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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 Bay Hill (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 Bay Hill. 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 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.

Bay Hill is located in Orange County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Orange County: Brevard, Lake, Osceola, Polk & Seminole.

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

  • Orange County     (The home county of Bay Hill)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bay Hill, with the one closest to Bay Hill listed first.
    • Doctor Phillips
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Doctor Phillips is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doctor Phillips
    • Lake Butter
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Lake Butter is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Butter
    • Windermere
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Sand Lake
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Tangelo Park
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Tangelo Park is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tangelo Park
    • Gotha
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Oak Ridge
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Oak Ridge is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Ridge
    • Minorville ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Minorville is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minorville
    • Orlovista
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Orlovista is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orlovista
    • Lake Buena Vista
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Lake Buena Vista is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Buena Vista
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 26 people
    • Williamsburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Williamsburg is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
    • Bay Lake
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Bay Lake is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
    • Ocoee
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Ocoee is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocoee
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 49,168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ocoee <1>
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bay Hill, with the one closest to Bay Hill listed first.
    • Four Corners
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Waits Junction
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Waits Junction is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waits Junction
    • Montverde
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Mohawk
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Mohawk is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mohawk
    • Ferndale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Minneola
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Clermont
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Astatula
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake Jem
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Lake Jem is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Jem
    • Groveland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Ethel
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Ethel is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ethel
    • Howey-in-the-Hills
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Mascotte
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
  • Osceola County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bay Hill, with the one closest to Bay Hill listed first.
    • Celebration
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Kissimmee
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Buena Ventura Lakes
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Campbell
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Campbell is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell
    • Intercession City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Reunion
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • ChampionsGate
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • ChampionsGate is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for ChampionsGate
    • Saint Cloud
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Poinciana Place
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Poinciana Place is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poinciana Place
    • Poinciana
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Runnymede
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Runnymede is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runnymede
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bay Hill, with the one closest to Bay Hill listed first.
    • Loughman
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Davenport
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Lake Hammock Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Haines City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Polk City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake Hamilton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Lake Alfred
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Seminole County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bay Hill, with the one closest to Bay Hill listed first.
    • Forest City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Forest City is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
    • Fern Park
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Wekiwa Springs
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Wekiwa Springs is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wekiwa Springs
    • Altamonte Springs
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Sanlando Springs
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Sanlando Springs is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanlando Springs
    • Casselberry
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Longwood
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Winter Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Heathrow
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Lake Mary
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Oviedo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Oviedo is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oviedo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 41,652 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oviedo <1>
    • Cameron City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Cameron City is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron City
    • Chuluota
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Sumter County
    • Mabel
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Mabel is located in Sumter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mabel
  • Volusia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bay Hill, with the one closest to Bay Hill listed first.
    • Valdez
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Valdez is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valdez
    • Fort Florida
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Fort Florida is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Florida
    • De Bary
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Bay Hill ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bay Hill.

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 Bay Hill - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Doctor Phillips Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Woodlawn Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Winter Garden Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Woodlawn Memorial Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Ocoee Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • West Orange Memorial Park
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Oak Ridge Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Washington Park Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Doctor Phillips Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Taft Memorial Gardens
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taft Memorial Gardens
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Taft Memorial Gardens is a large cemetery that is located in Taft.
    • The Taft Memorial Gardens has also been known as:
    • Taft Memorial Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1217063 <2>
  • Williams Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (73 more) ...
    • West Orange Memorial Gardens
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Howard Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Lock Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)

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.<3>

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

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

  • Windermere
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Gotha
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Minorville ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Minorville is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minorville
  • Ocoee
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Ocoee is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocoee
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 49,168 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ocoee <1>
  • Winter Garden
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Crown Point
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Crown Point is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crown Point
  • Tildenville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Tildenville is located in Orange County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tildenville
  • Pine Castle
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Orlando
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Oakland
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Killarney
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Clarcona
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Conway
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Conway is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
    • Kissimmee
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Piedmont
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Piedmont is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piedmont

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

Newspapers Published in Bay Hill ...

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 86 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bay Hill.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bay Hill, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bay Hill.

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 Bay Hill:

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