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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 Mount Olive (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 Mount Olive. 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 Mount Olive ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Mount Olive: Mt. Olive

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.

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.

Mount Olive is located in Coosa 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 Coosa County: Chilton, Clay, Elmore, Shelby, Talladega & Tallapoosa.

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

  • Coosa County     (The home county of Mount Olive)
  • Chilton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mount Olive, with the one closest to Mount Olive listed first.
    • Jumbo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jumbo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jumbo
      • Jumbo is located in Chilton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jumbo
      • From Mount Olive to Jumbo
    • Verbena
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Clay County
  • Elmore County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mount Olive, with the one closest to Mount Olive listed first.
    • Seman
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Seman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seman
      • Seman is located in Elmore County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Seman
      • From Mount Olive to Seman
    • Central
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Jordan
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jordan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordan
      • Jordan is located in Elmore County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jordan
      • From Mount Olive to Jordan
    • Irma ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Irma. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irma
      • Irma is located in Elmore County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Irma
      • From Mount Olive to Irma
    • Titus
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Lightwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lightwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lightwood
      • Lightwood is located in Elmore County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lightwood
      • From Mount Olive to Lightwood
    • Eclectic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Randolph County
    • Almond
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Almond have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Almond
      • Almond is located in Randolph County
  • Saint Clair County
    • Vincent
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vincent have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vincent
      • Vincent is located in Saint Clair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,223 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vincent <1>
  • Shelby County
  • Talladega County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mount Olive, with the one closest to Mount Olive listed first.
    • Sylacauga
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Gantts Quarry
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gantts Quarry have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gantts Quarry
      • Gantts Quarry is located in Talladega County
    • Mignon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mignon have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mignon
      • Mignon is located in Talladega County
    • Oldfield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oldfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oldfield
      • Oldfield is located in Talladega County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Oldfield
      • From Mount Olive to Oldfield
    • Oak Grove
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
      • Oak Grove is located in Talladega County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 513 people
    • Sycamore
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sycamore have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore
      • Sycamore is located in Talladega County
    • Comerdale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Zubers
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Abihka ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Abihka have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abihka
      • Abihka is located in Talladega County
    • Fayetteville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Rendalia
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rendalia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rendalia
      • Rendalia is located in Talladega County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rendalia
      • From Mount Olive to Rendalia
    • Winterboro
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winterboro have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winterboro
      • Winterboro is located in Talladega County
    • Bon Air
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bon Air have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bon Air
      • Bon Air is located in Talladega County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
  • Tallapoosa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mount Olive, with the one closest to Mount Olive listed first.
    • Hackneyville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Alexander City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alexander City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexander City
      • Alexander City is located in Tallapoosa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,142 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alexander City <1>
    • Cowpens
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Alkehatchee ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alkehatchee have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alkehatchee
      • Alkehatchee is located in Tallapoosa County
    • Our Town
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Goldville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • New Site
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Jacksons' Gap
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Benson ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Benson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benson
      • Benson is located in Tallapoosa County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Benson
      • From Mount Olive to Benson
    • Emuckfaw
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emuckfaw have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emuckfaw
      • Emuckfaw is located in Tallapoosa County
    • Dadeville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dadeville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dadeville
      • Dadeville is located in Tallapoosa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,007 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dadeville <1>
    • Matilda
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Matilda have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matilda
      • Matilda is located in Tallapoosa County
    • Daviston
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Mount Olive ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mount Olive.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Mount Olive, with the one closest to Mount Olive 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Mount Olive had a population of 20 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Hollins
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Goodwater
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Hanover
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hanover have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanover
    • Hanover is located in Coosa County
  • Stewartville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Crewsville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crewsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crewsville
    • Crewsville is located in Coosa County
  • Kellyton
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Sylacauga
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Weogufka
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Bentleyville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bentleyville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bentleyville
    • Bentleyville is located in Coosa County
  • Oldfield
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oldfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oldfield
    • Oldfield is located in Talladega County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Oldfield
    • From Mount Olive to Oldfield
  • Hackneyville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Hissop
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Rockford
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Sycamore
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sycamore have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore
      • Sycamore is located in Talladega County
    • Hatchet Creek
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hatchet Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatchet Creek
      • Hatchet Creek is located in Clay County

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

Newspapers Published in Mount Olive ...

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 36 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mount Olive.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Mount Olive, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Mount Olive.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Mount Olive:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Mount Olive. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.gov/

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>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.
<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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Mount Olive) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Mount Olive. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.0682, Longitude: -86.1368    
<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 Mount Olive, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025