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 Highland Park (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 Highland Park. 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 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.
Highland Park is located in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County: Bibb, Blount, Saint Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa & Walker.
Below are the counties that are near Highland Park. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Highland Park:
- Jefferson County (The home county of Highland Park)
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- English Village
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- English Village is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for English Village
- Homewood
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Mountain Brook Village
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Birmingham
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Mason City
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Mason City is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason City
- West End
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- West End is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West End
- Avondale
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Avondale is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avondale
- Vestavia Hills
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Ishkooda
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Ishkooda is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ishkooda
- Hooper City
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Hooper City is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hooper City
- East Birmingham
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- East Birmingham is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Birmingham
- Duncan
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Duncan is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan
- Ensley
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Ensley is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ensley
- Bibb County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Green Pond
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Eddings
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Eddings is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eddings
- Cane Creek ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Cane Creek is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cane Creek
- Woodstock
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Blocton Junction
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Blocton Junction is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blocton Junction
- Blocton Junction has also been known as:
- Blockton Junc
- North Bibb
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- North Bibb is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bibb
- Belle Ellen
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Belle Ellen is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Ellen
- Seymour
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Seymour is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seymour
- Nash Town ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Nash Town is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nash Town
- Blocton ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Blocton is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blocton
- Burmah ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Burmah is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burmah
- Corinne ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Corinne is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corinne
- Italian Town
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Italian Town is located in Bibb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Italian Town
- Blount County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Dale ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Dale is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dale
- Warrior
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- County Line
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- County Line is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for County Line
- Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
- Red Hill
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Red Hill is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill
- Selfville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Selfville is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selfville
- Compton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Compton is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Compton
- Remlap
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Dallas
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Dallas is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dallas
- Reid's
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Reid's is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reid's
- Smoke Rise
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Smoke Rise is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smoke Rise
- Adville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Adville is located in Blount County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adville
- Hayden
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Locust Fork
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Cullman County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Arkadelphia
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Arkadelphia is located in Cullman County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arkadelphia
- Baltimore ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Baltimore is located in Cullman County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baltimore
- Saint Clair County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Woodland Village
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Woodland Village is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland Village
- Moody
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Moody is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moody
- Population from the 2020 Census: 13,292 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moody <1>
- Brompton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Brompton is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brompton
- Acmar
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Acmar is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acmar
- Parsons
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Parsons is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parsons
- Argo
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Argo is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,278 people
- Margaret
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Turnbough Town
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Turnbough Town is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turnbough Town
- Vincent
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Cook's Springs
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Cook's Springs is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cook's Springs
- Branchville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Branchville is located in Saint Clair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Branchville
- Odenville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Springville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Shelby County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Inverness
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Inverness is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inverness
- Lake Purdy
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Lake Purdy is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Purdy
- Bridgeton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Bridgeton is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeton
- Indian Springs Village
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Indian Springs Village is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Springs Village
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,628 people
- Meadowbrook
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Meadowbrook is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowbrook
- Shoal Creek
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Shoal Creek is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shoal Creek
- Pelham
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Tacoa
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Tacoa is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tacoa
- Falliston
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Falliston is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falliston
- Helena
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Chelsea
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Dunavant
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Dunavant is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunavant
- Alabaster
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Talladega County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- East Bend
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- East Bend is located in Talladega County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bend
- Logan Martin Dam
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Logan Martin Dam is located in Talladega County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Logan Martin Dam
- Childersburg
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Tuscaloosa County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Tannehill
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Tannehill is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tannehill
- Lake View
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Lake View is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake View
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,732 people
- Abernant
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Abernant is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abernant
- Bull City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Bull City is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bull City
- Kellerman
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Kellerman is located in Tuscaloosa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellerman
- Walker County
- The following are listed by their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Quinton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Twilley Town
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Twilley Town is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twilley Town
- Yerkwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Yerkwood is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yerkwood
- Burnwell
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Burnwell is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnwell
- Oakahalla
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Oakahalla is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakahalla
- Reeds Ferry
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Reeds Ferry is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reeds Ferry
- Wyatt
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Wyatt is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyatt
- Dora
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Sumiton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Sumiton is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sumiton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,330 people
- Former names for Sumiton:
- Commercial
- Democrat
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sumiton <1>
- Red Star
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Red Star is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Star
- Creel
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Creel is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creel
- Empire
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Empire is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Empire
- Barney
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Barney is located in Walker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barney
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Highland Park, see our County-by-County Page for Highland Park.
Cemeteries Near Highland Park ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Highland Park.
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 Highland Park - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Highland Park covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- New Grace Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Grace Hill Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the New Grace Hill Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Birmingham.
- The New Grace Hill Cemetery has also been known as:
- Grace Hill Cemetery
- New Grace Hill Gardens
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #23071 <2>
- Elmwood Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmwood Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Elmwood Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Birmingham.
- The Elmwood Cemetery has also been known as:
- Elm Leaf Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #22674 <2>
- Oak Hill Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Shadowlawn Memorial Park
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Enon Ridge Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Knesses Israel Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Emanuel Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Union Hill Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Oakland Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Wise Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Cahaba Heights Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- McElwain Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (350 more) ...
- Forest Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Greenwood Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Birmingham.
- The Greenwood Cemetery has also been known as:
- Woodlawn Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #23140 <2>
- Inglenook Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
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.<3>
While we didn't find Highland Park in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Highland Park.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Highland Park, with the one closest to Highland Park listed first.
- Spaulding
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Spaulding is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spaulding
- Birmingham
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Powderly
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Powderly is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powderly
- Ishkooda
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Ishkooda is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ishkooda
- Avondale
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Avondale is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avondale
- Thomas
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Thomas is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomas
- Duncan
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Duncan is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan
- Oxmoor
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Oxmoor is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxmoor
- North Birmingham
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- North Birmingham is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Birmingham
- East Birmingham
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- East Birmingham is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Birmingham
- Vanderbilt
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Vanderbilt is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vanderbilt
- Ensley
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Ensley is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ensley
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Ware
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Ware is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ware
- Woodlawn
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Woodlawn is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodlawn
- Pratt Mines ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Pratt Mines is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt Mines
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Highland Park. See our List of 1890's Communities around Highland Park.
Newspapers Published in Highland Park ...
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 198 newspapers that have been published in the area around Highland Park.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Highland Park, there are papers which were published within 5 miles [8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Highland Park.
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 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 Highland Park:
- Websites specific to Alabama
- Pages specific to Jefferson County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bibb County
- Blount County
- Cullman County
- Saint Clair County
- Shelby County
- Talladega County
- Tuscaloosa County
- Walker County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Alabama
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 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. |
| <3> | 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 Highland Park, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Highland Park) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |