Randall
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Randall have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Randall
      • Fort Randall is located in Gregory County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 2,135 people
    • Herrick
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herrick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herrick
      • Herrick is located in Gregory County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Herrick <1>
    • Burke
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burke have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burke
      • Burke is located in Gregory County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 588 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burke <1>
    • Gregory
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gregory have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gregory
      • Gregory is located in Gregory County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,250 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gregory <1>
  • Charles Mix County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fairfax, with the one closest to Fairfax listed first.
    • Pickstown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Geddes
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geddes have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geddes
      • Geddes is located in Charles Mix County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 207 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Geddes <1>
    • Lake Andes
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Andes have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Andes
      • Lake Andes is located in Charles Mix County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 815 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Andes <1>
    • Marty
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Ravinia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ravinia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravinia
      • Ravinia is located in Charles Mix County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ravinia <1>
    • Platte
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Greenwood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
      • Greenwood is located in Charles Mix County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 7 people
    • Wagner
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wagner have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wagner
      • Wagner is located in Charles Mix County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,537 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wagner <1>
  • Douglas County
  • Boyd County (NE)
  • Holt County (NE)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fairfax, with the one closest to Fairfax listed first.
    • Dustin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Cleveland ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cleveland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleveland
      • Cleveland is located in Holt County (NE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cleveland
      • From Fairfax to Cleveland
    • Redbird
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Keya Paha County (NE)
  • Rock County (NE)
    • Mariaville ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mariaville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mariaville
      • Mariaville is located in Rock County (NE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mariaville
      • From Fairfax to Mariaville

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

Cemeteries Near Fairfax ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Fairfax.

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

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

  • Highland Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Saint Anthony's Catholic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Bethelhem Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethelhem Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethelhem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rosebud Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rosebud Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rosebud Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lutheran Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Settlers Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Settlers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Settlers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Zion Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • St.s Peter and Paul Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • St.s Peter & Paul Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St.s Peter & Paul Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St.s Peter & Paul Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (68 more) ...
    • Butte Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Immanuel Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Immanuel Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Immanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Ducharme Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ducharme Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ducharme 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.<6>

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

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

  • Butte
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Wheeler ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheeler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler
    • Wheeler is located in Charles Mix County
  • Spencer
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Dustin
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Catalpa ‑ Historic
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Catalpa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Catalpa
    • Catalpa is located in Holt County (NE)
  • Bristow
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Paddock
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paddock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paddock
    • Paddock is located in Holt County (NE)
  • Platte
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
  • Lynch
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Greenwood
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
    • Greenwood is located in Charles Mix County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 7 people
  • Mills
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Mariaville ‑ Historic
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mariaville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mariaville
    • Mariaville is located in Rock County (NE)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Mariaville
    • From Fairfax to Mariaville
  • Joubert
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Fairfax ...

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 59 newspapers that have been published in the area around Fairfax.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Fairfax. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Fairfax and those printed in the larger area surrounding Fairfax.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Fairfax.

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 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 Fairfax:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Fairfax. 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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Fairfax) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Fairfax. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.0285, Longitude: -98.8899    
<5>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.
<6>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 Fairfax, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025