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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 Dana (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 Dana. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Dana is located in Union 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 Union County: Alachua, Baker, Bradford & Columbia.

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

  • Union County     (The home county of Dana)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dana, with the one closest to Dana listed first.
    • Worthington Springs
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake Butler
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Raiford
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Alachua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dana, with the one closest to Dana listed first.
    • La Crosse
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Burnetts Lake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Burnetts Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnetts Lake
      • Burnetts Lake is located in Alachua County
    • Hague
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
      • Hague is located in Alachua County
    • Alachua
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • High Springs
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Waldo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Rutledge
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
      • Rutledge is located in Alachua County
    • Gainesville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Jonesville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Earleton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Arredondo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arredondo
      • Arredondo is located in Alachua County
    • Windsor
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Windsor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
      • Windsor is located in Alachua County
  • Baker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dana, with the one closest to Dana listed first.
    • Olustee
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Sanderson
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Glen Saint Mary
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • MacClenny
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Bradford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dana, with the one closest to Dana listed first.
    • Brooker
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Graham
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Hampton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Starke
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Lawtey
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dana, with the one closest to Dana listed first.
    • Kingsley Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley Lake
      • Kingsley Lake is located in Clay County
    • