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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 Bagdad (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 Bagdad. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and 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.

Bagdad is located in Santa Rosa County.

To see how the shape of Florida's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Santa Rosa County: Escambia (AL), Escambia & Okaloosa.

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

  • Santa Rosa County     (The home county of Bagdad)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bagdad, with the one closest to Bagdad listed first.
    • Galt City
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galt City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galt City
      • Galt City is located in Santa Rosa County
    • Milton
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milton
      • Milton is located in Santa Rosa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,785 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milton <2>
    • Pace
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Harold
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Navarre
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Gulf Breeze
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Jay
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jay
      • Jay is located in Santa Rosa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 653 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jay <2>
    • Belandville ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belandville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belandville
      • Belandville is located in Santa Rosa County
  • Escambia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bagdad, with the one closest to Bagdad listed first.
    • Bohemia
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bohemia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bohemia
      • Bohemia is located in Escambia County
    • Ferry Pass
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ferry Pass have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferry Pass
      • Ferry Pass is located in Escambia County
    • Brent
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brent have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brent
      • Brent is located in Escambia County
    • Goulding
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goulding
      • Goulding is located in Escambia County
    • Ensley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Gonzalez
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gonzalez have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gonzalez
      • Gonzalez is located in Escambia County
    • Pensacola
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Tristan Village
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tristan Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tristan Village
      • Tristan Village is located in Escambia County
    • Molino
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Sanders Beach
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanders Beach
      • Sanders Beach is located in Escambia County
    • West Pensacola
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Pensacola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Pensacola
      • West Pensacola is located in Escambia County
    • Bellview
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellview
      • Bellview is located in Escambia County
    • Cantonment
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Okaloosa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bagdad, with the one closest to Bagdad listed first.
    • Holt
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Hurlburt Field
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Baker
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Otahite ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Otahite. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otahite
      • Otahite is located in Okaloosa County
    • Wright
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wright have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wright
      • Wright is located in Okaloosa County
    • Milligan
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Mary Esther
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Cannon Town
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cannon Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannon Town
      • Cannon Town is located in Okaloosa County
    • Cinco Bayou
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cinco Bayou have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cinco Bayou
      • Cinco Bayou is located in Okaloosa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 447 people
    • Fort Walton Beach
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Ocean City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ocean City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocean City
      • Ocean City is located in Okaloosa County
    • Shalimar
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Crestview
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Baldwin County (AL)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bagdad, with the one closest to Bagdad listed first.
    • Seminole
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seminole have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seminole
      • Seminole is located in Baldwin County (AL)
    • Lillian
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lillian have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lillian
      • Lillian is located in Baldwin County (AL)
  • Escambia County (AL)
    • Pollard
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pollard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pollard
      • Pollard is located in Escambia County (AL)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 132 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Bagdad ...

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 80 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bagdad.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Bagdad. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Bagdad and those printed in the larger area surrounding Bagdad.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<4> of Bagdad.

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 Bagdad:

Cemeteries Near Bagdad ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bagdad.

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

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

  • Milton Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Friendship Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Friendship Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Friendship Cemetery
  • Magnolia Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Hickory Hammock Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Lewis Williams Memorial Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Lewis Williams Memorial Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 5 miles [8 km]<4> to the northwest of Milton.
    • The Lewis Williams Memorial Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Williams Memorial Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lewis Williams Memorial Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72766 <5>
  • Welcome Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • The Welcome Cemetery has also been known as:
    • J.B. Watson Cemetery
    • New Elam Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Welcome Cemetery
  • Strickland Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Serenity Gardens
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Black Hammock Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Mitchell Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Allen Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Allen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Allen Cemetery
  • Flowers Field Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (74 more) ...
    • Roberts Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roberts Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roberts Cemetery
    • Old Spring Hill Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Spring Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Spring Hill Cemetery
    • Chavers Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chavers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chavers Cemetery

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Bagdad had a population of 523 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Galt City
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galt City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galt City
    • Galt City is located in Santa Rosa County
  • Milton
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milton
    • Milton is located in Santa Rosa County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,785 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milton <2>
  • Yniestra
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yniestra have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yniestra
    • Yniestra is located in Escambia County
  • Bohemia
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bohemia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bohemia
    • Bohemia is located in Escambia County
  • Ferry Pass
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ferry Pass have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferry Pass
    • Ferry Pass is located in Escambia County
  • Olive
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Olive have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olive
    • Olive is located in Escambia County
  • Brent
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brent have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brent
    • Brent is located in Escambia County
  • Goulding
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goulding
    • Goulding is located in Escambia County
  • Pensacola
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Chumuckla
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chumuckla have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chumuckla
    • Chumuckla is located in Santa Rosa County
  • Quintette
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quintette have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quintette
    • Quintette is located in Escambia County
  • Molino
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (10 more) ...
    • Cantonment
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Warrington
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warrington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warrington
      • Warrington is located in Escambia County
    • Berrydale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berrydale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berrydale
      • Berrydale is located in Santa Rosa County

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Bagdad. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Santa Rosa County: www.co.santa-rosa.fl.us/

The official website for State of Florida: www.myflorida.com/

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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<4>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- Bagdad) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bagdad. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.5998, Longitude: -87.0317    
<5>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.
<6>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 Bagdad, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024