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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 Wilmer (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 Wilmer. 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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Wilmer 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 Wilmer. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Wilmer:

  • Mobile County     (The home county of Wilmer)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilmer, with the one closest to Wilmer listed first.
    • Semmes
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Chunchula
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Chunchula is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chunchula
    • Eight Mile
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Gulfcrest
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Gulfcrest is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gulfcrest
    • Country Club Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Country Club Village is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Club Village
    • Saraland
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Chickasaw
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Prichard
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Satsuma
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Tillmans Corner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Tillmans Corner is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tillmans Corner
    • Citronelle
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Mobile
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Axis
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Axis is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Axis
  • Baldwin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilmer, with the one closest to Wilmer listed first.
    • Spanish Fort
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Bromley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Bromley is located in Baldwin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bromley
    • Park City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Park City is located in Baldwin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilmer, with the one closest to Wilmer listed first.
    • Deer Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Deer Park is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Park
    • Fairford
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Fairford is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairford
    • Vinegar Bend
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Vinegar Bend is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinegar Bend
    • Sims Chapel
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Sims Chapel is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sims Chapel
  • George County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilmer, with the one closest to Wilmer listed first.
    • Howell
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Howell is located in George County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howell
    • Agricola
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Lucedale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Bexley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Bexley is located in George County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bexley
  • Greene County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilmer, with the one closest to Wilmer listed first.
    • Brown Town
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Brown Town is located in Greene County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brown Town
    • Leakesville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Hillman
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Hillman is located in Greene County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillman
  • Jackson County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilmer, with the one closest to Wilmer listed first.
    • Hurley
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Americus ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Americus is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Americus
    • Big Point
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Big Point is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Point
    • Wade
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Wade is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wade
    • Brewton ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Brewton is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewton
      • Brewton has also been known as:
      • Brewer's Bluff
    • Helena
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Helena is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helena
    • Coll Town
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Coll Town is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coll Town
    • Vancleave
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Escatawpa
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Escatawpa is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escatawpa
    • Orange Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Orange Grove is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Grove
    • Moss Point
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Hickory Hills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Hickory Hills is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Hills
    • Martin Bluff
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Martin Bluff is located in Jackson County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin Bluff

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

Cemeteries Near Wilmer ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wilmer.

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 Wilmer - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Wilmer covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Wilmer Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Morris Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Stringfellow Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Moffetville Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Ward Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Ford Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Moffet Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Howell Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Midway Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Allentown Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Powell Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Dees Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (275 more) ...
    • Williams Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Chapel of Praise Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Miller Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)

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.<2>

While we didn't find Wilmer in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Wilmer.

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

  • Oak Grove
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Oak Grove is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
  • Chunchula
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Chunchula is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chunchula
  • Kushla
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Kushla is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kushla
  • Americus ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Americus is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Americus
  • Spring Hill
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Spring Hill is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
  • Whistler
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Whistler is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whistler
  • Prichard
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Plateau
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Plateau is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plateau
  • Three Rivers
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Three Rivers is located in Jackson County (MS)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Three Rivers
  • Cox
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Cox is located in Mobile County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cox
  • Mobile
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Citronelle
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Creola
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Creola is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creola
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,032 people
    • Saint Elmo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Saint Elmo is located in Mobile County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Elmo
    • Theodore
      (22 miles [35.4 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 Wilmer. See our List of 1890's Communities around Wilmer.

Newspapers Published in Wilmer ...

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 5 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wilmer.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Wilmer, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Wilmer.

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 Wilmer:

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>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 Wilmer, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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 from Point A (ie- Wilmer) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.