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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 Aiken (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 Aiken. 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 southeast 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 south.

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 south 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.

Aiken is located in Aiken County and is the County Seat.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Aiken County: Burke (GA), Richmond (GA), Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington, Orangeburg & Saluda.

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

  • Aiken County     (The home county of Aiken)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Nicholson Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nicholson Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicholson Village
      • Nicholson Village is located in Aiken County
    • Roseland
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roseland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseland
      • Roseland is located in Aiken County
    • Huntcliff
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntcliff
      • Huntcliff is located in Aiken County
    • Graniteville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Warrenville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Montmorenci
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Vaucluse
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Gloverville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Langley
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Burnettown
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burnettown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnettown
      • Burnettown is located in Aiken County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,769 people
    • Springdale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
      • Springdale is located in Aiken County
    • Bath
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Barnwell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Williston
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Elko
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elko
      • Elko is located in Barnwell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 180 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elko <2>
    • Whaley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whaley
      • Whaley is located in Barnwell County
    • Snelling
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snelling have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snelling
      • Snelling is located in Barnwell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 259 people
    • Blackville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Barnwell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Edgefield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Murphys Estates
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murphys Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murphys Estates
      • Murphys Estates is located in Edgefield County
    • Trenton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Johnston
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Edgefield
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Colliers
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colliers
      • Colliers is located in Edgefield County
  • Lexington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Batesburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Batesburg - Leesville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Batesburg - Leesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesburg - Leesville
      • Batesburg - Leesville is located in Lexington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,402 people
    • Leesville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Pelion
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Summit
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Summit have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
      • Summit is located in Lexington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 486 people
  • McCormick County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Clarks Hill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Modoc
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Orangeburg County
    • Springfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
  • Saluda County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Ridge Spring
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Ward
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Saluda
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Columbia County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Lulaville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lulaville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lulaville
      • Lulaville is located in Columbia County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 2,961 people
    • Martinez
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Martinez have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinez
      • Martinez is located in Columbia County (GA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Martinez <2>
    • Memory Park
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Memory Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Memory Park
      • Memory Park is located in Columbia County (GA)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 122 people
    • Lamkin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lamkin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamkin
      • Lamkin is located in Columbia County (GA)
    • Arrow Head
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arrow Head
      • Arrow Head is located in Columbia County (GA)
    • Snead
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snead have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snead
      • Snead is located in Columbia County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 20,077 people
    • Evans
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Fort Gordon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Grovetown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grovetown
      • Grovetown is located in Columbia County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,639 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grovetown <2>
  • Richmond County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aiken, with the one closest to Aiken listed first.
    • Augusta
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • National Hills
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for National Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for National Hills
      • National Hills is located in Richmond County (GA)
    • Bonair
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bonair have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonair
      • Bonair is located in Richmond County (GA)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 3,135 people
    • Rockbrook
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockbrook
      • Rockbrook is located in Richmond County (GA)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 160 people
    • Southgate Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Southgate Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southgate Village
      • Southgate Village is located in Richmond County (GA)
    • Forest Hills
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Waverly
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waverly
      • Waverly is located in Richmond County (GA)
    • Fairvale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairvale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairvale
      • Fairvale is located in Richmond County (GA)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 6,769 people
    • Fleming Heights
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fleming Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleming Heights
      • Fleming Heights is located in Richmond County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 717 people
    • Nixon ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nixon
      • Nixon is located in Richmond County (GA)
    • Richmond Hills
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richmond Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richmond Hills
      • Richmond Hills is located in Richmond County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 13,839 people
    • Gracewood
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Aiken ...

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 29 newspapers that have been published in the area around Aiken.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Aiken. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Aiken and those printed in the larger area surrounding Aiken.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<3> of Aiken.

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 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 Aiken:

Cemeteries Near Aiken ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Aiken.

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

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

  • First Baptist Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the First Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the First Baptist Cemetery
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Cemetery
  • St. Thaddeus Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Thaddeus Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Thaddeus Cemetery
  • Millbrook Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Millbrook Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Millbrook Cemetery
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
  • Aiken Memorial Gardens
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Mt. Harris Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Harris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Harris Cemetery
  • Willis Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Willis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Willis Cemetery
  • Scott Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Scott Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Scott Cemetery
  • Graniteville Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Needham Brown Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Needham Brown Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Needham Brown Cemetery
  • Montmorenci Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Montmorenci Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Montmorenci Cemetery
  • Continue List   (284 more) ...
    • Wrights Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wrights Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wrights Cemetery
    • Weeks Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Weeks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Weeks Cemetery
    • Clark Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clark Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clark 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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Aiken had a population of 2,362 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Aiken had a population of 31,121 people.

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

  • Roseland
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roseland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseland
    • Roseland is located in Aiken County
  • Croft
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Croft have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croft
    • Croft is located in Aiken County
  • Graniteville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Montmorenci
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Vaucluse
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Langley
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Milledgeville ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milledgeville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milledgeville
    • Milledgeville is located in Aiken County
  • Oakwood
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
    • Oakwood is located in Aiken County
  • Bath
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Eureka
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eureka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
    • Eureka is located in Aiken County
  • Talatha
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Talatha
    • Talatha is located in Aiken County
  • Beech Island
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Windsor
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Hamburg
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamburg
      • Hamburg is located in Aiken County
    • Kitchings Mill
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kitchings Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kitchings Mill
      • Kitchings Mill is located in Aiken County
      • Kitchings Mill has also been known as:
      • Kinchens Mill

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

The official website for Aiken: www.cityofaikensc.gov/

The official website for Aiken County: www.aikencounty.net/

The official website for State of South Carolina: https://sc.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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Aiken) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Aiken. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.5618, Longitude: -81.7225    
<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 Aiken, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024