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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 Avalon (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 Avalon. 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 Parishes ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring parishes.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home parish. During their lives, most doctors were in the next parish to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the parish to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring parishes instead of the parish in which they lived:  their home parish contained property and probate records; the parish to the east contained birth and death records; the parish to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring parishes, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Avalon is located in Saint Mary Parish.

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

The following parishes adjoin and form the boundaries of Saint Mary Parish: Iberia, Saint Martin & Terrebonne.

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

  • Saint Mary Parish     (The home parish of Avalon)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avalon, with the one closest to Avalon listed first.
    • Wilsons Landing
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilsons Landing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilsons Landing
      • Wilsons Landing is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Patterson
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Calumet
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calumet
      • Calumet is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Ricohoc
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ricohoc have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ricohoc
      • Ricohoc is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Verdunville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Verdunville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdunville
      • Verdunville is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Bayou Vista
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Berwick
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berwick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
      • Berwick is located in Saint Mary Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,324 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Berwick <2>
    • Maria
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maria have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maria
      • Maria is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Fairville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairville
      • Fairville is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Centerville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
      • Centerville is located in Saint Mary Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Centerville <2>
    • Morgan City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Garden City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
      • Garden City is located in Saint Mary Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garden City <2>
    • Caffery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caffery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caffery
      • Caffery is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Ascension Parish
    • Barton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barton
      • Barton is located in Ascension Parish
  • Assumption Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avalon, with the one closest to Avalon listed first.
    • Belle River
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle River
      • Belle River is located in Assumption Parish
    • Attakapas Landing
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Attakapas Landing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attakapas Landing
      • Attakapas Landing is located in Assumption Parish
    • Attakapas Canal
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attakapas Canal
      • Attakapas Canal is located in Assumption Parish
    • Bayou Crab
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou Crab have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Crab
      • Bayou Crab is located in Assumption Parish
    • Pierre Part
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierre Part have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierre Part
      • Pierre Part is located in Assumption Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pierre Part <2>
    • Lower Texas
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lower Texas have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Texas
      • Lower Texas is located in Assumption Parish
    • Bellewood
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellewood
      • Bellewood is located in Assumption Parish
    • Percle
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Percle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Percle
      • Percle is located in Assumption Parish
    • Wildwood
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wildwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood
      • Wildwood is located in Assumption Parish
    • Brule
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brule have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brule
      • Brule is located in Assumption Parish
    • Brusle Saint Vincent
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brusle Saint Vincent have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brusle Saint Vincent
      • Brusle Saint Vincent is located in Assumption Parish
    • Elm Hall
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elm Hall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Hall
      • Elm Hall is located in Assumption Parish
    • Enola
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Enola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enola
      • Enola is located in Assumption Parish
  • Iberia Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avalon, with the one closest to Avalon listed first.
    • Jeanerette
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Patoutville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Patoutville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patoutville
      • Patoutville is located in Iberia Parish
    • Lydia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Saint Martin Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avalon, with the one closest to Avalon listed first.
    • Stephenville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stephenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stephenville
      • Stephenville is located in Saint Martin Parish
    • Bayou Geneve
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou Geneve have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Geneve
      • Bayou Geneve is located in Saint Martin Parish
  • Terrebonne Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avalon, with the one closest to Avalon listed first.
    • Gibson
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gibson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibson
      • Gibson is located in Terrebonne Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gibson <2>
    • Donner
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Donner have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donner
      • Donner is located in Terrebonne Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Donner <2>
    • Chacahoula
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chacahoula have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chacahoula
      • Chacahoula is located in Terrebonne Parish
    • Magnolia Plantation
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Magnolia Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnolia Plantation
      • Magnolia Plantation is located in Terrebonne Parish
    • Minerva Plantation
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minerva Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minerva Plantation
      • Minerva Plantation is located in Terrebonne Parish

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

Newspapers Published in Avalon ...

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 35 newspapers that have been published in the area around Avalon.

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

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Avalon:

Cemeteries Near Avalon ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Avalon.

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

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

  • Iberts Memorial Park
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Patterson.
    • The St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Patterson Catholic Cemetery
    • St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2143457 <4>
  • Shadyside - Fairfax Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shadyside - Fairfax Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shadyside - Fairfax Cemetery
  • Bradley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bradley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bradley Cemetery
  • Little Zion Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Zion Cemetery
  • Douglas Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Douglas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Douglas Cemetery
  • Berwick Memorial Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Morgan City Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Gratt Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gratt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gratt Cemetery
  • North Bend Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Bend Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Bend Cemetery
  • Palo Alto Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Palo Alto Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Palo Alto Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #68517 <4>
  • Midway Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Midway Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Midway Cemetery
  • Continue List   (37 more) ...
    • Oaklawn Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oaklawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oaklawn Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #68444 <4>
    • Stirling Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stirling Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stirling Cemetery
    • Franklin Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)

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

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

  • Patterson
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Ricohoc
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ricohoc have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ricohoc
    • Ricohoc is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Berwick
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berwick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
    • Berwick is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,324 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Berwick <2>
  • Bayou Sale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou Sale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Sale
    • Bayou Sale is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Morgan City
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Irish Bend
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irish Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irish Bend
    • Irish Bend is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Ramos
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ramos have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramos
    • Ramos is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Franklin
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Amelia
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Baldwin
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baldwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baldwin
    • Baldwin is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,150 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baldwin <2>
  • Charenton
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Gibson
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gibson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibson
    • Gibson is located in Terrebonne Parish
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gibson <2>
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Sorrel
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sorrel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sorrel
      • Sorrel is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Glencoe
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glencoe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glencoe
      • Glencoe is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Labadieville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Labadieville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Labadieville
      • Labadieville is located in Assumption Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Labadieville <2>

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

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

The official website for State of Louisiana: louisiana.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' (or 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- Avalon) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Avalon. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.7180, Longitude: -91.3309       In this case, the coordinates for Avalon 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 Avalon, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024