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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 Junction City (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 Junction City. 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 and 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.

Junction City is located in Union 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 Union County: Plymouth (IA), Sioux (IA), Woodbury (IA), Dakota (NE), Dixon (NE), Clay & Lincoln.

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

  • Union County     (The home county of Junction City)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Spink
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Richland
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
      • Richland is located in Union County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 215 people
    • Elk Point
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elk Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Point
      • Elk Point is located in Union County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,874 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elk Point <2>
    • Nora
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nora have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora
      • Nora is located in Union County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 240 people
    • Emmet
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emmet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmet
      • Emmet is located in Union County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 231 people
    • Jefferson
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jefferson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson
      • Jefferson is located in Union County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 515 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jefferson <2>
    • Alcester
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Beresford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • McCook Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McCook Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCook Lake
      • McCook Lake is located in Union County
    • North Sioux City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Sioux City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Sioux City
      • North Sioux City is located in Union County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,952 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Sioux City <2>
    • Dakota Dunes
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Burbank
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Greenfield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Greenfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
      • Greenfield is located in Clay County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 40 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Greenfield
      • From Junction City to Greenfield
    • Vermillion
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vermillion have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vermillion
      • Vermillion is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,038 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vermillion <2>
    • Alsen
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Bloomingdale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Hub City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hub City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hub City
      • Hub City is located in Clay County
    • Meckling
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Westreville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westreville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westreville
      • Westreville is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 208 people
    • Lodi
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lodi have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodi
      • Lodi is located in Clay County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 82 people
    • Komstad ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Komstad. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Komstad
      • Komstad is located in Clay County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 12 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Komstad
      • From Junction City to Komstad
    • Riverside ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Glenwood ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glenwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenwood
      • Glenwood is located in Clay County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 103 people
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Moe
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Hudson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hudson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudson
      • Hudson is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 356 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hudson <2>
  • Turner County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Centerville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
      • Centerville is located in Turner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 870 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Centerville <2>
    • Irene
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irene have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irene
      • Irene is located in Turner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 403 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irene <2>
    • Viborg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Yankton County
  • Plymouth County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Westfield
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westfield
      • Westfield is located in Plymouth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westfield <2>
    • Akron
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Millnerville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Adaville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Craig
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Craig have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Craig
      • Craig is located in Plymouth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
    • Brunsville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brunsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunsville
      • Brunsville is located in Plymouth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 152 people
    • Merrill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merrill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merrill
      • Merrill is located in Plymouth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 723 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Merrill <2>
    • Hinton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • James
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Struble
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Struble have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Struble
      • Struble is located in Plymouth County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
  • Sioux County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Chatsworth
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Hawarden
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hawarden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawarden
      • Hawarden is located in Sioux County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,443 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hawarden <2>
    • McNally
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Ireton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ireton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ireton
      • Ireton is located in Sioux County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 595 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ireton <2>
    • Lebanon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Woodbury County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Evergreen Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evergreen Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen Village
      • Evergreen Village is located in Woodbury County (IA)
    • Holiday Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holiday Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday Village
      • Holiday Village is located in Woodbury County (IA)
    • Sioux City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Regency of Sioux City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Regency of Sioux City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Regency of Sioux City
      • Regency of Sioux City is located in Woodbury County (IA)
  • Cedar County (NE)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Obert
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Wynot
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Bow Valley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Saint Helena
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Helena have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Helena
      • Saint Helena is located in Cedar County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Helena <2>
    • Hartington
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartington
      • Hartington is located in Cedar County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,469 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hartington <2>
    • Coleridge
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coleridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleridge
      • Coleridge is located in Cedar County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 452 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coleridge <2>
    • Laurel
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Fordyce
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fordyce have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fordyce
      • Fordyce is located in Cedar County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 131 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fordyce <2>
  • Dakota County (NE)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Junction City, with the one closest to Junction City listed first.
    • Willis
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Jackson
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jackson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
      • Jackson is located in Dakota County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jackson <2>
    • Hubbard
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • South Sioux City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Sioux City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Sioux City
      • South Sioux City is located in Dakota County (NE)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,833 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for South Sioux City <2>
  • Dixon County (NE)

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

Cemeteries Near Junction City ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Junction City.

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

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

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 Junction City in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Junction City.

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

  • Burbank
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Spink
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Richland
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
    • Richland is located in Union County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 215 people
  • Greenfield
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Greenfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
    • Greenfield is located in Clay County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 40 people
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Greenfield
    • From Junction City to Greenfield
  • Vermillion
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vermillion have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vermillion
    • Vermillion is located in Clay County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,038 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vermillion <2>
  • Ionia ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ionia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ionia
    • Ionia is located in Dixon County (NE)
  • Elk Point
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elk Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Point
    • Elk Point is located in Union County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,874 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elk Point <2>
  • Westfield
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westfield
    • Westfield is located in Plymouth County (IA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westfield <2>
  • Newcastle
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Clay Point
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clay Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay Point
    • Clay Point is located in Clay County
  • Nora
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nora have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora
    • Nora is located in Union County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 240 people
  • Akron
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Marshalltown ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marshalltown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshalltown
      • Marshalltown is located in Clay County
    • Bloomingdale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Alsen
      (12 miles [19.3 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 Junction City. See our List of 1890's Communities around Junction City.

Newspapers Published in Junction City ...

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 75 newspapers that have been published in the area around Junction City.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Junction City, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Junction City.

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 Junction City:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Junction City. 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>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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Junction City) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Junction City. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.7860, Longitude: -96.7861    
<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 Junction City, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025