RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of South Dakota >> McCook County >> Unityville >> 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 Unityville (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 Unityville. 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.

Unityville is located in McCook 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 McCook County: Hanson, Hutchinson, Lake, Miner, Minnehaha & Turner.

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

  • McCook County     (The home county of Unityville)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Unityville, with the one closest to Unityville listed first.
    • Salem
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Salem came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem
      • Salem is located in McCook County
    • Salem
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Spencer
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spencer have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spencer
      • Spencer is located in McCook County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spencer <2>
    • Montrose
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Canistota
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Bridgewater
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
  • Davison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Unityville, with the one closest to Unityville listed first.
    • Mitchell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • River Bluff Addition
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for River Bluff Addition have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Bluff Addition
      • River Bluff Addition is located in Davison County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 13 people
  • Hanson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Unityville, with the one closest to Unityville listed first.
    • Epiphany
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Epiphany have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Epiphany
      • Epiphany is located in Hanson County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 103 people
    • Farmer
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmer
      • Farmer is located in Hanson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11 people
    • Emery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Alexandria
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alexandria have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexandria
      • Alexandria is located in Hanson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 650 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alexandria <2>
    • Fulton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fulton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fulton
      • Fulton is located in Hanson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 96 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fulton <2>
    • Farwell
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Farwell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farwell
      • Farwell is located in Hanson County
    • Plano
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plano have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plano
      • Plano is located in Hanson County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 104 people
    • Rockport Colony
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockport Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockport Colony
      • Rockport Colony is located in Hanson County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 32 people
  • Hutchinson County
    • New Elm Springs Colony
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Elm Springs Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Elm Springs Colony
      • New Elm Springs Colony is located in Hutchinson County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 600 people
  • Kingsbury County
    • Oldham
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oldham have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Unityville, with the one closest to Unityville listed first.
    • Winfred
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winfred have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winfred
      • Winfred is located in Lake County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 162 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winfred <2>
    • Junius
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junius
      • Junius is located in Lake County
    • Franklin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
      • Franklin is located in Lake County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 333 people
    • Prairie Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairie Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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
    • Madison
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Peninsula Park
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peninsula Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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
    • Ramona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ramona have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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>
    • Chester
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Brant Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brant Lake
      • Brant Lake is located in Lake County
    • Wentworth
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Miner County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Unityville, with the one closest to Unityville listed first.
    • Canova
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canova have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canova
      • Canova is located in Miner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canova <2>
    • Howard
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Vilas
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
      • Vilas is located in Miner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19 people
    • Roswell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roswell have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roswell
      • Roswell is located in Miner County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 70 people
    • Fedora
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Carthage
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Minnehaha County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Unityville, with the one closest to Unityville listed first.
    • Humboldt
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Pumpkin Center
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pumpkin Center have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pumpkin Center
      • Pumpkin Center is located in Minnehaha County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 13 people
    • Colton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Huntimer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntimer
      • Huntimer is located in Minnehaha County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 590 people
    • Hartford
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartford have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartford
      • Hartford is located in Minnehaha County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,406 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hartford <2>
    • Lyons
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Sanborn County
    • Artesian
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Artesian have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Artesian
      • Artesian is located in Sanborn County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Artesian <2>
  • Turner County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Unityville, with the one closest to Unityville listed first.
    • Dolton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dolton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolton
      • Dolton is located in Turner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 39 people
    • Monroe
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroe have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe
      • Monroe is located in Turner County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 156 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monroe <2>
    • Marion
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Unityville ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Unityville.

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

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

  • Olsen Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Olsen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Olsen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Unityville Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Sun Prairie Baptist Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sun Prairie Baptist Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sun Prairie Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Salem Lutheran Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salem Lutheran Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Salem Lutheran Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 7 miles [11.3 km]<6> to the south of Salem.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #97665 <5>
  • Pleasant Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 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.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Canova Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Canova Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Canova Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Mary Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Wildwood Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wildwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wildwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Pauls Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Pauls Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Pauls Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lakeside Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (90 more) ...
    • Spencer Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spencer Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spencer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Ramsey Baptist Church Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ramsey Baptist Church Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Ramsey Baptist Church Cemetery is located 9 miles [14.5 km]<6> to the south of Montrose.
      • The Ramsey Baptist Church Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Ramsey Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #97431 <5>
    • Ramsey Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ramsey Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ramsey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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.<7>

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

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

  • Salem
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Canova
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canova have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canova
    • Canova is located in Miner County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canova <2>
  • Spencer
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spencer have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spencer
    • Spencer is located in McCook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spencer <2>
  • Farmer
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmer
    • Farmer is located in Hanson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 11 people
  • Howard
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Winfred
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winfred have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winfred
    • Winfred is located in Lake County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 162 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winfred <2>
  • Montrose
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Vilas
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
    • Vilas is located in Miner County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 19 people
  • Orland ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orland have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orland
    • Orland is located in Lake County
  • Emery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Canistota
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Bridgewater
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Roswell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roswell have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roswell
      • Roswell is located in Miner County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 70 people
    • Fulton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fulton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fulton
      • Fulton is located in Hanson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 96 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fulton <2>
    • Alexandria
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alexandria have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexandria
      • Alexandria is located in Hanson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 650 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alexandria <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Unityville ...

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 69 newspapers that have been published in the area around Unityville.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Unityville, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Unityville.

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 Unityville:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Unityville. 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>If we found a location and have questions about the accuracy of our information, we will simply say that the marker is 'in the vicinity'. We are not confident about the location and the position of our marker is only a rough guide. If we have too many doubts about the location, we will not include it in our database.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<4>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.
<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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Unityville) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Unityville. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.8014, Longitude: -97.4526       In this case, the coordinates for Unityville have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<7>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 Unityville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2025
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: 29 Apr 2025