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 Half Acre (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 Half Acre. 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.
Name Variations for Half Acre ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.
Over the years, Half Acre had several name changes:
- Prior to its current name of Half Acre, it was known as Hell's Half Acre.
- Before changing to Hell's Half Acre, it was named Luther's Store.
- Half Acre was originally named Luther's Store
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
A Few Details for Half Acre ...
While it's still very early in our research, we found that:
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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.
Half Acre is located in Marengo 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 Marengo County: Choctaw, Clarke, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Perry, Sumter & Wilcox.
Below are the counties that are near Half Acre. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Half Acre:
- Marengo County (The home county of Half Acre)
- The following are listed by their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Myrtlewood
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrtlewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtlewood
- Myrtlewood is located in Marengo County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 115 people
- Aimwell
(5 miles [8 km] to the south) - Beckleys ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north) - Blue Lock ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north) - Sweet Water
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweet Water
- Sweet Water is located in Marengo County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 243 people
- Barrons ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest) - Nanafalia
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nanafalia
- Nanafalia is located in Marengo County
- Griffins ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north) - Linden
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linden
- Linden is located in Marengo County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,853 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Linden <2>
- Pin Hook
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pin Hook
- Pin Hook is located in Marengo County
- Dixon's Mills
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dixon's Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixon's Mills
- Dixon's Mills is located in Marengo County
- Providence
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Providence have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Providence
- Providence is located in Marengo County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 198 people
- Hugo
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Choctaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Tompkinsville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tompkinsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tompkinsville
- Tompkinsville is located in Choctaw County
- Cedahoma ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest) - Pennington
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pennington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pennington
- Pennington is located in Choctaw County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
- Choctaw City
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Choctaw City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Choctaw City
- Choctaw City is located in Choctaw County
- Lavaca
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west) - Pelham
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest) - Jachin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west) - Butler
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Butler have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler
- Butler is located in Choctaw County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,694 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Butler <2>
- Cromwell
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west) - Lisman
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisman
- Lisman is located in Choctaw County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 476 people
- Red Springs
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Springs
- Red Springs is located in Choctaw County
- Pushmataha
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pushmataha
- Pushmataha is located in Choctaw County
- Needham
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Clarke County
- The following are listed by their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Morvin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south) - Glover
(18 miles [29 km] to the south) - Campbell
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell
- Campbell is located in Clarke County
- Atkeison
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atkeison
- Atkeison is located in Clarke County
- Thomasville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomasville
- Thomasville is located in Clarke County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,766 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thomasville <2>
- Fulton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Hale County
- The following are listed by their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Gallion
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast) - Prairieville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairieville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairieville
- Prairieville is located in Hale County
- Arcola
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcola
- Arcola is located in Hale County
- Perry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Freetown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freetown
- Freetown is located in Perry County
- Ellawhite
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast) - Uniontown
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Uniontown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Uniontown
- Uniontown is located in Perry County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,150 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Uniontown <2>
- The Village
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Village
- The Village is located in Perry County
- Sumter County
- The following are listed by their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Whitfield
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest) - Derby
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Derby
- Derby is located in Sumter County
- Bellamy
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellamy
- Bellamy is located in Sumter County
- McDowell
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north) - Coatopa
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coatopa
- Coatopa is located in Sumter County
- Arrington
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest) - Intercourse
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Intercourse
- Intercourse is located in Sumter County
- Brewersville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewersville
- Brewersville is located in Sumter County
- Ward
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest) - Kinterbish
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinterbish
- Kinterbish is located in Sumter County
- Moore Town
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moore Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moore Town
- Moore Town is located in Sumter County
- York
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York
- York is located in Sumter County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,218 people
- Former names for York:
- New York Station
- York Station
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for York <2>
- Wilcox County
- The following are listed by their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Lamison
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east) - Arlington
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
- Arlington is located in Wilcox County
- Anne Manie
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anne Manie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anne Manie
- Anne Manie is located in Wilcox County
- Kimbrough
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast) - Pine Hill
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast) - Catherine
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Catherine
- Catherine is located in Wilcox County
- Gastonburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gastonburg
- Gastonburg is located in Wilcox County
- Alberta
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east) - Prairie Bluff ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairie Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Bluff
- Prairie Bluff is located in Wilcox County
- Prairie Bluff has also been known as:
- Dale
- Daletown
- Yellow Bluff
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yellow Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yellow Bluff
- Yellow Bluff is located in Wilcox County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
- Millers Ferry
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millers Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millers Ferry
- Millers Ferry is located in Wilcox County
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Half Acre, see our County-by-County Page for Half Acre.
Newspapers Published in Half Acre ...
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 45 newspapers that have been published in the area around Half Acre.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Half Acre, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Half Acre.
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 websites either 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 Half Acre:
- Websites specific to Alabama
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Website for the Alabama Department of Archives & History
- Pages specific to Marengo County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Choctaw County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Clarke County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Hale County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Perry County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Sumter County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Wilcox County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Choctaw County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Alabama
- Cemetery Junction: Cemeteries of Alabama
- Cyndi's List
- Cemeteries of Alabama
- Cemeteries of Marengo County
- FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Alabama
- Find-A-Grave: Home Page
- Interment.net
- Cemeteries of Alabama
- Cemeteries of Marengo County
Cemeteries Near Half Acre ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Half Acre.
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 Half Acre covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Community Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Community Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Community Cemetery
- James Chapel Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the James Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the James Chapel Cemetery
- Beaver Creek Baptist Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beaver Creek Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beaver Creek Baptist Cemetery
- Zion Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
- Campground Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Campground Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Campground Cemetery
- Geneva Presbyterian Church Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Geneva Presbyterian Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Geneva Presbyterian Church Cemetery
- Aimwell Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Aimwell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Aimwell Cemetery
- Berry Chapel Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Berry Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Berry Chapel Cemetery
- Rembert Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rembert Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rembert Cemetery
- Clover Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clover Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clover Hill Cemetery
- Howell Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Howell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Howell Cemetery
- Nanafalia Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nanafalia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nanafalia Cemetery
- Continue List (266 more) ...
- Bethlehem Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethlehem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethlehem Cemetery
- Mt. Mariah Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Mariah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Mariah Cemetery
- St. Paul Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Paul Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Paul Cemetery
- Bethlehem 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.<4>
While we didn't find Half Acre in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Half Acre.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Half Acre, with the one closest to Half Acre listed first.
- Rembert
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast) - Myrtlewood
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrtlewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtlewood
- Myrtlewood is located in Marengo County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 115 people
- Aimwell
(5 miles [8 km] to the south) - Tompkinsville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tompkinsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tompkinsville
- Tompkinsville is located in Choctaw County
- Nanafalia
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nanafalia
- Nanafalia is located in Marengo County
- Sweet Water
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweet Water
- Sweet Water is located in Marengo County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 243 people
- Moss ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast) - Octagon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east) - Linden
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linden
- Linden is located in Marengo County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,853 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Linden <2>
- Dixon's Mills
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dixon's Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixon's Mills
- Dixon's Mills is located in Marengo County
- Shiloh
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast) - Williamsburg ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
- Williamsburg is located in Marengo County
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Nicholsville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nicholsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicholsville
- Nicholsville is located in Marengo County
- Robjohn
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west) - Putnam
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Putnam
- Putnam is located in Marengo County
- Nicholsville
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Half Acre. See our List of 1890's Communities around Half Acre.
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Half Acre. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Half Acre) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Half Acre. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.1948, Longitude: -87.9115 |
| <4> | 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 Half Acre, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |