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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 Toronto (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 Toronto. 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 hospitals 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.

Toronto is located in Deuel 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 Deuel County: Lac qui Parle (MN), Lincoln (MN), Yellow Medicine (MN), Brookings, Codington, Grant & Hamlin.

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

  • Deuel County     (The home county of Toronto)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Toronto, with the one closest to Toronto listed first.
    • Astoria
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • 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
      (6 miles [9.7 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>
    • Johnsonville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsonville
      • Johnsonville is located in Deuel County
    • Clear Lake
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Gary
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gary have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gary
      • Gary is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gary <2>
    • Altamont
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
      • Altamont is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
    • Moritz
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moritz
      • Moritz is located in Deuel County
      • Estimated population in 2011: 13 people
    • Bemis
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bemis
      • Bemis is located in Deuel County
    • Tunerville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tunerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunerville
      • Tunerville is located in Deuel County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 218 people
    • Goodwin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goodwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodwin
      • Goodwin is located in Deuel County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 150 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Goodwin <2>
  • Brookings County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Toronto, with the one closest to Toronto listed first.
    • White
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • 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>
    • North Grove Addition
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • 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
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruce
      • Bruce is located in Brookings County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bruce <2>
    • Bushnell
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushnell
      • Bushnell is located in Brookings County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
    • Sunnyview
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyview
      • Sunnyview is located in Brookings County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 17 people
    • Brookings
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Aurora
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • 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
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Volga
      • Volga is located in Brookings County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,080 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Volga <2>
    • Elkton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Medary
      (26 miles [41.8 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
    • Sinai
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • 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>
  • Codington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Toronto, with the one closest to Toronto listed first.
    • Kranzburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kranzburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kranzburg
      • Kranzburg is located in Codington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 176 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kranzburg <2>
    • Appleby
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleby
      • Appleby is located in Codington County
  • Grant County
    • Revillo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Revillo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Revillo
      • Revillo is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Revillo <2>
  • Hamlin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Toronto, with the one closest to Toronto listed first.
    • Estelline
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • 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
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dempster
      • Dempster is located in Hamlin County
    • Stone Bridge
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • 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
    • Castlewood
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Alsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alsville
      • Alsville is located in Hamlin County
    • Kones Corner
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kones Corner
      • Kones Corner is located in Hamlin County
    • Lake Norden
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Hayti
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hayti have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayti
      • Hayti is located in Hamlin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 381 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hayti <2>
    • Thomas
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomas
      • Thomas is located in Hamlin County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 290 people
  • Kingsbury County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Toronto, with the one closest to Toronto listed first.
    • Arlington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • 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>
    • Badger
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Moody County
    • Ward
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • 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>
  • Lincoln County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Toronto, with the one closest to Toronto listed first.
    • Hendricks
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Ivanhoe
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • 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
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Lake Benton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Lyon County (MN)
    • Taunton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Yellow Medicine County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Toronto, with the one closest to Toronto listed first.
    • Canby
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canby
      • Canby is located in Yellow Medicine County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,645 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canby <2>
    • Porter
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Porter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
      • Porter is located in Yellow Medicine County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 164 people
    • Saint Leo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Leo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Leo
      • Saint Leo is located in Yellow Medicine County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 90 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Toronto ...

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 63 newspapers that have been published in the area around Toronto.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Toronto. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Toronto and those printed in the larger area surrounding Toronto.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3> of Toronto.

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 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 Toronto:

Cemeteries Near Toronto ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Toronto.

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

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

  • Leganger Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Toronto Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Blom Prairie Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Mikkelson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Cemetery
  • Highland Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Bethlehem Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethlehem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethlehem Cemetery
  • St. Pauls Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Pauls Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Pauls Cemetery
  • Wood Lake Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • St. John Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
  • Rose Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (98 more) ...
    • Fair View Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fair View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fair View Cemetery
    • Trulock Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trulock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trulock Cemetery
    • Hendricks Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hendricks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hendricks Cemetery

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 Toronto had a population of 148 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Toronto had a population of 207 people.

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

  • Brandt
    (6 miles [9.7 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>
  • White
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • 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>
  • Hendricks
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Estelline
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • 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>
  • Clear Lake
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Bruce
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruce
    • Bruce is located in Brookings County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bruce <2>
  • Dempster
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dempster
    • Dempster is located in Hamlin County
  • Bushnell
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushnell
    • Bushnell is located in Brookings County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
  • Gary
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gary have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gary
    • Gary is located in Deuel County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gary <2>
  • Altamont
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
    • Altamont is located in Deuel County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
  • Brookings
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Aurora
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • 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>
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Wilno
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilno have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilno
      • Wilno is located in Lincoln County (MN)
    • Bemis
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bemis
      • Bemis is located in Deuel County
    • Canby
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canby
      • Canby is located in Yellow Medicine County (MN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,645 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canby <2>

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Toronto. 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Toronto) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Toronto. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.5728, Longitude: -96.6425    
<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 Toronto, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024