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 Tunnel Springs (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 Tunnel Springs. 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 Tunnel Springs ...
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.
A past name for Tunnel Springs: Kempsville.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Tunnel Springs: Tunnel Spgs. (or less commonly used: Tunnel Spngs. or Tunnel Sprngs.)
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 and doctors 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.
Tunnel Springs is located in Monroe 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 Monroe County: Baldwin, Butler, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia & Wilcox.
Below are the counties that are near Tunnel Springs. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Tunnel Springs:
- Monroe County (The home county of Tunnel Springs)
- The following are listed by their distance from Tunnel Springs, with the one closest to Tunnel Springs listed first.
- Peterman
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Natchez
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Natchez. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Natchez
- Natchez is located in Monroe County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Natchez
- From Tunnel Springs to Natchez
- Pine Orchard
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Beatrice
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beatrice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beatrice
- Beatrice is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 271 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Beatrice <3>
- Lovan ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lovan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovan
- Lovan is located in Monroe County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Lovan
- From Tunnel Springs to Lovan
- Pineville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Burnt Corn
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Buena Vista
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buena Vista have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buena Vista
- Buena Vista is located in Monroe County
- Monroeville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroeville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroeville
- Monroeville is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,623 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monroeville <3>
- Franklin
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
- Franklin is located in Monroe County
- Scratch Ankle
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Mexia
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mexia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mexia
- Mexia is located in Monroe County
- Ollie
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- 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.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ollie
- Ollie is located in Monroe County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Ollie
- From Tunnel Springs to Ollie
- Butler County
- The following are listed by their distance from Tunnel Springs, with the one closest to Tunnel Springs listed first.
- Starlington
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Garland
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Garland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garland
- Garland is located in Butler County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Garland
- From Tunnel Springs to Garland
- Shacklesville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Forest Home
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forest Home have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Home
- Forest Home is located in Butler County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Forest Home <3>
- Georgiana
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Clarke County
- The following are listed by their distance from Tunnel Springs, with the one closest to Tunnel Springs listed first.
- Nettleboro
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Barlow Bend
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Suggsville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Whatley
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Dickinson
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Gainestown
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Conecuh County
- The following are listed by their distance from Tunnel Springs, with the one closest to Tunnel Springs listed first.
- Ramah
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Bermuda
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Commerce
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Commerce. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Commerce
- Commerce is located in Conecuh County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Commerce
- From Tunnel Springs to Commerce
- Repton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Repton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
- Belleville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belleville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belleville
- Belleville is located in Conecuh County
- Mixonville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Owassa
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Owassa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Owassa
- Owassa is located in Conecuh County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Owassa
- From Tunnel Springs to Owassa
- Lenox
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lenox have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenox
- Lenox is located in Conecuh County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lenox <3>
- Range
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Evergreen
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Wilcox
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wilcox. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilcox
- Wilcox is located in Conecuh County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Wilcox
- From Tunnel Springs to Wilcox
- Sparta ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sparta. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sparta
- Sparta is located in Conecuh County
- Sparta has also been known as:
- Old Sparta
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Sparta
- From Tunnel Springs to Sparta
- Jay Villa ‑ Historic
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Wilcox County
- The following are listed by their distance from Tunnel Springs, with the one closest to Tunnel Springs listed first.
- McWilliams
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McWilliams have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McWilliams
- McWilliams is located in Wilcox County
- Asahel
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Caledonia
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Schuster
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Schuster. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schuster
- Schuster is located in Wilcox County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Schuster
- From Tunnel Springs to Schuster
- Nellie
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Nellie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nellie
- Nellie is located in Wilcox County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Nellie
- From Tunnel Springs to Nellie
- Awin
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Awin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Awin
- Awin is located in Wilcox County
- Oak Hill
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Hill
- Oak Hill is located in Wilcox County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 23 people
- Pine Apple
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Coy
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- 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.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coy
- Coy is located in Wilcox County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Coy
- From Tunnel Springs to Coy
- Lower Peach Tree
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Estelle
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Estelle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estelle
- Estelle is located in Wilcox County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Estelle
- From Tunnel Springs to Estelle
- Camden
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Rockwest
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rockwest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockwest
- Rockwest is located in Wilcox County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Rockwest
- From Tunnel Springs to Rockwest
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Tunnel Springs, see our County-by-County Page for Tunnel Springs.
Cemeteries Near Tunnel Springs ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Tunnel Springs.
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 Tunnel Springs covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Tunnel Springs, with the one closest to Tunnel Springs listed first.
- Philadelphia Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Philadelphia Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Philadelphia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Amity Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Amity Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Amity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Old Scotland Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Scotland Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Scotland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Antioch Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Antioch Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Antioch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Davidson Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Davidson Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Davidson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mars Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mars Hill Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mars Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Rumbley Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rumbley Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rumbley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Shiloh Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shiloh Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shiloh Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- New Liberty Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Liberty Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- New Hope Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Hope Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Ramah Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ramah Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ramah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pine Orchard Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Orchard Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Orchard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (218 more) ...
- Ridge Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ridge Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Puryearville Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Puryearville Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Puryearville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Lone Star Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lone Star Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lone Star Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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>
While we didn't find Tunnel Springs in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Tunnel Springs.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Tunnel Springs, with the one closest to Tunnel Springs listed first.
- Natchez
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Natchez. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Natchez
- Natchez is located in Monroe County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Natchez
- From Tunnel Springs to Natchez
- Lovan ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lovan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovan
- Lovan is located in Monroe County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Lovan
- From Tunnel Springs to Lovan
- Axle
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Axle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Axle
- Axle is located in Monroe County
- River Ridge ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for River Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Ridge
- River Ridge is located in Monroe County
- Burnt Corn
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Pineville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Turnbull
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Turnbull have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turnbull
- Turnbull is located in Monroe County
- Riley
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riley
- Riley is located in Monroe County
- Monroeville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monroeville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroeville
- Monroeville is located in Monroe County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,623 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monroeville <3>
- Skinnerton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Skinnerton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skinnerton
- Skinnerton is located in Conecuh County
- Buena Vista
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buena Vista have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buena Vista
- Buena Vista is located in Monroe County
- Turkestan ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Turkestan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turkestan
- Turkestan is located in Monroe County
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Bermuda
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Chestnut
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chestnut have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestnut
- Chestnut is located in Monroe County
- Tinela
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tinela have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tinela
- Tinela 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 Tunnel Springs. See our List of 1890's Communities around Tunnel Springs.
Newspapers Published in Tunnel Springs ...
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 46 newspapers that have been published in the area around Tunnel Springs.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Tunnel Springs, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Tunnel Springs.
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 either 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 Tunnel Springs:
- Websites specific to Alabama
- Pages specific to Monroe County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Butler County
- Clarke County
- Conecuh County
- Wilcox County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Alabama
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Tunnel Springs. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | 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. |
<2> | 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. |
<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 Tunnel Springs, 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Tunnel Springs) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Tunnel Springs. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.6424, Longitude: -87.2401 |