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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 Manila (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 Manila. 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.

Manila is located in Clarke 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 Clarke County: Baldwin, Choctaw, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Washington & Wilcox.

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

  • Clarke County     (The home county of Manila)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Manila, with the one closest to Manila listed first.
    • Alma
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
      • Alma is located in Clarke County
    • Walker Springs
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Gainestown
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gainestown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gainestown
      • Gainestown is located in Clarke County
    • Suggsville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Suggsville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Suggsville
      • Suggsville is located in Clarke County
    • Barlow Bend
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Barlow Bend. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barlow Bend
      • Barlow Bend is located in Clarke County
    • Whatley
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whatley
      • Whatley is located in Clarke County
    • Rockville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockville
      • Rockville is located in Clarke County
    • Jackson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Toddtown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toddtown
      • Toddtown is located in Clarke County
    • Grove Hill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grove Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove Hill
      • Grove Hill is located in Clarke County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,709 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grove Hill <2>
    • Carlton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Stave Creek
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stave Creek
      • Stave Creek is located in Clarke County
    • Winn
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Winn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
      • Winn is located in Clarke County
  • Baldwin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Manila, with the one closest to Manila listed first.
    • Little River
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Blacksher
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blacksher
      • Blacksher is located in Baldwin County
    • Tensaw
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tensaw. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tensaw
      • Tensaw is located in Baldwin County
    • Latham
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Latham. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latham
      • Latham is located in Baldwin County
  • Conecuh County
    • Repton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Repton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Repton
      • Repton is located in Conecuh County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 254 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Repton <2>
  • Escambia County
    • Huxford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huxford
      • Huxford is located in Escambia County
  • Mobile County
  • Monroe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Manila, with the one closest to Manila listed first.
    • Claiborne
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Claiborne. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claiborne
      • Claiborne is located in Monroe County
    • Mount Pleasant
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mount Pleasant. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
      • Mount Pleasant is located in Monroe County
    • Perdue Hill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perdue Hill
      • Perdue Hill is located in Monroe County
    • Finchburg ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Finchburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchburg
      • Finchburg is located in Monroe County
    • Frisco City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Mexia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mexia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mexia
      • Mexia is located in Monroe County
    • Scratch Ankle
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scratch Ankle
      • Scratch Ankle is located in Monroe County
    • Megargel
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Megargel
      • Megargel is located in Monroe County
    • Uriah
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Goodway
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodway
      • Goodway is located in Monroe County
    • Ollie
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ollie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ollie
      • Ollie is located in Monroe County
    • Excel
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Excel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Excel
      • Excel is located in Monroe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 619 people
    • Franklin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
      • Franklin is located in Monroe County
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Manila, with the one closest to Manila listed first.
    • Carson
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carson
      • Carson is located in Washington County
    • Leroy
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leroy
      • Leroy is located in Washington County
    • Prestwick
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Prestwick. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prestwick
      • Prestwick is located in Washington County
    • Sunflower
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunflower
      • Sunflower is located in Washington County
    • Bassetts Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bassetts Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassetts Creek
      • Bassetts Creek is located in Washington County
    • Wagarville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Saint Stephen's
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Hawthorn
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hawthorn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawthorn
      • Hawthorn is located in Washington County
    • McIntosh
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McIntosh have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntosh
      • McIntosh is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 210 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McIntosh <2>
    • Hobson
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobson
      • Hobson is located in Washington County
    • Frankville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankville
      • Frankville is located in Washington County
    • Malcolm
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malcolm
      • Malcolm is located in Washington County
    • Bigbee
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigbee
      • Bigbee is located in Washington County
  • Wilcox County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Manila, with the one closest to Manila listed first.
    • Lower Peach Tree
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Peach Tree
      • Lower Peach Tree is located in Wilcox County
    • Asahel
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Asahel
      • Asahel is located in Wilcox County
    • Coy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Coy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coy
      • Coy is located in Wilcox County

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

Cemeteries Near Manila ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Manila.

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

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

  • Road Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Road Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Road Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Franks Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Franks Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Franks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cedar Fork Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Fork Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Fork Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Gilead Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hotel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hotel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hotel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hopewell Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hopewell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hopewell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Puyear Chapel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Puyear Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Puyear Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Coleman Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coleman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coleman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cammack Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cammack Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cammack Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Linder Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Linder Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Linder Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • New Canaan MB Church Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Canaan MB Church Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the New Canaan MB Church Cemetery is located 6 miles [9.7 km]<4> to the southwest of Carlton.
    • The New Canaan MB Church Cemetery has also been known as:
    • New Canaan Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1105956 <5>
  • Hearin Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hearin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hearin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (208 more) ...
    • Gaddies Chapel Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gaddies Chapel Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gaddies Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Magnolia Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Magnolia Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Magnolia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Davis Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Davis Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Davis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<6>

While we didn't find Manila in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Manila.

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

  • Alma
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
    • Alma is located in Clarke County
  • Gainestown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gainestown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gainestown
    • Gainestown is located in Clarke County
  • Walker Springs
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Suggsville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Suggsville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Suggsville
    • Suggsville is located in Clarke County
  • Barlow Bend
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Barlow Bend. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barlow Bend
    • Barlow Bend is located in Clarke County
  • Gosport
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gosport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gosport
    • Gosport is located in Clarke County
  • Whatley
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whatley
    • Whatley is located in Clarke County
  • Jackson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Mount Pleasant
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mount Pleasant. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
    • Mount Pleasant is located in Monroe County
  • Claiborne
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Claiborne. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claiborne
    • Claiborne is located in Monroe County
  • Carson
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carson
    • Carson is located in Washington County
  • Grove Hill
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grove Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove Hill
    • Grove Hill is located in Clarke County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,709 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grove Hill <2>
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Perdue Hill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perdue Hill
      • Perdue Hill is located in Monroe County
    • Vashti
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vashti have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vashti
      • Vashti is located in Clarke County
    • Finchburg ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Finchburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchburg
      • Finchburg is located in Monroe County

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

Newspapers Published in Manila ...

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 25 newspapers that have been published in the area around Manila.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Manila, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Manila.

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 Manila:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Manila. 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>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 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Manila) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Manila. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.5085, Longitude: -87.7231       In this case, the coordinates for Manila have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Manila, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025