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 Wills Crossroads (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 Wills Crossroads. 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 Wills Crossroads ...
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.
- A typical abbreviation for Wills Crossroads: Wills Xrds.
- While the name of this community is Wills Crossroads, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Wills Crossroads may originally have been Will's Crossroads.
Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Wills Crossroads might be written as Will Crossroads.
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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most 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.
Wills Crossroads is located in Henry 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 Henry County: Barbour, Dale, Houston, Clay (GA) & Early (GA).
Below are the counties that are near Wills Crossroads. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Wills Crossroads:
- Henry County (The home county of Wills Crossroads)
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Shorterville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Shorterville is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shorterville
- Abbeville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Oakey Grove
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Oakey Grove is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakey Grove
- Graball
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Graball is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graball
- Former names for Graball:
- Hart's Crossroads
- Hudspeth's Crossroads
- Capps
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Capps is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Capps
- Haleburg
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Haleburg is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haleburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
- Screamer
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Screamer is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Screamer
- Newville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Newville is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 510 people
- Headland
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Barbour County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Bakerhill
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Bakerhill is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bakerhill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
- Cotton Hill
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Cotton Hill is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cotton Hill
- Blue Springs
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Blue Springs is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Springs
- Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
- Eufaula
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Clayton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Louisville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Louisville is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louisville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 457 people
- Clio
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Elamville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Elamville is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elamville
- Big Eddy ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Big Eddy is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Eddy
- Dale County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Bertha
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Bertha is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bertha
- Clopton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Clopton is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clopton
- Skipperville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Skipperville is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skipperville
- Grimes
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Grimes is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grimes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 556 people
- Napier Field
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Napier Field is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Napier Field
- Population from the 2020 Census: 344 people
- Mabson
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Mabson is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mabson
- Midland City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Arguta
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Arguta is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arguta
- Ewell
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Ewell is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ewell
- Phillips Crossroads
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Phillips Crossroads is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phillips Crossroads
- Pinckard
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Ozark
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Newton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Newton is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,451 people
- Houston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Williams
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Williams is located in Houston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williams
- Columbia
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Kinsey
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Kinsey is located in Houston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinsey
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,293 people
- Webb
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Barber
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Barber is located in Houston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barber
- Ashford
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Cowarts
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Tidwell
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Tidwell is located in Houston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tidwell
- Avon
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Avon is located in Houston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 510 people
- Dothan
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Parish
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Gordon
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Gordon is located in Houston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 328 people
- Calhoun County (GA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Edison
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Arlington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Clay County (GA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Fort Gaines
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Oketeyeconne ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Oketeyeconne is located in Clay County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oketeyeconne
- Bellville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Bellville is located in Clay County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellville
- Estimated population in 2019: 118 people
- Bluffton
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Early County (GA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Rock Hill
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Rock Hill is located in Early County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Hill
- Population from the 2010 Census: 248 people
- Blakely
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Sawhatchee
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Sawhatchee is located in Early County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sawhatchee
- Bancroft
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Bancroft is located in Early County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bancroft
- Centerville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Centerville is located in Early County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Cedar Springs
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Hentown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hentown is located in Early County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hentown
- Estimated population in 2019: 3,944 people
- Quitman County (GA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Hatcher
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Hatcher is located in Quitman County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatcher
- Morris
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Georgetown
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Georgetown is located in Quitman County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Georgetown
- Randolph County (GA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Coleman
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Cuthbert
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Wills Crossroads, see our County-by-County Page for Wills Crossroads.
Cemeteries Near Wills Crossroads ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wills Crossroads.
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 Wills Crossroads - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Wills Crossroads covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Old Zion Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Union Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Hickory Grove Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Ebenezer Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- St. Peters Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Armstrong - Old Union Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Union Freewill Baptist Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Adoniram Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Shorterville Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Oakey Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakey Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Oakey Grove Baptist Church Cemetery is located 5 miles [8 km]<4> to the south of Abbeville.
- The Oakey Grove Baptist Church Cemetery has also been known as:
- Oakey Grove Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #25090 <3>
- Oaky Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Judson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Continue List (240 more) ...
- Mt. Zion Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Danzey Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- New Park Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
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.<5>
While we didn't find Wills Crossroads in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Wills Crossroads.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Wills Crossroads, with the one closest to Wills Crossroads listed first.
- Hardwickburg
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Hardwickburg is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardwickburg
- Shorterville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Shorterville is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shorterville
- Abbeville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Fort Gaines
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Lawrenceville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Lawrenceville is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawrenceville
- Balkum
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Balkum is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balkum
- Otho
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Otho is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otho
- Pecan
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Pecan is located in Clay County (GA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pecan
- Bertha
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Bertha is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bertha
- Clopton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Clopton is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clopton
- Echo
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Echo is located in Dale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo
- Headland
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Bluffton
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Coleman
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Oateston
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Oateston is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oateston
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Wills Crossroads. See our List of 1890's Communities around Wills Crossroads.
Newspapers Published in Wills Crossroads ...
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 71 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wills Crossroads.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Wills Crossroads, there are papers which were published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Wills Crossroads.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Wills Crossroads:
- Websites specific to Alabama
- Pages specific to Henry County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Barbour County
- Dale County
- Houston County
- Calhoun County
- Clay County
- Early County
- Quitman County
- Randolph County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Alabama
Footnotes ...
| <1> | It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties). |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Wills Crossroads) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <5> | 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 Wills Crossroads, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |