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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 Rockland (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 Rockland. 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 Rockland ...

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.

Another variation: Rock Land.

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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and 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.

Rockland is primarily located in La Crosse County. A portion of Rockland extends into 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 La Crosse County: Houston (MN), Winona (MN), Jackson, Monroe, Trempealeau & Vernon.

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

  • La Crosse County     (The home county of Rockland)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockland, with the one closest to Rockland listed first.
    • Bangor
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • 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
    • Middle Ridge
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • West Salem
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Barre Mills
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • 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 Rockland to Barre Mills
    • Saint Joseph
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Mindoro
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Onalaska
      (14 miles [22.5 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
    • Shelby
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • 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
    • Grand Crossing
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Midway
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • North La Crosse
      (16 miles [25.7 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
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Crawford County
    • Lynxville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lynxville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynxville
      • Lynxville is located in Crawford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockland, with the one closest to Rockland listed first.
    • Melrose
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • North Bend
      (16 miles [25.7 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 Rockland to North Bend
    • Millston
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Black River Falls
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Taylor
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Taylor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylor
      • Taylor is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 473 people
  • Monroe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockland, with the one closest to Rockland listed first.
    • Sparta
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Angelo
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Melvina
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Cashton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Tunnel City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • 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
    • Oil City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
    • Wilton
      (20 miles [32.2 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
    • Tomah
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • 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
    • Warrens
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warrens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warrens
      • Warrens is located in Monroe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 346 people
    • Oakdale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Valley Junction
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Richland County
    • Viola
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
  • Trempealeau County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockland, with the one closest to Rockland listed first.
    • Galesville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Ettrick
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ettrick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ettrick
      • Ettrick is located in Trempealeau County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 511 people
    • Frenchville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Trempealeau
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trempealeau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trempealeau
      • Trempealeau is located in Trempealeau County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,663 people
    • Wrights Corners
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Vernon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockland, with the one closest to Rockland listed first.
    • Coon Valley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Newry
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Westby
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Chaseburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Ontario
      (20 miles [32.2 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
    • Newton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • 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 Rockland to Newton
    • Stoddard
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Viroqua
      (24 miles [38.6 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
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Purdy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Purdy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Purdy
      • Purdy is located in Vernon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Purdy
      • From Rockland to Purdy
    • Mount Tabor
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Genoa
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Houston County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockland, with the one closest to Rockland listed first.
    • La Crescent
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Brownsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Hokah
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • 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>
    • Reno
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Winona County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockland, with the one closest to Rockland listed first.
    • Dakota
      (21 miles [33.8 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
    • Nodine
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Lamoille
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Rockland ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rockland.

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

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

  • Rockland Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Welsh Calvanistic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Welsh Calvanistic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Welsh Calvanistic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Welsh Congregational Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Welsh Congregational Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Welsh Congregational Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Leon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • 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.
  • Burns Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Burns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Burns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Patricks Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • 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.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Neshonoc Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Neshonoc Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Neshonoc Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (180 more) ...
    • Farmers Valley Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Angelo Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Angelo Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Angelo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hamilton Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hamilton Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hamilton 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 Rockland had a population of 32 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Rockland had a population of 710 people.

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

  • Burns
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burns have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burns
    • Burns is located in La Crosse County
  • Leon
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • 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
  • Sparta
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Middle Ridge
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Angelo
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • West Salem
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Barre Mills
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • 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 Rockland to Barre Mills
  • Saint Joseph
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Melvina
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Burr Oak
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burr Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burr Oak
    • Burr Oak is located in La Crosse County
  • Mindoro
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Cashton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • 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
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Saint Marys
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
    • Cataract
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cataract have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cataract
      • Cataract is located in Monroe County
    • Medary
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medary have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medary
      • Medary is located in La Crosse County

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

Newspapers Published in Rockland ...

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 167 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rockland.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rockland, 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 Rockland.

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 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 Rockland:

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

The official website for La Crosse County: www.co.la-crosse.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 '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- Rockland) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rockland. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.9056, Longitude: -90.9201    
<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 Rockland, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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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.

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025