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 Mercer (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 Mercer. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Mercer is primarily located in Iron County. A portion of Mercer extends into Oneida County.
To see how the shape of Wisconsin's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Iron County: Gogebic (MI), Ashland, Price & Vilas.
Below are the counties that are near Mercer. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Mercer:
- Iron County (The home county of Mercer)
- The following are listed by their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Manitowish
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Manitowish is located in Iron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manitowish
- Gile
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Gile is located in Iron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gile
- Hurley
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Hurley is located in Iron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,424 people
- Montreal
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Montreal is located in Iron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montreal
- Population from the 2020 Census: 752 people
- Ashland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Butternut
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Butternut is located in Ashland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butternut
- Population from the 2020 Census: 351 people
- Glidden
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Glidden is located in Ashland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glidden
- Mellen
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Mellen is located in Ashland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mellen
- Population from the 2020 Census: 686 people
- Tannery Town
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Tannery Town is located in Ashland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tannery Town
- White City
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- White City is located in Ashland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
- Oneida County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Woodruff
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Woodruff is located in Oneida County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodruff
- Hazelhurst
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hazelhurst is located in Oneida County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelhurst
- Price County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Park Falls
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Park Falls is located in Price County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Falls
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,192 people
- Fifield
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Fifield is located in Price County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fifield
- Lake
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Lake is located in Price County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake
- Estimated population in 2015: 1,106 people
- Vilas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Manitowish Waters
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Manitowish Waters is located in Vilas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manitowish Waters
- Katinka Village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Katinka Village is located in Vilas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Katinka Village
- Lac du Flambeau
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Lac du Flambeau is located in Vilas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lac du Flambeau
- Sayner
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Sayner is located in Vilas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sayner
- Gogebic County (MI)
- The following are listed by their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Hartley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Hartley is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartley
- Hartley has also been known as:
- Hartleys
- Ironwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Yale
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Yale is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yale
- Bessemer
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Ramsay
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Ramsay is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramsay
- Hillcrest
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Hillcrest is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest
- Wakefield
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Marenisco
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- North Ironwood
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- North Ironwood is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Ironwood
- Thomaston
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Thomaston is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomaston
- Connorville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Connorville is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Connorville
- Gogebic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Gogebic is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gogebic
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Mercer, see our County-by-County Page for Mercer.
Cemeteries Near Mercer ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mercer.
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.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Mercer - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Mercer covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Mercer Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Winchester Memorial Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Presbyterian Church Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Presque Isle Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Pines Cemetery
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Hillside Cemetery
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Riverside Cemetery
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Riverside Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Ironwood (MI).
- The Riverside Cemetery has also been known as:
- Ironwood Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1499 <2>
- Lakeside Cemetery
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Union Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Hillcrest Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Calvary Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Greenwood Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- St. Cecelia Cemetery
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Marenisco Twp. Cemetery
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
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, Mercer had railroad service and no post office.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Mercer, with the one closest to Mercer listed first.
- Hartley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Hartley is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartley
- Hartley has also been known as:
- Hartleys
- Ironwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Hurley
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Hurley is located in Iron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,424 people
- Jessieville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Jessieville is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jessieville
- Ramsay
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Ramsay is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramsay
- Bessemer
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Siemens
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Siemens is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siemens
- Wellington
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Wellington is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellington
- Wakefield
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Butternut
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Butternut is located in Ashland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butternut
- Population from the 2020 Census: 351 people
- Park Falls
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Park Falls is located in Price County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Falls
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,192 people
- Glidden
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Glidden is located in Ashland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glidden
- Continue List (8 more) ...
- Woodruff
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Woodruff is located in Oneida County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodruff
- Thomaston
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Thomaston is located in Gogebic County (MI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomaston
- Fifield
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Fifield is located in Price County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fifield
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Mercer. See our List of 1890's Communities around Mercer.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Mercer ...
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 57 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mercer.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Mercer. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Mercer and those printed in the larger area surrounding Mercer.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Mercer.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Mercer:
- Websites specific to Wisconsin
- Pages specific to Iron County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Ashland County
- Oneida County
- Price County
- Vilas County
- Gogebic County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Wisconsin
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | 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. |
| <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 Mercer, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Mercer) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |