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 Bethlehem (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 Bethlehem. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the 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 west 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.
Bethlehem is located in Perry 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 Perry County: Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Hale & Marengo.
Below are the counties that are near Bethlehem. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Bethlehem:
- Perry County (The home county of Bethlehem)
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Oakmulgee
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Jericho
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jericho. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jericho
- Jericho is located in Perry County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Jericho
- From Bethlehem to Jericho
- Sprott
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Marion
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Morgan Springs
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Suttle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Augustin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Augustin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Augustin
- Augustin is located in Perry County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Augustin
- From Bethlehem to Augustin
- Brush Creek
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Autauga County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Vine Hill
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vine Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vine Hill
- Vine Hill is located in Autauga County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Vine Hill
- From Bethlehem to Vine Hill
- Jones
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Fremont
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Billingsley
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Haynes
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Haynes. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haynes
- Haynes is located in Autauga County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Haynes
- From Bethlehem to Haynes
- Statesville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Independence
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Bibb County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Active
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Active. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Active
- Active is located in Bibb County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Active
- From Bethlehem to Active
- Lawley
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Brent
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Centreville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- East Town
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Town
- East Town is located in Bibb County
- Tucker
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Randolph
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Pratt Ferry ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Scottsville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Oakley
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oakley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakley
- Oakley is located in Bibb County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Oakley
- From Bethlehem to Oakley
- Egypt ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Egypt have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egypt
- Egypt is located in Bibb County
- Ashby
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Chilton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Maplesville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Stanton
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Riderville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Riderville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riderville
- Riderville is located in Chilton County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Riderville
- From Bethlehem to Riderville
- Adams
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Adams. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams
- Adams is located in Chilton County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Adams
- From Bethlehem to Adams
- Jemison
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Thorsby
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Clanton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clanton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clanton
- Clanton is located in Chilton County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 8,764 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clanton <2>
- Dallas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Plantersville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plantersville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plantersville
- Plantersville is located in Dallas County
- Valley Grande
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valley Grande have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Grande
- Valley Grande is located in Dallas County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,468 people
- Harrell
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Harrell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrell
- Harrell is located in Dallas County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Harrell
- From Bethlehem to Harrell
- Marion Junction
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Burnsville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Massillon ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Massillon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Massillon
- Massillon is located in Dallas County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Massillon
- From Bethlehem to Massillon
- Selma
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Selma have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selma
- Selma is located in Dallas County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 16,671 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Selma <2>
- Sunset Mill Village
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunset Mill Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunset Mill Village
- Sunset Mill Village is located in Dallas County
- Browns
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Browns. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browns
- Browns is located in Dallas County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Browns
- From Bethlehem to Browns
- Hale County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Phipps ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Phipps. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phipps
- Phipps is located in Hale County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Phipps
- From Bethlehem to Phipps
- Newbern
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newbern have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbern
- Newbern is located in Hale County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 174 people
- Greensboro
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Rosemary
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rosemary. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosemary
- Rosemary is located in Hale County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Rosemary
- From Bethlehem to Rosemary
- Shelby County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Wilton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
- Wilton is located in Shelby County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 684 people
- Former names for Wilton:
- Birmingham Junction
- Bismarck
- Catoosa
- Woods
- Woodsborough
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Wilton
- From Bethlehem to Wilton
- Montevallo
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Aden
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Aden. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aden
- Aden is located in Shelby County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Aden
- From Bethlehem to Aden
- Sawmill Town
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sawmill Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sawmill Town
- Sawmill Town is located in Shelby County
- Calera
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Maylene
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maylene have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maylene
- Maylene is located in Shelby County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maylene <2>
- Tuscaloosa County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Pearson
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Hagler
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hagler. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hagler
- Hagler is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Hagler
- From Bethlehem to Hagler
- Vance
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vance have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vance
- Vance is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,807 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vance <2>
- Duncanville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Duncanville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncanville
- Duncanville is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Coaling
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coaling have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coaling
- Coaling is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,633 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Bethlehem, see our County-by-County Page for Bethlehem.
Cemeteries Near Bethlehem ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bethlehem.
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 Bethlehem covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Bethlehem #1 Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethlehem #1 Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethlehem #1 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Harris Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harris Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Bethlehem #2 Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethlehem #2 Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethlehem #2 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Barnett Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Legal Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Legal Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Legal Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mt. Gilead Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Gilead Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Gilead Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mt. Olive Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olive Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hepzibah Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hepzibah Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hepzibah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Smith Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Conwill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Conwill Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Conwill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Griffin Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Griffin Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Griffin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mt. Gilead Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (410 more) ...
- Stewart Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stewart Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stewart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Paynes Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Paynes Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Paynes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
Nearby Communities in 1895 ...
We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Bethlehem had a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Bethlehem, with the one closest to Bethlehem listed first.
- Pinetucky
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pinetucky have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinetucky
- Pinetucky is located in Perry County
- Oakmulgee
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Adler
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adler have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adler
- Adler is located in Perry County
- Abercrombie
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Abercrombie have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abercrombie
- Abercrombie is located in Bibb County
- Theo
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Theo have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Theo
- Theo is located in Perry County
- Levert
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Levert have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levert
- Levert is located in Perry County
- Trio
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trio have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trio
- Trio is located in Bibb County
- Harrisburg
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrisburg
- Harrisburg is located in Bibb County
- Jericho
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jericho. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jericho
- Jericho is located in Perry County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Jericho
- From Bethlehem to Jericho
- Centreville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Sprott
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Perryville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perryville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perryville
- Perryville is located in Perry County
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Dixie
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dixie have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixie
- Dixie is located in Chilton County
- Stanton
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Maplesville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Bethlehem. See our List of 1890's Communities around Bethlehem.
Newspapers Published in Bethlehem ...
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 Bethlehem.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bethlehem, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bethlehem.
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 Bethlehem:
- Websites specific to Alabama
- Pages specific to Perry County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Autauga County
- Bibb County
- Chilton County
- Dallas County
- Hale County
- Shelby County
- Tuscaloosa County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Alabama
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Bethlehem. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Perry County: www.perrycounty-al.org/
The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | 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. |
<2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<3> | 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. |
<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 Bethlehem, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
<6> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Bethlehem) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bethlehem. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.8072, Longitude: -87.1097 |