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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 Sparta (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 Sparta. 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 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.

Sparta is located in Monroe County and is the County Seat.

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 Sparta. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Sparta:

  • Monroe County     (The home county of Sparta)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sparta, with the one closest to Sparta listed first.
    • Angelo
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Melvina
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Norwalk
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Tunnel City
      (13 miles [20.9 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
    • Cashton
      (13 miles [20.9 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
    • Tomah
      (15 miles [24.1 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
    • Wilton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
    • Oil City
      (17 miles [27.4 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
    • Warrens
      (20 miles [32.2 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
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Valley Junction
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Wyeville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • 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
    • Clifton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
  • Crawford County
    • Lynxville
      (22 miles [35.4 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 Sparta, with the one closest to Sparta listed first.
    • Melrose
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • North Bend
      (18 miles [29 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 Sparta to North Bend
    • Millston
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Black River Falls
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Lapham Junction
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Taylor
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
  • Juneau County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sparta, with the one closest to Sparta listed first.
    • Camp Douglas
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Hustler
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Mather
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Elroy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
  • La Crosse County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sparta, with the one closest to Sparta listed first.
    • Rockland
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Bangor
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • 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
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • West Salem
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Saint Joseph
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Mindoro
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Barre Mills
      (16 miles [25.7 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 Sparta to Barre Mills
    • Onalaska
      (20 miles [32.2 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
      (21 miles [33.8 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
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Holmen
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holmen have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holmen
      • Holmen is located in La Crosse County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,368 people
    • Midway
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • North La Crosse
      (22 miles [35.4 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
  • Richland County
    • Viola
      (30 miles [48.3 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
  • Trempealeau County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sparta, with the one closest to Sparta listed first.
    • Ettrick
      (27 miles [43.5 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
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Galesville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Vernon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sparta, with the one closest to Sparta listed first.
    • Newry
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Ontario
      (18 miles [29 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
    • Westby
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Coon Valley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Mount Tabor
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Chaseburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • La Farge
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Viroqua
      (26 miles [41.8 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
    • Trippville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • 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 Sparta to Trippville
    • Newton
      (27 miles [43.5 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 Sparta to Newton
    • White City
      (28 miles [45.1 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
    • Stoddard
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Liberty
      (29 miles [46.7 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
  • Houston County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sparta, with the one closest to Sparta listed first.
    • La Crescent
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Brownsville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Hokah
      (29 miles [46.7 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>
  • Winona County (MN)
    • Dakota
      (27 miles [43.5 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 Sparta, see our County-by-County Page for Sparta.

Cemeteries Near Sparta ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sparta.

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

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

  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • 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.
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • 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.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • 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.
  • St. Patricks Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • 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.
  • Leon Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • 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.
  • Angelo Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 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.
  • Farmers Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Rockland Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Welsh Calvanistic Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • 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
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.
  • Lafayette Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lafayette Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lafayette Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mound Prairie Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mound Prairie Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mound Prairie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (179 more) ...
    • Carr Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Carr Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Carr Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Oak Grove Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • County Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the County Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the County 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 Sparta had a population of 2,795 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Sparta had a population of 9,800 people.

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

  • Angelo
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Leon
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • 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
  • Rockland
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Burns
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • 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
  • Melvina
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Cataract
    (10 miles [16.1 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
  • Middle Ridge
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Saint Marys
    (11 miles [17.7 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
  • Norwalk
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • West Salem
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Cashton
    (13 miles [20.9 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
  • Tunnel City
    (13 miles [20.9 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
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Burr Oak
      (14 miles [22.5 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
    • Saint Joseph
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Tomah
      (15 miles [24.1 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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Sparta ...

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 175 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sparta.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Sparta. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Sparta and those printed in the larger area surrounding Sparta.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Sparta.

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 Sparta:

The official website for Sparta: www.spartawisconsin.org/

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 '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- Sparta) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Sparta. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.9444, Longitude: -90.8124    
<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 Sparta, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025