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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 Willow Lake (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 Willow Lake. 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 Willow Lake ...

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 have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Willow Lake: Willow Lk.

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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors 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.

Willow Lake is located in Clark 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 Clark County: Beadle, Codington, Day, Hamlin, Kingsbury & Spink.

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

  • Clark County     (The home county of Willow Lake)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willow Lake, with the one closest to Willow Lake listed first.
    • Success ‑ Historic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Success have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Success
      • Success is located in Clark County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 6,741 people
    • Vienna
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vienna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vienna
      • Vienna is located in Clark County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vienna <2>
    • Pitrodie ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pitrodie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pitrodie
      • Pitrodie is located in Clark County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 25 people
    • Naples
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naples
      • Naples is located in Clark County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
    • Carpenter
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Merton ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merton
      • Merton is located in Clark County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 55 people
    • Clark
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Elrod
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elrod have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elrod
      • Elrod is located in Clark County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 92 people
    • Garden City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
      • Garden City is located in Clark County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 59 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garden City <2>
    • Raymond
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Raymond have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
      • Raymond is located in Clark County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 55 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Raymond <2>
  • Beadle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willow Lake, with the one closest to Willow Lake listed first.
    • Yale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Cavour
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cavour have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cavour
      • Cavour is located in Beadle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cavour <2>
    • Huron Colony
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huron Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huron Colony
      • Huron Colony is located in Beadle County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 403 people
  • Codington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willow Lake, with the one closest to Willow Lake listed first.
    • Henry
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henry
      • Henry is located in Codington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 264 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henry <2>
    • Grover
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grover have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grover
      • Grover is located in Codington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 171 people
    • Kampeska
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kampeska
      • Kampeska is located in Codington County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 331 people
  • Hamlin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willow Lake, with the one closest to Willow Lake listed first.
    • Bryant
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Hazel
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hazel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel
      • Hazel is located in Hamlin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hazel <2>
    • Hayti
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • 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>
    • Lake Norden
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Thomas
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomas
      • Thomas is located in Hamlin County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 290 people
    • Alsville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alsville
      • Alsville is located in Hamlin County
    • Kones Corner
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kones Corner
      • Kones Corner is located in Hamlin County
    • Stone Bridge
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • 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
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Kingsbury County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willow Lake, with the one closest to Willow Lake listed first.
    • Bancroft
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bancroft have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bancroft
      • Bancroft is located in Kingsbury County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19 people
    • Erwin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erwin
      • Erwin is located in Kingsbury County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 45 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Erwin <2>
    • Osceola
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Osceola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
      • Osceola is located in Kingsbury County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 90 people
    • De Smet
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Manchester
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manchester have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
      • Manchester is located in Kingsbury County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 65 people
    • Iroquois
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iroquois have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iroquois
      • Iroquois is located in Kingsbury County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Iroquois <2>
    • Lake Preston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Badger
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Esmond
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Esmond have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Esmond
      • Esmond is located in Kingsbury County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 60 people
    • Hetland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Arlington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
  • Spink County
    • Doland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doland
      • Doland is located in Spink County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 179 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Doland <2>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Willow Lake ...

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 35 newspapers that have been published in the area around Willow Lake.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 Willow Lake:

Cemeteries Near Willow Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Willow Lake.

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

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

  • Collins Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Collins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Collins Cemetery
  • Pleasant Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Cemetery
  • Woodland Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodland Cemetery
  • Hague Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hague Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hague Cemetery
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
  • Our Redeemer Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Our Redeemer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Our Redeemer Cemetery
  • West Merton Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Merton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Merton Cemetery
  • Vienna Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vienna Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vienna Cemetery
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Cemetery
  • Dixon Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dixon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dixon Cemetery
  • LeSueur Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the LeSueur Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the LeSueur Cemetery
  • Spirt Lake Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spirt Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spirt Lake Cemetery
  • Continue List   (74 more) ...
    • Naples Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Naples Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Naples Cemetery
    • St. Patricks Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Patricks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Patricks Cemetery
    • Petrodie Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 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 Willow Lake had a population of 240 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Willow Lake had a population of 244 people.

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

  • Success ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Success have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Success
    • Success is located in Clark County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 6,741 people
  • Bryant
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Vienna
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vienna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vienna
    • Vienna is located in Clark County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vienna <2>
  • Pitrodie ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pitrodie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pitrodie
    • Pitrodie is located in Clark County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 25 people
  • Bancroft
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bancroft have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bancroft
    • Bancroft is located in Kingsbury County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 19 people
  • Naples
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naples
    • Naples is located in Clark County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
  • Carlton ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carlton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlton
    • Carlton is located in Clark County
  • Erwin
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erwin
    • Erwin is located in Kingsbury County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 45 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Erwin <2>
  • Osceola
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Osceola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
    • Osceola is located in Kingsbury County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 90 people
  • Merton ‑ Historic
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merton
    • Merton is located in Clark County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 55 people
  • Hazel
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hazel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel
    • Hazel is located in Hamlin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hazel <2>
  • De Smet
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Clark
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Manchester
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manchester have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
      • Manchester is located in Kingsbury County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 65 people
    • Elrod
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elrod have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elrod
      • Elrod is located in Clark County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 92 people

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Willow Lake. 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Willow Lake) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Willow Lake. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.6280, Longitude: -97.6381       In this case, the coordinates for Willow Lake have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Willow Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024