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 Melvina (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 Melvina. 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 southeast 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 south.
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 south 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.
Melvina is located in Monroe 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 Monroe County: Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse & Vernon.
Below are the counties that are near Melvina. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Melvina:
- Monroe County (The home county of Melvina)
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Cashton
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cashton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cashton
- Cashton is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,111 people
- Norwalk
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Sparta
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Oil City
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oil City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oil City
- Oil City is located in Monroe County
- Angelo
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Wilton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
- Wilton is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 498 people
- Tunnel City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tunnel City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunnel City
- Tunnel City is located in Monroe County
- Tomah
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tomah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tomah
- Tomah is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 9,363 people
- Kendall
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kendall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kendall
- Kendall is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 472 people
- Clifton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Oakdale
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Valley Junction
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Wyeville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wyeville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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
- Crawford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Towerville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Towerville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Towerville
- Towerville is located in Crawford County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Towerville
- From Melvina to Towerville
- Rising Sun
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rising Sun. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising Sun
- Rising Sun is located in Crawford County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Rising Sun
- From Melvina to Rising Sun
- Soldiers Grove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Soldiers Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Soldiers Grove
- Soldiers Grove is located in Crawford County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 535 people
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Melrose
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- North Bend
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for North Bend. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bend
- North Bend is located in Jackson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to North Bend
- From Melvina to North Bend
- Millston
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Juneau County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Elroy
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elroy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elroy
- Elroy is located in Juneau County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,306 people
- Hustler
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Camp Douglas
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Union Center
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Wonewoc
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wonewoc have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wonewoc
- Wonewoc is located in Juneau County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 789 people
- New Lisbon
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- La Crosse County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Middle Ridge
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Rockland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Bangor
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bangor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bangor
- Bangor is located in La Crosse County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,442 people
- Saint Joseph
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- West Salem
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Barre Mills
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Barre Mills. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barre Mills
- Barre Mills is located in La Crosse County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Barre Mills
- From Melvina to Barre Mills
- Shelby
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shelby have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelby
- Shelby is located in La Crosse County
- Mindoro
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Grand Crossing
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Onalaska
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Onalaska have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onalaska
- Onalaska is located in La Crosse County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 19,108 people
- La Crosse
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- North La Crosse
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North La Crosse have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North La Crosse
- North La Crosse is located in La Crosse County
- French Island
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Richland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Viola
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Viola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viola
- Viola is located in Richland County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 665 people
- Yuba
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yuba have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yuba
- Yuba is located in Richland County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
- Bloom City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Sabin
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sabin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabin
- Sabin is located in Richland County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Sabin
- From Melvina to Sabin
- Gillingham
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Vernon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Newry
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Westby
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Ontario
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ontario have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ontario
- Ontario is located in Vernon County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 561 people
- Coon Valley
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Viroqua
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Viroqua have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viroqua
- Viroqua is located in Vernon County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,394 people
- La Farge
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Mount Tabor
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Chaseburg
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Trippville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Trippville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trippville
- Trippville is located in Vernon County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Trippville
- From Melvina to Trippville
- Liberty
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Liberty have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty
- Liberty is located in Vernon County
- White City
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
- White City is located in Vernon County
- Newton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
- Newton is located in Vernon County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Newton
- From Melvina to Newton
- Liberty Pole
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Houston County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Brownsville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- La Crescent
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Reno
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Hokah
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hokah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hokah
- Hokah is located in Houston County (MN)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 548 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hokah <3>
- Winona County (MN)
- Dakota
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dakota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dakota
- Dakota is located in Winona County (MN)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 307 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Melvina, see our County-by-County Page for Melvina.
Cemeteries Near Melvina ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Melvina.
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 Melvina covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Union Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Sacred Heart Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pine Hollow Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Hollow Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Hollow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Rest Haven Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rest Haven Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rest Haven Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Moen Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moen Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Clinton Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clinton Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clinton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Leon Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leon Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Farmers Valley Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Home Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Home Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Jacobs Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Jacobs Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Jacobs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Catholic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Catholic Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pilgrims Home Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pilgrims Home Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pilgrims Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (202 more) ...
- Summit Ridge Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Summit Ridge Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Summit Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Patricks Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Patricks Cemetery
- 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.
- Bad Axe Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bad Axe Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bad Axe 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.<6>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Melvina had a population of 88 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Melvina had a population of 109 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Melvina, with the one closest to Melvina listed first.
- Cashton
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cashton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cashton
- Cashton is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,111 people
- Saint Marys
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Marys have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Marys
- Saint Marys is located in Monroe County
- Leon
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leon
- Leon is located in Monroe County
- Newry
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Norwalk
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Middle Ridge
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Sparta
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Westby
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Ontario
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ontario have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ontario
- Ontario is located in Vernon County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 561 people
- Oil City
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oil City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oil City
- Oil City is located in Monroe County
- Rockland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Bloomingdale
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloomingdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
- Bloomingdale is located in Vernon County
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Angelo
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Coon Valley
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Avalanche
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avalanche have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avalanche
- Avalanche is located in Vernon County
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Melvina. See our List of 1890's Communities around Melvina.
Newspapers Published in Melvina ...
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 148 newspapers that have been published in the area around Melvina.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Melvina, 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 Melvina.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Melvina:
- Websites specific to Wisconsin
- Pages specific to Monroe County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Crawford County
- Jackson County
- Juneau County
- La Crosse County
- Richland County
- Vernon County
- Houston County
- Winona County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Wisconsin
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Melvina. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Monroe County: www.co.monroe.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> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Melvina) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Melvina. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.8039, Longitude: -90.7736 |
<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 Melvina, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |