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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 Rural Retreat (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 Rural Retreat. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

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

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

Rural Retreat is located in Wythe County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wythe County: Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Pulaski & Smyth.

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

  • Wythe County     (The home county of Rural Retreat)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Crockett
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Speedwell
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Speedwell
      • Speedwell is located in Wythe County
    • Wytheville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Kent
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kent have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Kent is located in Wythe County
    • Ivanhoe
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Siloam
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siloam
      • Siloam is located in Wythe County
    • Fort Chiswell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Chiswell
      • Fort Chiswell is located in Wythe County
    • Max Meadows
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Austinville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Locust Hill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Hill
      • Locust Hill is located in Wythe County
  • Bland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Bastian
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Hicksville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hicksville
      • Hicksville is located in Bland County
    • Rocky Gap
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky Gap
      • Rocky Gap is located in Bland County
    • Mechanicsburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mechanicsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mechanicsburg
      • Mechanicsburg is located in Bland County
    • Round Bottom
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Round Bottom
      • Round Bottom is located in Bland County
  • Carroll County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Sheep Town
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sheep Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheep Town
      • Sheep Town is located in Carroll County
    • Oak Grove
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
      • Oak Grove is located in Carroll County
    • Shorts Creek
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shorts Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shorts Creek
      • Shorts Creek is located in Carroll County
    • Woodlawn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Sylvatus
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvatus
      • Sylvatus is located in Carroll County
    • Pipers Gap
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pipers Gap
      • Pipers Gap is located in Carroll County
  • Galax City
    • Galax
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Grayson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Elk Creek
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Flat Ridge
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flat Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flat Ridge
      • Flat Ridge is located in Grayson County
    • Trout Dale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Bridle Creek
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bridle Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridle Creek
      • Bridle Creek is located in Grayson County
    • Independence
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Independence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Independence
      • Independence is located in Grayson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 887 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Independence <1>
    • Fries
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Mouth-of-Wilson
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Rugby
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rugby
      • Rugby is located in Grayson County
    • Baywood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baywood
      • Baywood is located in Grayson County
    • Whitetop
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Low Gap
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Low Gap
      • Low Gap is located in Grayson County
  • Pulaski County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Pulaski
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pulaski have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pulaski
      • Pulaski is located in Pulaski County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,657 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pulaski <1>
    • Hilton Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hilton Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton Village
      • Hilton Village is located in Pulaski County
  • Smyth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Atkins
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atkins have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atkins
      • Atkins is located in Smyth County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Atkins <1>
    • Sugar Grove
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sugar Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
      • Sugar Grove is located in Smyth County
    • Mount Carmel
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Carmel
      • Mount Carmel is located in Smyth County
    • Marion
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marion have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Smyth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,555 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marion <1>
    • Adwolf
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adwolf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adwolf
      • Adwolf is located in Smyth County
    • Seven Mile Ford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Mile Ford
      • Seven Mile Ford is located in Smyth County
    • Broadford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broadford
      • Broadford is located in Smyth County
    • Chilhowie
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chilhowie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chilhowie
      • Chilhowie is located in Smyth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,698 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chilhowie <1>
    • Saltville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Allison Gap
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allison Gap
      • Allison Gap is located in Smyth County
    • Cardwell Town
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cardwell Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardwell Town
      • Cardwell Town is located in Smyth County
  • Tazewell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Little Town
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Town
      • Little Town is located in Tazewell County
    • Asberrys
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Asberrys have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Asberrys
      • Asberrys is located in Tazewell County
    • Shawver Mill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shawver Mill
      • Shawver Mill is located in Tazewell County
    • Tazewell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tazewell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tazewell
      • Tazewell is located in Tazewell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,113 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tazewell <1>
    • Pisgah
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pisgah
      • Pisgah is located in Tazewell County
    • Wittens Mills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wittens Mills
      • Wittens Mills is located in Tazewell County
    • Saint Clair
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Clair have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Clair
      • Saint Clair is located in Tazewell County
    • Bluefield
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Maxwell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxwell
      • Maxwell is located in Tazewell County
    • Falls Mills
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falls Mills
      • Falls Mills is located in Tazewell County
    • Abbs Valley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abbs Valley
      • Abbs Valley is located in Tazewell County
    • Bishop
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bishop. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop
      • Bishop is located in Tazewell County
    • Boissevain
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boissevain
      • Boissevain is located in Tazewell County
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Loves Mill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loves Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loves Mill
      • Loves Mill is located in Washington County
    • Fleet
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Green Cove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Cove
      • Green Cove is located in Washington County
    • Friendship
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship
      • Friendship is located in Washington County
    • Glade Spring
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Lodi
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodi
      • Lodi is located in Washington County
    • Clinchburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinchburg
      • Clinchburg is located in Washington County
  • Alleghany County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Piney Creek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Piney Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piney Creek
      • Piney Creek is located in Alleghany County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Piney Creek <1>
    • Amelia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amelia
      • Amelia is located in Alleghany County (NC)
    • Topia
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Topia
      • Topia is located in Alleghany County (NC)
    • Scottville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scottville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scottville
      • Scottville is located in Alleghany County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scottville <1>
    • Sparta
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sparta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sparta
      • Sparta is located in Alleghany County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,723 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sparta <1>
    • Ennice
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ennice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ennice
      • Ennice is located in Alleghany County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ennice <1>
    • Hooker
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hooker
      • Hooker is located in Alleghany County (NC)
  • Ashe County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Grassy Creek
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grassy Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grassy Creek
      • Grassy Creek is located in Ashe County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grassy Creek <1>
    • Weavers Ford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weavers Ford
      • Weavers Ford is located in Ashe County (NC)
    • Helton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helton
      • Helton is located in Ashe County (NC)
    • Crumpler
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crumpler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crumpler
      • Crumpler is located in Ashe County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Crumpler <1>
    • Apple Grove
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Apple Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apple Grove
      • Apple Grove is located in Ashe County (NC)
    • Lansing
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • McDowell County (WV)
    • Bishop
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bishop have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop
      • Bishop is located in McDowell County (WV)
  • Mercer County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rural Retreat, with the one closest to Rural Retreat listed first.
    • Bluefield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Yards
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yards
      • Yards is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Nemours
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nemours have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nemours
      • Nemours is located in Mercer County (WV)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nemours <1>
    • Bramwell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Coopers
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coopers
      • Coopers is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Edison
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edison
      • Edison is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Littlesburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littlesburg
      • Littlesburg is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • El Centro ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for El Centro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Centro
      • El Centro is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Freeman
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
      • Freeman is located in Mercer County (WV)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Rural Retreat ...

