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 White (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 White. 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.
White is located in Brookings County.
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 Brookings County: Lincoln (MN), Deuel, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake & Moody.
Below are the counties that are near White. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to White:
- Brookings County (The home county of White)
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Bushnell
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Bushnell is located in Brookings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushnell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
- North Grove Addition
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- North Grove Addition is located in Brookings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Grove Addition
- Estimated population in 2014: 471 people
- Sunnyview
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Sunnyview is located in Brookings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyview
- Estimated population in 2014: 17 people
- Aurora
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Brookings
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bruce
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Elkton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Volga
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Medary
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Medary is located in Brookings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medary
- Estimated population in 2014: 1,442 people
- Sinai
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Deuel County
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Toronto
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Astoria
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Johnsonville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Johnsonville is located in Deuel County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsonville
- Brandt
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Clear Lake
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Gary
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Moritz
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Moritz is located in Deuel County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moritz
- Estimated population in 2011: 13 people
- Altamont
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Altamont is located in Deuel County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
- Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
- Bemis
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Bemis is located in Deuel County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bemis
- Hamlin County
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Estelline
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Dempster
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Dempster is located in Hamlin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dempster
- Stone Bridge
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Stone Bridge is located in Hamlin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone Bridge
- Estimated population in 2014: 105 people
- Alsville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Alsville is located in Hamlin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alsville
- Castlewood
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Lake Norden
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Kones Corner
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Kones Corner is located in Hamlin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kones Corner
- Kingsbury County
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Arlington
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Badger
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Hetland
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Lake County
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Nunda
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Prairie Queen ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Prairie Queen is located in Lake County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Queen
- Rutland
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Moody County
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Ward
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Dyce ‑ Historic
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Dyce is located in Moody County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dyce
- Flandreau
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Egan
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Lincoln County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Hendricks
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Ivanhoe
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Lake Benton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Arco
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Tyler
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Tyler is located in Lincoln County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyler
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,058 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tyler <1>
- Lyon County (MN)
- Taunton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Pipestone County (MN)
- Airlie
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Airlie is located in Pipestone County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airlie
- Yellow Medicine County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Canby
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Canby is located in Yellow Medicine County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canby
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,645 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canby <1>
- Porter
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Porter is located in Yellow Medicine County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
- Population from the 2020 Census: 164 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to White, see our County-by-County Page for White.
Cemeteries Near White ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of White.
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 White - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for White covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Fair View Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- St. Pauls Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Fountain Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Leganger Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Mikkelson Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Blom Prairie Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Fairlawn Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Trulock Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Bethany Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- St. John Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- St. Johns Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Toronto Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Continue List (99 more) ...
- St. Petri Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- New Grove Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Hendricks Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
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 White had a population of 137 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, White had a population of 487 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from White, with the one closest to White listed first.
- Bushnell
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Bushnell is located in Brookings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushnell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
- Toronto
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Aurora
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Brookings
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Hendricks
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bruce
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Volga
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Elkton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Estelline
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Brandt
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Wilno
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Wilno is located in Lincoln County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilno
- Dempster
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Dempster is located in Hamlin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dempster
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Ward
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Verdi
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Verdi is located in Lincoln County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdi
- Lake Benton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around White. See our List of 1890's Communities around White.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of White ...
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 71 newspapers that have been published in the area around White.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of White. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of White and those printed in the larger area surrounding White.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<2> of White.
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 White:
- Websites specific to South Dakota
- Pages specific to Brookings County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Deuel County
- Hamlin County
- Kingsbury County
- Lake County
- Moody County
- Lincoln County
- Lyon County
- Pipestone County
- Yellow Medicine 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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- White) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <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 White, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |