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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 Heron Bay (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 Heron Bay. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Heron Bay is located in Mobile County.

To see how the shape of Alabama's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Mobile County: Baldwin, Washington, George (MS), Greene (MS) & Jackson (MS).

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

  • Mobile County     (The home county of Heron Bay)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Heron Bay, with the one closest to Heron Bay listed first.
    • Alabama Port
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alabama Port have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alabama Port
      • Alabama Port is located in Mobile County
    • Mon Louis
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mon Louis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mon Louis
      • Mon Louis is located in Mobile County
    • Coden
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coden
      • Coden is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coden <2>
    • Dauphin Island
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dauphin Island
      • Dauphin Island is located in Mobile County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,366 people
    • Bayou La Batre
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou La Batre have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou La Batre
      • Bayou La Batre is located in Mobile County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,457 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bayou La Batre <2>
    • Fort Gaines ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Gaines have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Gaines
      • Fort Gaines is located in Mobile County
    • Bellefontaine
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellefontaine
      • Bellefontaine is located in Mobile County
    • Irvington
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irvington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irvington
      • Irvington is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irvington <2>
    • Saint Elmo
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Elmo
      • Saint Elmo is located in Mobile County
    • Theodore
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Theodore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Theodore
      • Theodore is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Theodore <2>
    • Grand Bay
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Bay
      • Grand Bay is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grand Bay <2>
    • Tillmans Corner
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tillmans Corner
      • Tillmans Corner is located in Mobile County
    • Country Club Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Country Club Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Club Village
      • Country Club Village is located in Mobile County
  • Baldwin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Heron Bay, with the one closest to Heron Bay listed first.
    • Fort Morgan ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Morgan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Morgan
      • Fort Morgan is located in Baldwin County
      • Former name for Fort Morgan:
      • Fort Bowyer
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fort Morgan <2>
    • Point Clear
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Point Clear have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Clear
      • Point Clear is located in Baldwin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Point Clear <2>
    • Fairhope
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Yupon
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yupon
      • Yupon is located in Baldwin County
    • Gasque
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gasque have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gasque
      • Gasque is located in Baldwin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gasque <2>
    • Montrose
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Magnolia Springs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Clay City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clay City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay City
      • Clay City is located in Baldwin County
    • Oyster Bay
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oyster Bay
      • Oyster Bay is located in Baldwin County
    • Daphne
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Daphne have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Daphne
      • Daphne is located in Baldwin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27,719 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Daphne <2>
    • Park City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City
      • Park City is located in Baldwin County
    • Bon Secour
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bon Secour have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bon Secour
      • Bon Secour is located in Baldwin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bon Secour <2>
    • Spanish Fort
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Jackson County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Heron Bay, with the one closest to Heron Bay listed first.
    • Orange Grove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Grove
      • Orange Grove is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Helena
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Helena have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helena
      • Helena is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Moss Point
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moss Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moss Point
      • Moss Point is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,226 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moss Point <2>
    • Pascagoula
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Escatawpa
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Escatawpa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escatawpa
      • Escatawpa is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Big Point
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Point
      • Big Point is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Coll Town
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coll Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coll Town
      • Coll Town is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Hurley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hurley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurley
      • Hurley is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hurley <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Heron Bay ...

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 145 newspapers that have been published in the area around Heron Bay.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Heron Bay, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Heron Bay.

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 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 Heron Bay:

Cemeteries Near Heron Bay ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Heron Bay.

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

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

  • Dorlon Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Reeds Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Reeds Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Reeds Cemetery
  • Alabama Port Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Alabama Port Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Alabama Port Cemetery
  • English Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the English Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the English Cemetery
  • Dauphin Island Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Cold Springs Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cold Springs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cold Springs Cemetery
  • Roberts Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roberts Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roberts Cemetery
  • Dauphin Island Community Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Catholic Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • St. Michael Catholic Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Oddfellows Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oddfellows Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oddfellows Cemetery
  • Lundy Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lundy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lundy Cemetery
  • Continue List   (136 more) ...
    • Boudans Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boudans Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Boudans Cemetery is located in the vicinity of Bellefontaine
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boudans Cemetery
    • Mathis Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mathis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Mathis Cemetery is located in the vicinity of Bellefontaine
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mathis Cemetery
    • Beverly Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beverly Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beverly Cemetery

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 Heron Bay in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Heron Bay.

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

  • Mon Louis
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mon Louis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mon Louis
    • Mon Louis is located in Mobile County
  • Coden
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coden
    • Coden is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coden <2>
  • Fowl River
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fowl River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fowl River
    • Fowl River is located in Mobile County
  • Bayou La Batre
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou La Batre have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou La Batre
    • Bayou La Batre is located in Mobile County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,457 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bayou La Batre <2>
  • Saint Elmo
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Elmo
    • Saint Elmo is located in Mobile County
  • Theodore
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Theodore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Theodore
    • Theodore is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Theodore <2>
  • Fernland
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fernland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernland
    • Fernland is located in Mobile County
  • Point Clear
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Point Clear have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Clear
    • Point Clear is located in Baldwin County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Point Clear <2>
  • Grand Bay
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Bay
    • Grand Bay is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grand Bay <2>
  • Gasque
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gasque have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gasque
    • Gasque is located in Baldwin County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gasque <2>
  • Montrose
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Cox
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cox have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cox
    • Cox is located in Mobile County
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Orange Grove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Grove
      • Orange Grove is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Magnolia Springs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Marlow
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marlow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlow
      • Marlow is located in Baldwin County

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

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

The official website for Mobile County: www.mobilecounty.org/

The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Heron Bay) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Heron Bay. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.3546, Longitude: -88.1303       In this case, the coordinates for Heron Bay have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Heron Bay, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024