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 51 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rural Retreat.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Rural Retreat. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Rural Retreat and those printed in the larger area surrounding Rural Retreat.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<4> of Rural Retreat.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Rural Retreat:

Cemeteries Near Rural Retreat ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rural Retreat.

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

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

  • Mountain View Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Murpheyville Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Steffy Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Steffy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Steffy Cemetery
  • Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery
  • Rosewood Memorial Park
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Buchanan Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Buchanan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Buchanan Cemetery
  • Fairview Methodist Church Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Kimberling Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Steffey Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Steffey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Steffey Cemetery
  • Keesling Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Keesling Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Keesling Cemetery
  • Zion Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
  • Earhart Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (616 more) ...
    • Floglesong Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Floglesong Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Floglesong Cemetery
    • Davis Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Davis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Davis Cemetery
    • Sprinkle Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sprinkle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sprinkle 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Rural Retreat had a population of 325 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Rural Retreat had a population of 1,448 people.

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

  • Summit
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Summit have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
    • Summit is located in Wythe County
  • Groseclose
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Groseclose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Groseclose
    • Groseclose is located in Smyth County
  • Crockett
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Grubb
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grubb have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grubb
    • Grubb is located in Wythe County
  • Speedwell
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Speedwell
    • Speedwell is located in Wythe County
  • Atkins
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atkins have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atkins
    • Atkins is located in Smyth County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Atkins <1>
  • Ceres
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ceres have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ceres
    • Ceres is located in Bland County
  • Petunia
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petunia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petunia
    • Petunia is located in Wythe County
  • Comers Rock
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Comers Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comers Rock
    • Comers Rock is located in Grayson County
  • Sugar Grove
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sugar Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
    • Sugar Grove is located in Smyth County
  • Cripple Creek
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cripple Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cripple Creek
    • Cripple Creek is located in Wythe County
  • Wytheville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Effna
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Effna have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Effna
      • Effna is located in Bland County
    • Marion
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marion have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Smyth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,555 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marion <1>
    • Elk Creek
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)

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

The official website for Rural Retreat: www.townofruralretreat.com/

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>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.
<3>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.
<4>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Rural Retreat) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rural Retreat. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 36.8937, Longitude: -81.2758    
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Rural Retreat, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024