RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of South Dakota >> Fall River County >> Smithwick >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
South Dakota

The Commemorative Quarter for South Dakota





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 Smithwick (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 Smithwick. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Smithwick is located in Fall River 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 Fall River County: Dawes (NE), Sioux (NE), Custer, Oglala Lakota & Niobrara (WY).

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

  • Fall River County     (The home county of Smithwick)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smithwick, with the one closest to Smithwick listed first.
    • Oral
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oral have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oral
      • Oral is located in Fall River County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 206 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oral <2>
    • Oelrichs
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oelrichs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oelrichs
      • Oelrichs is located in Fall River County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oelrichs <2>
    • Hot Springs
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Cascade Springs
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cascade Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cascade Springs
      • Cascade Springs is located in Fall River County
    • Heppner
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heppner have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heppner
      • Heppner is located in Fall River County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 267 people
    • Rocky Ford
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rocky Ford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky Ford
      • Rocky Ford is located in Fall River County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 6 people
    • Ardmore ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ardmore
      • Ardmore is located in Fall River County
    • Edgemont
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edgemont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgemont
      • Edgemont is located in Fall River County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 718 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Edgemont <2>
  • Custer County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smithwick, with the one closest to Smithwick listed first.
    • Buffalo Gap
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Fairburn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairburn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairburn
      • Fairburn is located in Custer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairburn <2>
    • Ivanhoe ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • 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 Custer County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 144 people
    • Pringle
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pringle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pringle
      • Pringle is located in Custer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pringle <2>
  • Oglala Lakota County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Smithwick ...

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 30 newspapers that have been published in the area around Smithwick.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Smithwick. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Smithwick and those printed in the larger area surrounding Smithwick.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Smithwick.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with 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 Smithwick:

Cemeteries Near Smithwick ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Smithwick.

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

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

  • Smithwick Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smithwick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smithwick Cemetery
  • Horsehead Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Horsehead Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Horsehead Cemetery
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
  • Hines Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hines Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hines Cemetery
  • Buffalo Gap Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Buffalo Gap Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Buffalo Gap Cemetery
  • Hot Springs National Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hot Springs National Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hot Springs National Cemetery
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • 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
  • Highland Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Cemetery
  • Fairburn Cemetery
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairburn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairburn Cemetery
  • Duck Creek Cemetery
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Duck Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Duck Creek Cemetery
  • Pringle Cemetery
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pringle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pringle Cemetery
  • Edgemont Cemetery
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)

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 Smithwick had a population of 15 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Oelrichs
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oelrichs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oelrichs
    • Oelrichs is located in Fall River County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oelrichs <2>
  • Buffalo Gap
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Hot Springs
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Erskine
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erskine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erskine
    • Erskine is located in Fall River County
  • Minnekahta
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minnekahta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minnekahta
    • Minnekahta is located in Fall River County
  • Fairburn
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairburn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairburn
    • Fairburn is located in Custer County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairburn <2>
  • Argyle
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Argyle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argyle
    • Argyle is located in Custer County
  • Ivanhoe ‑ Historic
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • 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 Custer County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 144 people
  • Rumford
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rumford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rumford
    • Rumford is located in Fall River County
  • Pringle
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pringle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pringle
    • Pringle is located in Custer County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pringle <2>

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Smithwick. 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Smithwick) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Smithwick. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.3073, Longitude: -103.2196    
<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 Smithwick, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024