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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 Silas (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 Silas. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Silas is located in Choctaw 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 Choctaw County: Clarke, Marengo, Sumter, Washington, Clarke (MS), Lauderdale (MS) & Wayne (MS).

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

  • Choctaw County     (The home county of Silas)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silas, with the one closest to Silas listed first.
    • Bolinger
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bolinger have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolinger
      • Bolinger is located in Choctaw County
    • Souwilpa
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Souwilpa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Souwilpa
      • Souwilpa is located in Choctaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Souwilpa
      • From Silas to Souwilpa
    • Cullomburg
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Aquilla
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aquilla have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aquilla
      • Aquilla is located in Choctaw County
    • Gilbertown
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Isney
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Isney. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isney
      • Isney is located in Choctaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Isney
      • From Silas to Isney
    • Bladon Springs
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Emory
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Emory. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emory
      • Emory is located in Choctaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Emory
      • From Silas to Emory
    • Toxey
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toxey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toxey
      • Toxey is located in Choctaw County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 121 people
    • Womack Hill
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Womack Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Womack Hill
      • Womack Hill is located in Choctaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Womack Hill
      • From Silas to Womack Hill
    • Okatuppa
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Okatuppa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Okatuppa
      • Okatuppa is located in Choctaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Okatuppa
      • From Silas to Okatuppa
    • Melvin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melvin
      • Melvin is located in Choctaw County
  • Clarke County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silas, with the one closest to Silas listed first.
    • Fakit Chipunta ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fakit Chipunta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fakit Chipunta
      • Fakit Chipunta is located in Clarke County
    • Coffeeville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coffeeville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coffeeville
      • Coffeeville is located in Clarke County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 305 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coffeeville <3>
    • Salitpa
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Campbell
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Morvin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morvin
      • Morvin is located in Clarke County
    • Winn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • 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.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
      • Winn is located in Clarke County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Winn
      • From Silas to Winn
    • Zimco
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Stave Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Toddtown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Jackson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Marengo County
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silas, with the one closest to Silas listed first.
    • Healing Springs
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Millry
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millry
      • Millry is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 487 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Millry <3>
    • Mehaffey ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Barlow
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barlow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barlow
      • Barlow is located in Washington County
    • Frankville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Bigbee
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Copeland
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Copeland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Copeland
      • Copeland is located in Washington County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Copeland
      • From Silas to Copeland
    • Chatom
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Hobson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Saint Stephen's
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Yellow Pine
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Bassetts Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
  • Clarke County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silas, with the one closest to Silas listed first.
    • Junction City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Junction City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction City
      • Junction City is located in Clarke County (MS)
    • Gin ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gin
      • Gin is located in Clarke County (MS)
    • Shubuta
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shubuta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shubuta
      • Shubuta is located in Clarke County (MS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 399 people
    • De Soto
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Quitman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quitman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quitman
      • Quitman is located in Clarke County (MS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,041 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Quitman <3>
  • Greene County (MS)
    • State Line
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for State Line. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line
      • State Line is located in Greene County (MS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to State Line
      • From Silas to State Line
  • Wayne County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silas, with the one closest to Silas listed first.
    • Matherville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Matherville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matherville
      • Matherville is located in Wayne County (MS)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Matherville
      • From Silas to Matherville
    • Robinsons Junction
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Waynesboro
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waynesboro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waynesboro
      • Waynesboro is located in Wayne County (MS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,866 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waynesboro <3>
    • Clara
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Whistler
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Whistler. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whistler
      • Whistler is located in Wayne County (MS)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Whistler
      • From Silas to Whistler

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

Cemeteries Near Silas ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Silas.

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

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

  • Springbank Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Springbank Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Springbank Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Singley Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Singley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Singley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Coopers Chapel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coopers Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coopers Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Seventh-day Adventist Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Seventh-day Adventist Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Seventh-day Adventist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Zion Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cullomburg Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Hall Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hall Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Harrison Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harrison Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harrison Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Loften Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Loften Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Loften Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Williamson Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Williamson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Williamson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • White Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Floyd Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Floyd Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Floyd Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (266 more) ...
    • Shady Grove Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shady Grove Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shady Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Reeds Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Reeds Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Reeds Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Old Aquilla Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Aquilla Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Aquilla 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Silas had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Silas had a population of 418 people.

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

  • Souwilpa
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Souwilpa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Souwilpa
    • Souwilpa is located in Choctaw County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Souwilpa
    • From Silas to Souwilpa
  • Rescueville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rescueville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rescueville
    • Rescueville is located in Choctaw County
  • Aquilla
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aquilla have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aquilla
    • Aquilla is located in Choctaw County
  • Isney
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Isney. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isney
    • Isney is located in Choctaw County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Isney
    • From Silas to Isney
  • Emory
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Emory. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emory
    • Emory is located in Choctaw County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Emory
    • From Silas to Emory
  • Healing Springs
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Millry
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millry
    • Millry is located in Washington County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 487 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Millry <3>
  • Koenton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Koenton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Koenton
    • Koenton is located in Washington County
  • Womack Hill
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Womack Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Womack Hill
    • Womack Hill is located in Choctaw County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Womack Hill
    • From Silas to Womack Hill
  • West Bend
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Bend
    • West Bend is located in Clarke County
  • Denham
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Denham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denham
    • Denham is located in Wayne County (MS)
  • Frankville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Melvin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melvin
      • Melvin is located in Choctaw County
    • Tokio
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tokio have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tokio
      • Tokio is located in Wayne County (MS)
    • Bigbee
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Silas ...

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 20 newspapers that have been published in the area around Silas.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Silas, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Silas.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Silas:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Silas. 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>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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Silas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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- Silas) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Silas. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.7656, Longitude: -88.3279       In this case, the coordinates for Silas have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 12 Jul 2025