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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 Gills Rock (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 Gills Rock. 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 Gills Rock ...

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.

While the name of this community is Gills Rock, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Gills Rock may originally have been Gill's Rock.

Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Gills Rock might be written as Gill Rock.

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 and 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.

Gills Rock is located in Door County.

To see how the shape of Wisconsin's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

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

  • Door County     (The home county of Gills Rock)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gills Rock, with the one closest to Gills Rock listed first.
    • Ellison Bay
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Rowleys Bay
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Washington
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Sister Bay
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • North Bay
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bay
      • North Bay is located in Door County
    • Ephraim
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ephraim have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ephraim
      • Ephraim is located in Door County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
    • Fish Creek
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Baileys Harbor
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Egg Harbor
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Egg Harbor have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Harbor
      • Egg Harbor is located in Door County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
    • Jacksonport
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Delta County (MI)
    • Ford River
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ford River. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ford River
      • Ford River is located in Delta County (MI)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ford River
      • From Gills Rock to Ford River
  • Menominee County (MI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gills Rock, with the one closest to Gills Rock listed first.
    • Arthur Bay
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arthur Bay. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arthur Bay
      • Arthur Bay is located in Menominee County (MI)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Arthur Bay
      • From Gills Rock to Arthur Bay
    • Carbondale
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Wallace
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Ingalls
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ingalls have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ingalls
      • Ingalls is located in Menominee County (MI)
    • Stephenson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stephenson have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stephenson
      • Stephenson is located in Menominee County (MI)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 818 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stephenson <4>
    • Daggett
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Daggett have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Daggett
      • Daggett is located in Menominee County (MI)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 242 people
    • Kew
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kew. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kew
      • Kew is located in Menominee County (MI)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kew
      • From Gills Rock to Kew

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

Cemeteries Near Gills Rock ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Gills Rock.

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 Gills Rock covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Ellison Bay Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ellison Bay Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ellison Bay Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Liberty Grove Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rowleys Bay Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rowleys Bay Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rowleys Bay Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Rosalias Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Island Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Washington Twp. Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Washington Twp. Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Washington Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Little Sister Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Sister Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Sister Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lutheran Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Blossomburg Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blossomburg Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blossomburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Baileys Harbor Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baileys Harbor Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baileys Harbor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Juddville Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Juddville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Juddville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Martin Island Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Martin Island Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Martin Island Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (26 more) ...
    • Cedar River Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar River Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar River Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Egg Harbor Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Egg Harbor Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Egg Harbor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jacksonport Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jacksonport Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jacksonport Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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.<6>

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

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

  • Ellison Bay
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Rowleys Bay
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Sister Bay
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Ephraim
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ephraim have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ephraim
    • Ephraim is located in Door County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
  • Fish Creek
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Baileys Harbor
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Cedar River
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar River have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar River
    • Cedar River is located in Menominee County (MI)
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cedar River <4>
  • Arthur Bay
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arthur Bay. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arthur Bay
    • Arthur Bay is located in Menominee County (MI)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Arthur Bay
    • From Gills Rock to Arthur Bay
  • Egg Harbor
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Egg Harbor have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Harbor
    • Egg Harbor is located in Door County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
  • Jacksonport
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Ford River
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ford River. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ford River
    • Ford River is located in Delta County (MI)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Ford River
    • From Gills Rock to Ford River
  • Wallace
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (4 more) ...
    • Carbondale
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Birch Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Birch Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birch Creek
      • Birch Creek is located in Menominee County (MI)
    • Stephenson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stephenson have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stephenson
      • Stephenson is located in Menominee County (MI)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 818 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stephenson <4>

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

Newspapers Published in Gills Rock ...

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 1 newspapers that have been published in the area around Gills Rock.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Gills Rock, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<7>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Gills Rock.

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 Gills Rock:

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

The official website for Door County: www.co.door.wi.gov/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties).
<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>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.
<4>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<5>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.
<6>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 Gills Rock, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Gills Rock) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Gills Rock. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.2874, Longitude: -87.0218    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025