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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 Broomtown (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 Broomtown. 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.

Broomtown is located in Cherokee County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Cherokee County: Calhoun, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Chattooga (GA), Floyd (GA) & Polk (GA).

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

  • Cherokee County     (The home county of Broomtown)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broomtown, with the one closest to Broomtown listed first.
    • New Moon
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Starkville ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Starkville is located in Cherokee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Starkville
    • Ringgold
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Grover
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Berry Springs ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Cedar Springs ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Cedar Springs is located in Cherokee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Springs
    • Blanche
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Gaylesville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Taft
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Lawrence
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Sterling ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Sterling is located in Cherokee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterling
    • Cedar Bluff
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Grantville ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Grantville is located in Cherokee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grantville
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broomtown, with the one closest to Broomtown listed first.
    • Goshen ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Goshen is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
    • Collins ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Collins is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collins
    • Dailey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Piedmont
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Cleburne County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broomtown, with the one closest to Broomtown listed first.
    • Borden Springs
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Borden Springs is located in Cleburne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borden Springs
    • Palestine
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • DeKalb County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broomtown, with the one closest to Broomtown listed first.
    • Adamsburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Lickskillet
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Sigsbee
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Sigsbee is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sigsbee
    • Alpine
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Alpine is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpine
    • Cordell ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Cordell is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordell
    • Fort Payne
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Dog Town
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Dog Town is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dog Town
    • Douglas
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Douglas is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglas
    • Bankhead
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Mentone
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Valley Head
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Mount Vernon
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Mount Vernon is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Vernon
    • Pine Ridge
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Pine Ridge is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Ridge
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
  • Etowah County
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broomtown, with the one closest to Broomtown listed first.
    • Central
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Rock City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Rock City is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock City
    • Dutton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Pisgah
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Flat Rock
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Gray ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Gray is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gray
    • Section
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Chattooga County (GA)
  • Dade County (GA)
  • Floyd County (GA)
  • Gordon County (GA)
    • Plainville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
  • Polk County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broomtown, with the one closest to Broomtown listed first.
    • Etna
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Cedartown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Esom Hill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Greenway ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Greenway is located in Polk County (GA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenway
    • Seney
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Seney is located in Polk County (GA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seney
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,412 people
  • Walker County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broomtown, with the one closest to Broomtown listed first.
    • Martindale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Martindale is located in Walker County (GA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martindale
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 35,795 people
    • Bronco
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Bronco is located in Walker County (GA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bronco
      • Estimated population in 2019: 367 people
    • LaFayette
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Linwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Linwood is located in Walker County (GA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linwood
    • Kensington
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Cassandra
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Broomtown ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Broomtown.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Broomtown - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Broomtown covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

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.<2>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Broomtown had a population of 30 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Ringgold
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Starkville ‑ Historic
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Starkville is located in Cherokee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Starkville
  • New Moon
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Grover
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Fullerton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Fullerton is located in Cherokee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fullerton
  • Cedar Springs ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Cedar Springs is located in Cherokee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Springs
  • Chattoogaville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Jamestown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jamestown is located in Cherokee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
  • Chesterfield
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Chesterfield is located in Cherokee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesterfield
  • Gaylesville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Alpine
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Alpine is located in Chattooga County (GA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpine
  • Taliaferro ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Taliaferro is located in Chattooga County (GA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taliaferro
    • Estimated population in 2019: 71 people
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Lyerly
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Lyerly is located in Chattooga County (GA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyerly
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 519 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyerly <1>
    • Hurley
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Hurley is located in Cherokee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurley
    • Lawrence
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)

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

Newspapers Published in Broomtown ...

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 20 newspapers that have been published in the area around Broomtown.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Broomtown, there are papers which were published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Broomtown.

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 Broomtown:

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>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 Broomtown, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 drawn from Point A (ie- Broomtown) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.