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 Vermillion (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 Vermillion. 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.
Name Variations for Vermillion ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.
Another variation: Vermilion.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Vermillion. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Vermillion.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
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 southwest 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 south.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived: their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Vermillion is located in Clay County and is the County Seat.
To see how the shape of South Dakota's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Clay County: Cedar (NE), Dixon (NE), Lincoln, Turner, Union & Yankton.
Below are the counties that are near Vermillion. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Vermillion:
- Clay County (The home county of Vermillion)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Burbank
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Greenfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Greenfield is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Estimated population in 2014: 40 people
- Meckling
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Bloomingdale
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Bloomingdale is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
- Westreville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Westreville is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westreville
- Population from the 2010 Census: 208 people
- Hub City
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Hub City is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hub City
- Alsen
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Alsen is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alsen
- Lodi
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Lodi is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodi
- Estimated population in 2014: 82 people
- Komstad ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Komstad is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Komstad
- Estimated population in 2014: 12 people
- Riverside ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Riverside is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
- Wakonda
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Glenwood ‑ Historic
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Glenwood is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenwood
- Estimated population in 2014: 103 people
- Lincoln County
- Moe
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Moe is located in Lincoln County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moe
- Turner County
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Centerville
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Irene
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Viborg
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Hooker
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Hooker is located in Turner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hooker
- Union County
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Junction City
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Junction City is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction City
- Spink
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Spink is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spink
- Estimated population in 2014: 237 people
- Richland
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Richland is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
- Estimated population in 2014: 215 people
- Elk Point
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Nora
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Nora is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora
- Estimated population in 2014: 240 people
- Emmet
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Emmet is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmet
- Estimated population in 2014: 231 people
- Big Springs
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Big Springs is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Springs
- Beresford
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Beresford is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beresford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,043 people
- Former name for Beresford:
- Paris
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Beresford <1>
- Alcester
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jefferson
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- McCook Lake
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- McCook Lake is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCook Lake
- North Sioux City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Yankton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Gayville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Volin
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Mission Hill
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Valleyview
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Valleyview is located in Yankton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valleyview
- Yankton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Mayfield
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Mayfield is located in Yankton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayfield
- Estimated population in 2014: 208 people
- Fairview Heights
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Fairview Heights is located in Yankton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Heights
- Estimated population in 2014: 77 people
- Plymouth County (IA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Westfield
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Akron
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Akron is located in Plymouth County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Akron
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,454 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Akron <1>
- Millnerville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Millnerville is located in Plymouth County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millnerville
- Adaville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Adaville is located in Plymouth County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adaville
- Sioux County (IA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Chatsworth
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Chatsworth is located in Sioux County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatsworth
- Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
- Hawarden
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- McNally
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- McNally is located in Sioux County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNally
- Cedar County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Obert
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Obert is located in Cedar County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Obert
- Population from the 2020 Census: 22 people
- Wynot
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Bow Valley
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Bow Valley is located in Cedar County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bow Valley
- Saint Helena
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Hartington
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Fordyce
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Coleridge
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Laurel
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Aten
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Aten is located in Cedar County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aten
- Constance
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Constance is located in Cedar County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Constance
- Belden
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Dakota County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Goodwin
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Goodwin is located in Dakota County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodwin
- Willis
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Willis is located in Dakota County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willis
- Jackson
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Dixon County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Maskell
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Maskell is located in Dixon County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maskell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 68 people
- Newcastle
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Ponca
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Martinsburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Martinsburg is located in Dixon County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 87 people
- Waterbury
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Allen
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Dixon
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Concord
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Knox County (NE)
- Crofton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Vermillion, see our County-by-County Page for Vermillion.
Cemeteries Near Vermillion ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vermillion.
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.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Vermillion - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Vermillion covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Bluff View Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Fairview Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Dowlin Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Clay Creek Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- St. Peters Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Maskell Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Spirit Mound Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Ionia Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Ahlsborg Lutheran Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Clay Point Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Taylor Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Meckling Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Continue List (117 more) ...
- Evergreen Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Obert Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Lime Creek Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
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.<4>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Vermillion had a population of 1,496 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Vermillion had a population of 11,038 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Vermillion, with the one closest to Vermillion listed first.
- Burbank
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Greenfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Greenfield is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Estimated population in 2014: 40 people
- Lime Grove
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Lime Grove is located in Dixon County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lime Grove
- Clay Point
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Clay Point is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay Point
- Meckling
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Newcastle
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Bloomingdale
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Bloomingdale is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
- Ionia ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Ionia is located in Dixon County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ionia
- Spink
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Spink is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spink
- Estimated population in 2014: 237 people
- Marshalltown ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Marshalltown is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshalltown
- Saint James
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Saint James is located in Cedar County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint James
- Richland
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Richland is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
- Estimated population in 2014: 215 people
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Alsen
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Alsen is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alsen
- Dalesburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Dalesburg is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dalesburg
- Lodi
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Lodi is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodi
- Estimated population in 2014: 82 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Vermillion. See our List of 1890's Communities around Vermillion.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Vermillion ...
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 73 newspapers that have been published in the area around Vermillion.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Vermillion. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Vermillion and those printed in the larger area surrounding Vermillion.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3> of Vermillion.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Vermillion:
- Websites specific to South Dakota
- Pages specific to Clay County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Lincoln County
- Turner County
- Union County
- Yankton County
- Plymouth County
- Sioux County
- Cedar County
- Dakota County
- Dixon County
- Knox County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for South Dakota
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | The 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. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Vermillion) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | 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 Vermillion, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |