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 Saint Elmo (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 Saint Elmo. 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 Saint Elmo ...
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 occur.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Saint Elmo: St. Elmo
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Saint Elmo. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Saint Elmo.
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 doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the 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.
Saint Elmo is located in Mobile 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 Mobile County: Baldwin, Washington, George (MS), Greene (MS) & Jackson (MS).
Below are the counties that are near Saint Elmo. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Saint Elmo:
- Mobile County (The home county of Saint Elmo)
- The following are listed by their distance from Saint Elmo, with the one closest to Saint Elmo listed first.
- Irvington
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Theodore
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Grand Bay
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Bayou La Batre
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Tillmans Corner
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Tillmans Corner is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tillmans Corner
- Bellefontaine
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Bellefontaine is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellefontaine
- Coden
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Mon Louis
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Mon Louis is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mon Louis
- Alabama Port
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Alabama Port is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alabama Port
- Country Club Village
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Country Club Village is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Club Village
- Mobile
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Semmes
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Dauphin Island
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Dauphin Island is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dauphin Island
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,366 people
- Baldwin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saint Elmo, with the one closest to Saint Elmo listed first.
- Fairhope
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Point Clear
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Montrose
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Park City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Park City is located in Baldwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City
- Daphne
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Spanish Fort
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Fort Morgan ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Clay City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Clay City is located in Baldwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay City
- Yupon
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Yupon is located in Baldwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yupon
- Marlow
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Marlow is located in Baldwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlow
- Bromley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Bromley is located in Baldwin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bromley
- Magnolia Springs
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Loxley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- George County (MS)
- The following are listed by their distance from Saint Elmo, with the one closest to Saint Elmo listed first.
- Howell
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Howell is located in George County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howell
- Agricola
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jackson County (MS)
- The following are listed by their distance from Saint Elmo, with the one closest to Saint Elmo listed first.
- Orange Grove
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Orange Grove is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Grove
- Big Point
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Big Point is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Point
- Helena
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Helena is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helena
- Hurley
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Coll Town
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Coll Town is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coll Town
- Escatawpa
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Escatawpa is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escatawpa
- Moss Point
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Eastside
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Eastside is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastside
- Pascagoula
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Wade
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Wade is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wade
- Hickory Hills
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Hickory Hills is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Hills
- Martin Bluff
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Martin Bluff is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin Bluff
- Americus ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Americus is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Americus
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Saint Elmo, see our County-by-County Page for Saint Elmo.
Cemeteries Near Saint Elmo ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Saint Elmo.
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 Saint Elmo - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Saint Elmo covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Saint Elmo, with the one closest to Saint Elmo listed first.
- Beverly Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Serenity Memorial Gardens
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Lundy Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Piner McGrew Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Pine Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Oddfellows Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Magnolia Springs Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Grand Bay Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Catholic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- St. Michael Catholic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Cold Springs Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (180 more) ...
- Roberts Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Mobile Memorial Gardens
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mobile Memorial Gardens
- The Mobile Memorial Gardens has also been known as:
- Mobile Memorial Cemetery
- Mobile Memorial Gardens Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #24477 <2>
- Dawes Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Saint Elmo had a population of 126 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Saint Elmo, with the one closest to Saint Elmo listed first.
- Fernland
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Fernland is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernland
- Grand Bay
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Fowl River
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Fowl River is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fowl River
- Theodore
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Bayou La Batre
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Coden
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Mon Louis
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Mon Louis is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mon Louis
- Orange Grove
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Orange Grove is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Grove
- Cox
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Cox is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cox
- Spring Hill
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Spring Hill is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
- Escatawpa
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Escatawpa is located in Jackson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escatawpa
- Moss Point
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Mobile
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Pascagoula
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Plateau
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Plateau is located in Mobile County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plateau
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Saint Elmo. See our List of 1890's Communities around Saint Elmo.
Newspapers Published in Saint Elmo ...
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 148 newspapers that have been published in the area around Saint Elmo.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Saint Elmo, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Saint Elmo.
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 professional and volunteer 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 Saint Elmo:
- Websites specific to Alabama
- Pages specific to Mobile County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Baldwin County
- George County
- Jackson 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 Saint Elmo, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Saint Elmo) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |