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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 Broad Branch (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 Broad Branch. 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 Broad Branch ...

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 have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Broad Branch: Broad Br. (or less commonly used: Broad Brnch.)

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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

Broad Branch is located in Calhoun 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 Calhoun County: Bay, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson & Liberty.

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

  • Calhoun County     (The home county of Broad Branch)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broad Branch, with the one closest to Broad Branch listed first.
    • Kinard
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Clarksville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Marysville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysville
      • Marysville is located in Calhoun County
    • Blountstown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Chipola
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chipola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
      • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
    • McNeal ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McNeal. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNeal
      • McNeal is located in Calhoun County
    • Altha
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Ocheesee
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ocheesee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
      • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County
  • Bay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broad Branch, with the one closest to Broad Branch listed first.
    • Youngstown
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Fountain
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Cedar Grove
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
      • Cedar Grove is located in Bay County
    • Callaway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Hiland Park
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hiland Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hiland Park
      • Hiland Park is located in Bay County
    • Lynn Haven
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Southport
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Vicksburg ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vicksburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vicksburg
      • Vicksburg is located in Bay County
      • Former name for Vicksburg:
      • Vickerburg
    • Bay Harbor ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bay Harbor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Harbor
      • Bay Harbor is located in Bay County
    • Parker
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parker have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parker
      • Parker is located in Bay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,109 people
    • Springfield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Panama City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Pretty Bayou
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pretty Bayou have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pretty Bayou
      • Pretty Bayou is located in Bay County
  • Gulf County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broad Branch, with the one closest to Broad Branch listed first.
    • Wewahitchka
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • White City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
      • White City is located in Gulf County
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broad Branch, with the one closest to Broad Branch listed first.
    • Alford
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Steele City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Steele City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele City
      • Steele City is located in Jackson County
    • Cypress
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Liberty County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Broad Branch, with the one closest to Broad Branch listed first.
    • Estiffanulga
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Estiffanulga. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estiffanulga
      • Estiffanulga is located in Liberty County
    • Lewis
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lewis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewis
      • Lewis is located in Liberty County
    • Bristol
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Central City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
      • Central City is located in Liberty County
    • Sumatra
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Telogia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Hosford
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Washington County
    • Wausau
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Broad Branch ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Broad Branch.

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

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

  • McClellan Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McClellan Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McClellan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Barfield Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barfield Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Barfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pippin Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pippin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pippin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kent Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kent Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kent Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kemp Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kemp Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kemp Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wetappo Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wetappo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wetappo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ayers Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ayers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ayers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Herndon Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Herndon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Herndon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jehu Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jehu Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jehu Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woods Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woods Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woods Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fountain Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Williamsburg Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Williamsburg Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Williamsburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (72 more) ...
    • Bailey Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Pippen Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pippen Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pippen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Bayou George Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)

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 Broad Branch in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Broad Branch.

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

  • Abe Springs
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Abe Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abe Springs
    • Abe Springs is located in Calhoun County
  • Marysville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysville
    • Marysville is located in Calhoun County
  • Wewahitchka
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Lewis
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lewis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewis
    • Lewis is located in Liberty County
  • Estiffanulga
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Estiffanulga. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estiffanulga
    • Estiffanulga is located in Liberty County
  • Orange
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange
    • Orange is located in Liberty County
  • Blountstown
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Chipola
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chipola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
    • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
  • Bristol
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Selman
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Selman have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selman
    • Selman is located in Calhoun County
  • Alliance
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alliance have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alliance
    • Alliance is located in Jackson County
  • Ocheesee
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ocheesee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
    • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County
  • Rock Bluff
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Bluff
    • Rock Bluff is located in Liberty County

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

Newspapers Published in Broad Branch ...

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 27 newspapers that have been published in the area around Broad Branch.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Broad Branch, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Broad Branch.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Broad Branch:

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

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

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>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.
<3>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.
<4>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.
<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 Broad Branch, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Broad Branch) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Broad Branch. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.3116, Longitude: -85.2955       In this case, the coordinates for Broad Branch have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025