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 Atwater (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 Atwater. 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 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.
Atwater is located in Dodge County.
To see how the shape of Wisconsin's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Dodge County: Columbia, Dane, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Jefferson, Washington & Waukesha.
Below are the counties that are near Atwater. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Atwater:
- Dodge County (The home county of Atwater)
- The following are listed by their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Burnett
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Waupun
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waupun have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waupun
- Waupun is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 11,271 people
- Minnesota Junction
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Kekoskee
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kekoskee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kekoskee
- Kekoskee is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 891 people
- Beaver Dam
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaver Dam have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Dam
- Beaver Dam is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 16,303 people
- Fox Lake
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fox Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fox Lake
- Fox Lake is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,440 people
- Horicon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horicon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horicon
- Horicon is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,680 people
- Juneau
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Mayville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mayville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayville
- Mayville is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,829 people
- Knowles
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Brownsville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownsville
- Brownsville is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 585 people
- Neda
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Columbia County
- The following are listed by their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Friesland
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friesland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friesland
- Friesland is located in Columbia County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
- Cambria
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Englewood
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Fall River
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Columbus
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Doylestown
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Otsego
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Rio
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rio have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rio
- Rio is located in Columbia County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,047 people
- Pardeeville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pardeeville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pardeeville
- Pardeeville is located in Columbia County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,053 people
- Wyocena
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Dane County
- East Bristol
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Fond du Lac County
- The following are listed by their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Ladoga
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Brandon
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Oakfield
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Fairwater
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Metomen
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Metomen. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metomen
- Metomen is located in Fond du Lac County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Metomen
- From Atwater to Metomen
- Byron
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Rosendale
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rosendale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosendale
- Rosendale is located in Fond du Lac County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,026 people
- Woodhull
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Woodhull. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodhull
- Woodhull is located in Fond du Lac County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Woodhull
- From Atwater to Woodhull
- Ashford
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Saint Kilian
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- West Rosendale
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Eldorado
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Green Lake County
- The following are listed by their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Utley
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Utley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utley
- Utley is located in Green Lake County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Utley
- From Atwater to Utley
- Markesan
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Markesan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Markesan
- Markesan is located in Green Lake County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,389 people
- Kingston
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Green Lake
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Lake
- Green Lake is located in Green Lake County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 959 people
- Marquette
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marquette have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marquette
- Marquette is located in Green Lake County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
- Princeton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Princeton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Princeton
- Princeton is located in Green Lake County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,166 people
- Berlin
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berlin
- Berlin is located in Green Lake County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,383 people
- Jefferson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Watertown
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Grellton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Ixonia
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ixonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ixonia
- Ixonia is located in Jefferson County
- Waterloo
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waterloo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
- Waterloo is located in Jefferson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,322 people
- Lac La Belle
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lac La Belle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lac La Belle
- Lac La Belle is located in Jefferson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 302 people
- Washington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Wayne
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Allenton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Aurora
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Hartford
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Saint Lawrence
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Cedar Lake
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cedar Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Lake
- Cedar Lake is located in Washington County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Cedar Lake
- From Atwater to Cedar Lake
- Slinger
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Slinger have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slinger
- Slinger is located in Washington County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,704 people
- Thompson
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Thompson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thompson
- Thompson is located in Washington County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Thompson
- From Atwater to Thompson
- Barton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Saint Michaels
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- West Bend
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Cedar Creek
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Waukesha County
- Monterey
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Winnebago County
- The following are listed by their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Pickett
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Fisk
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Black Wolf
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Black Wolf have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Wolf
- Black Wolf is located in Winnebago County
- Point Comfort
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Fitzgerald
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fitzgerald. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitzgerald
- Fitzgerald is located in Winnebago County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Fitzgerald
- From Atwater to Fitzgerald
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Atwater, see our County-by-County Page for Atwater.
Cemeteries Near Atwater ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Atwater.
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 Atwater covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Atwater Community Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Atwater Community Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Atwater Community Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Burnett Union Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Burnett Union Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Burnett Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Highland Memorial Gardens
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Memorial Gardens
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- State Prison Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the State Prison Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the State Prison Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Trenton Center Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Calvary Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Forest Mound Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Mound Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Mound Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Marys Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Marys Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Stone Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stone Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stone Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Cattaraugus Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cattaraugus Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cattaraugus Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Tidyman Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tidyman Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tidyman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Paul Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Paul Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Paul Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (298 more) ...
- Norwegian Church Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwegian Church Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwegian Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Beaver Dam Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Oakwood Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakwood Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Atwater had a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Atwater, with the one closest to Atwater listed first.
- Burnett
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Rolling Prairie
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rolling Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rolling Prairie
- Rolling Prairie is located in Dodge County
- Minnesota Junction
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Fox Lake Junction
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fox Lake Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fox Lake Junction
- Fox Lake Junction is located in Dodge County
- Beaver Dam
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaver Dam have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Dam
- Beaver Dam is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 16,303 people
- Alto
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alto have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alto
- Alto is located in Fond du Lac County
- Kekoskee
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kekoskee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kekoskee
- Kekoskee is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 891 people
- LeRoy
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for LeRoy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LeRoy
- LeRoy is located in Dodge County
- Fox Lake
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fox Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fox Lake
- Fox Lake is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,440 people
- Horicon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horicon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horicon
- Horicon is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,680 people
- Oak Center
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Center
- Oak Center is located in Fond du Lac County
- Juneau
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Mayville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mayville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayville
- Mayville is located in Dodge County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,829 people
- Knowles
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Ladoga
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Atwater. See our List of 1890's Communities around Atwater.
Newspapers Published in Atwater ...
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 75 newspapers that have been published in the area around Atwater.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Atwater, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Atwater.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Atwater:
- Websites specific to Wisconsin
- Pages specific to Dodge County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Columbia County
- Dane County
- Fond du Lac County
- Green Lake County
- Jefferson County
- Washington County
- Waukesha County
- Winnebago County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Wisconsin
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Atwater. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Dodge County: www.co.dodge.wi.us/
The official website for State of Wisconsin: https://www.wisconsin.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> | 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. |
<3> | 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 Atwater, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
<4> | 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- Atwater) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Atwater. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.5607, Longitude: -88.7348 |