RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Wisconsin >> Adams County >> Big Flats >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Wisconsin

The Commemorative Quarter for Wisconsin





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 Big Flats (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 Big Flats. 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 Big Flats ...

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 Big Flats: Big Flts.

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 hospitals and 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.

Big Flats is located in Adams 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 Adams County: Columbia, Juneau, Marquette, Portage, Sauk, Waushara & Wood.

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

  • Adams County     (The home county of Big Flats)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Flats, with the one closest to Big Flats listed first.
    • Arkdale
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • New Rome ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Rome. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Rome
      • New Rome is located in Adams County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to New Rome
      • From Big Flats to New Rome
    • Leola
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leola
      • Leola is located in Adams County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leola
      • From Big Flats to Leola
    • Friendship
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship
      • Friendship is located in Adams County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 676 people
    • Strongs Prairie
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Adams
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Quincy ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Easton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Plainville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Plainville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainville
      • Plainville is located in Adams County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Plainville
      • From Big Flats to Plainville
  • Jackson County
    • City Point
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for City Point. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for City Point
      • City Point is located in Jackson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to City Point
      • From Big Flats to City Point
  • Juneau County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Flats, with the one closest to Big Flats listed first.
    • New Miner
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Necedah
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Sprague
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sprague. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sprague
      • Sprague is located in Juneau County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sprague
      • From Big Flats to Sprague
    • Lemonweir
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • New Lisbon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Mather
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Mauston
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mauston have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mauston
      • Mauston is located in Juneau County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,358 people
    • Camp Douglas
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Lyndon Station
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyndon Station have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyndon Station
      • Lyndon Station is located in Juneau County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 485 people
    • Hustler
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Marquette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Flats, with the one closest to Big Flats listed first.
    • Westfield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westfield
      • Westfield is located in Marquette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,268 people
    • Oxford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Packwaukee
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Monroe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Flats, with the one closest to Big Flats listed first.
    • Shennington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Wyeville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wyeville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyeville
      • Wyeville is located in Monroe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
    • Oakdale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Valley Junction
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Portage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Flats, with the one closest to Big Flats listed first.
    • Almond
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Blaine
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Plover
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plover have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plover
      • Plover is located in Portage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,252 people
    • Whiting
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whiting have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whiting
      • Whiting is located in Portage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,704 people
    • Arnott
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arnott. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnott
      • Arnott is located in Portage County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Arnott
      • From Big Flats to Arnott
    • Stevens Point
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Park Ridge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Ridge
      • Park Ridge is located in Portage County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 496 people
  • Waushara County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Flats, with the one closest to Big Flats listed first.
    • Hancock
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hancock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
      • Hancock is located in Waushara County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 402 people
    • Coloma
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coloma have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coloma
      • Coloma is located in Waushara County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 444 people
    • Plainfield
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plainfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainfield
      • Plainfield is located in Waushara County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 832 people
    • Wautoma
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wautoma have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wautoma
      • Wautoma is located in Waushara County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,114 people
    • Wild Rose
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Silver Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
      • Silver Lake is located in Waushara County
    • Mount Morris
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Wood County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Flats, with the one closest to Big Flats listed first.
    • Nekoosa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Port Edwards
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Grand Rapids
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Lake Wazeecha
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Wazeecha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Wazeecha
      • Lake Wazeecha is located in Wood County
    • Wisconsin Rapids
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Biron
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Biron have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biron
      • Biron is located in Wood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 761 people
    • Eight Corners
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Rudolph
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rudolph have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rudolph
      • Rudolph is located in Wood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 411 people
    • Vesper
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Pittsville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pittsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsville
      • Pittsville is located in Wood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 820 people

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

Cemeteries Near Big Flats ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Flats.

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

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

  • Niebull Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Niebull Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Niebull Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cottonville Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cottonville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cottonville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Edwardson Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Edwardson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Edwardson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • East Arkdale Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Arkdale Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Arkdale Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Indian Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Indian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Holliday Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holliday Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holliday Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spring Branch Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Branch Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spring Branch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Monroe Center Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Monroe Center Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Monroe Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • West Arkdale Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Arkdale Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Arkdale Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • South Arkdale Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Arkdale Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Arkdale Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Strongs Prairie Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Strongs Prairie Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Strongs Prairie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Leos Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Leos Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Leos Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (141 more) ...
    • Mt. Repose Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Repose Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Repose Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Coloma - Leola Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coloma - Leola Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coloma - Leola Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Green Hill Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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>

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

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

  • Roche a Cri ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roche a Cri have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roche a Cri
    • Roche a Cri is located in Adams County
  • Arkdale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Monroe Center
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroe Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe Center
    • Monroe Center is located in Adams County
  • Strongs Prairie
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Friendship
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship
    • Friendship is located in Adams County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 676 people
  • New Rome ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Rome. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Rome
    • New Rome is located in Adams County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to New Rome
    • From Big Flats to New Rome
  • Pilot Knob ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pilot Knob have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pilot Knob
    • Pilot Knob is located in Adams County
  • Adams Center ‑ Historic
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adams Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams Center
    • Adams Center is located in Adams County
  • Hancock
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hancock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
    • Hancock is located in Waushara County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 402 people
  • Coloma
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coloma have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coloma
    • Coloma is located in Waushara County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 444 people
  • Grand Marsh
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Marsh have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Marsh
    • Grand Marsh is located in Adams County
  • Sprague
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sprague. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sprague
    • Sprague is located in Juneau County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Sprague
    • From Big Flats to Sprague
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Port Edwards
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Quincy ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Plainfield
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plainfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainfield
      • Plainfield is located in Waushara County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 832 people

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

Newspapers Published in Big Flats ...

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 72 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Flats.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Big Flats, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Big Flats.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Big Flats:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Big Flats. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Adams County: www.co.adams.wi.us/

The official website for State of Wisconsin: https://www.wisconsin.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>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.
<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 Big Flats, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 from Point A (ie- Big Flats) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Big Flats. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.1119, Longitude: -89.8079    









 

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