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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 Star Lake (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 Star Lake. 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 Star Lake ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Star Lake: Star Lk.

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 doctors and hospitals 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.

Star Lake is located in Vilas 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 Vilas County: Gogebic (MI), Iron (MI), Forest, Iron, Oneida & Price.

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

  • Vilas County     (The home county of Star Lake)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Star Lake, with the one closest to Star Lake listed first.
    • Sayner
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sayner
      • Sayner is located in Vilas County
    • Saint Germain
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Germain
      • Saint Germain is located in Vilas County
      • Former names for Saint Germain:
      • Farmington
      • Lakewood
    • Conover
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conover
      • Conover is located in Vilas County
    • Eagle River
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle River
      • Eagle River is located in Vilas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,582 people
    • Land O'Lakes
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Land O'Lakes
      • Land O'Lakes is located in Vilas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 897 people
    • Phelps
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelps
      • Phelps is located in Vilas County
    • Katinka Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Katinka Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Katinka Village
      • Katinka Village is located in Vilas County
    • Lac du Flambeau
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lac du Flambeau
      • Lac du Flambeau is located in Vilas County
    • Manitowish Waters
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manitowish Waters have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manitowish Waters
      • Manitowish Waters is located in Vilas County
  • Iron County
    • Manitowish
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manitowish
      • Manitowish is located in Iron County
  • Oneida County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Star Lake, with the one closest to Star Lake listed first.
    • Woodruff
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodruff
      • Woodruff is located in Oneida County
    • Sugar Camp
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Camp
      • Sugar Camp is located in Oneida County
    • Hazelhurst
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelhurst
      • Hazelhurst is located in Oneida County
    • Newbold
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newbold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbold
      • Newbold is located in Oneida County
    • Harshaw
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harshaw
      • Harshaw is located in Oneida County
    • Rhinelander
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rhinelander
      • Rhinelander is located in Oneida County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,637 people
    • Gagen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gagen. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gagen
      • Gagen is located in Oneida County
  • Gogebic County (MI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Star Lake, with the one closest to Star Lake listed first.
    • Katakitckon Indian Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Katakitckon Indian Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Katakitckon Indian Village
      • Katakitckon Indian Village is located in Gogebic County (MI)
    • Watersmeet
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • White City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • 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 Gogebic County (MI)
    • Fuller
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fuller. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fuller
      • Fuller is located in Gogebic County (MI)
    • Marenisco
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Ontonagon County (MI)
    • Paulding
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Star Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Star Lake.

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

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

  • Plum Lake Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Germain Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Germain Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Germain Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pines Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pines Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pines Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hildegard Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hildegard Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hildegard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest Garden Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Garden Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Garden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Oak Hill Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Land O' Lakes Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Land O' Lakes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Land O' Lakes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Evergreen Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the south of Woodruff.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2145393 <4>
  • St. Patricks Catholic Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Patricks Catholic Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Patricks Catholic Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the south of Woodruff.
    • The St. Patricks Catholic Cemetery has also been known as:
    • St. Patricks Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2236117 <4>
  • Wilderness Rest Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilderness Rest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilderness Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Newbold Memorial Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Newbold Memorial Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Newbold Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Presque Isle Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Presque Isle Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Presque Isle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Presbyterian Church Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Lakeside Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeside Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Katakikon Indian Village Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Katakikon Indian Village Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Katakikon Indian Village 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.<5>

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

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

  • Eagle River
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle River
    • Eagle River is located in Vilas County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,582 people
  • Woodruff
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodruff
    • Woodruff is located in Oneida County
  • Minocqua
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minocqua have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minocqua
    • Minocqua is located in Oneida County
  • Hazelhurst
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelhurst
    • Hazelhurst is located in Oneida County
  • Thayer
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thayer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thayer
    • Thayer is located in Gogebic County (MI)
  • McNaughton
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McNaughton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNaughton
    • McNaughton is located in Oneida County
  • Watersmeet
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Wellington
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wellington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellington
    • Wellington is located in Gogebic County (MI)
  • Newbold
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newbold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbold
    • Newbold is located in Oneida County
  • Goodnow
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goodnow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodnow
    • Goodnow is located in Oneida County
  • Robbins
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Robbins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Robbins
    • Robbins is located in Ontonagon County (MI)
  • Harshaw
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harshaw
    • Harshaw is located in Oneida County
  • Continue List   (5 more) ...
    • Rhinelander
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rhinelander
      • Rhinelander is located in Oneida County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,637 people
    • Tamarack
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tamarack have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tamarack
      • Tamarack is located in Gogebic County (MI)
      • Tamarack has also been known as:
      • Tamarack Lake
    • Elmwood
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmwood
      • Elmwood is located in Iron County (MI)

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

Newspapers Published in Star Lake ...

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 27 newspapers that have been published in the area around Star Lake.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Star Lake, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Star Lake.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Star Lake:

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

The official website for Vilas County: www.co.vilas.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>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.
<5>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 Star Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Star Lake) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Star Lake. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.0383, Longitude: -89.4724       In this case, the coordinates for Star Lake have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025