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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 Wilson (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 Wilson. 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 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.

Wilson is located in Washington 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 Washington County: Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile, Greene (MS) & Wayne (MS).

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

  • Washington County     (The home county of Wilson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilson, with the one closest to Wilson listed first.
    • Saint Stephen's
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Bassetts Creek
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Bassetts Creek is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassetts Creek
    • Leroy
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Leroy is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leroy
    • Bigbee
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Bigbee is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigbee
    • Wagarville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Hobson
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Hobson is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobson
    • Frankville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Frankville is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankville
    • Carson
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Carson is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carson
    • Prestwick
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Prestwick is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prestwick
    • Sunflower
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Sunflower is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunflower
    • Chatom
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Chatom is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatom
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chatom <1>
    • Hawthorn
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Hawthorn is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawthorn
  • Baldwin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilson, with the one closest to Wilson listed first.
    • Little River
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Blacksher
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Blacksher is located in Baldwin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blacksher
  • Choctaw County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilson, with the one closest to Wilson listed first.
    • Bladon Springs
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Bladon Springs is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bladon Springs
    • Cullomburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Cullomburg is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cullomburg
    • Silas
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Womack Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Womack Hill is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Womack Hill
    • Bolinger
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Bolinger is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolinger
    • Aquilla
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Aquilla is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aquilla
    • Souwilpa
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Souwilpa is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Souwilpa
    • Gilbertown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Isney
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Isney is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isney
    • Emory
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Emory is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emory
    • Toxey
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Toxey is located in Choctaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toxey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 121 people
  • Clarke County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilson, with the one closest to Wilson listed first.
    • Salitpa
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Salitpa is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salitpa
    • Stave Creek
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Stave Creek is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stave Creek
    • Jackson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Toddtown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Toddtown is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toddtown
    • Winn
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Winn is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
    • Walker Springs
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Coffeeville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Zimco
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Zimco is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zimco
    • Rockville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Rockville is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockville
    • Fakit Chipunta ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Fakit Chipunta is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fakit Chipunta
    • Alma
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Alma is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
    • Carlton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Mobile County
  • Monroe County
    • Mount Pleasant
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Mount Pleasant is located in Monroe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
  • Greene County (MS)
    • State Line
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • State Line is located in Greene County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
  • Wayne County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wilson, with the one closest to Wilson listed first.
    • Robinsons Junction
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Robinsons Junction is located in Wayne County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Robinsons Junction
    • Chicora
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Chicora is located in Wayne County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicora

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

Cemeteries Near Wilson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wilson.

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

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

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

  • St. Stephens Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • St. Stephens Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Mt. Nebo Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Old St. Stephens Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Crawford Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Faith Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Stoker Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • St. Union - Mt. Stoney Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Williams Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Midway Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Clearwater Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Leroy Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (246 more) ...
    • Blount Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Pine Grove Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • St. Pauls Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 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.<2>

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

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

  • Saint Stephen's
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Salitpa
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Salitpa is located in Clarke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salitpa
  • Bigbee
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Bigbee is located in Washington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigbee
  • Wagar
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Wagar is located in Washington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wagar
  • Carson
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Carson is located in Washington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carson
  • Frankville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Frankville is located in Washington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankville
  • Jackson
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Sunflower
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Sunflower is located in Washington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunflower
  • Winn
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Winn is located in Clarke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
  • Koenton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Koenton is located in Washington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Koenton
  • Walker Springs
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Rescueville
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Rescueville is located in Choctaw County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rescueville
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Coffeeville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Millry
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Healing Springs
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Healing Springs is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Healing Springs

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

Newspapers Published in Wilson ...

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 9 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wilson.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Wilson, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Wilson.

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 helpful 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 Wilson:

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 Wilson, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Wilson) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.