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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 Compass Lake (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 Compass Lake. 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 Compass Lake ...

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 occur.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Compass Lake: Compass Lk.

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 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.

Compass Lake is located in Jackson 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 Jackson County: Geneva (AL), Houston (AL), Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Liberty, Washington & Seminole (GA).

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

  • Jackson County     (The home county of Compass Lake)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Compass Lake, with the one closest to Compass Lake listed first.
    • Alford
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Steele City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Steele City is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele City
    • Cottondale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Marianna
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jacob City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jacob City is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jacob City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
    • Cypress
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Grand Ridge
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Greenwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Campbellton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Inwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Inwood is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inwood
    • Two Egg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Two Egg is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Two Egg
    • Graceville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
  • Bay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Compass Lake, with the one closest to Compass Lake listed first.
    • Fountain
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Youngstown
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Vicksburg ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Vicksburg is located in Bay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vicksburg
      • Former name for Vicksburg:
      • Vickerburg
    • Southport
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Cedar Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Cedar Grove is located in Bay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
    • Lynn Haven
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Hiland Park
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Hiland Park is located in Bay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hiland Park
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Compass Lake, with the one closest to Compass Lake listed first.
    • Altha
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Clarksville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Chipola
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
    • Ocheesee
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
    • Blountstown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Kinard
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • McNeal ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • McNeal is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNeal
    • Marysville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Marysville is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysville
  • Holmes County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Compass Lake, with the one closest to Compass Lake listed first.
    • Bonifay
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Esto
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Esto is located in Holmes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Esto
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 358 people
    • Noma
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Westville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Liberty County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Compass Lake, with the one closest to Compass Lake listed first.
    • Bristol
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Estiffanulga
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Estiffanulga is located in Liberty County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estiffanulga
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Compass Lake, with the one closest to Compass Lake listed first.
    • Wausau
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Brock Crossroad
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Brock Crossroad is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brock Crossroad
    • Chipley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Vernon
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Five Points
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Five Points is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
    • Caryville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Millers Ferry
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Millers Ferry is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millers Ferry
    • Coosada Old Town ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Coosada Old Town is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coosada Old Town
    • Ebro
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Ebro is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ebro
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 285 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ebro <1>
  • Houston County (AL)
    • Madrid
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Madrid is located in Houston County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madrid
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 293 people
  • Seminole County (GA)
    • Butlers Ferry
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Butlers Ferry is located in Seminole County (GA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butlers Ferry
      • Estimated population in 2019: 1,759 people

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

Cemeteries Near Compass Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Compass Lake.

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 Compass Lake - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Sandy Mtn. Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • McCormick Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Camps Head Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Kent Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Victory Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Pippen Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • White Oak Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Fountain Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Scarlett Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Lipford Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Maddox Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Pledger Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (103 more) ...
    • Everett Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Rock Hill Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • New Shiloh Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 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.<4>

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

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

  • Cottondale
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Marianna
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Chipley
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Alliance
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Alliance is located in Jackson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alliance
  • Chipola
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
  • Cypress
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Abe Springs
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Abe Springs is located in Calhoun County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abe Springs
  • Bonifay
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Selman
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Selman is located in Calhoun County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selman
  • Ocheesee
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
  • Blountstown
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Greenwood
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (11 more) ...
    • Campbellton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Inwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Inwood is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inwood
    • Graceville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in Compass Lake ...

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 35 newspapers that have been published in the area around Compass Lake.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Compass Lake, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Compass Lake.

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 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 Compass Lake:

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Compass Lake) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<4>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 Compass Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.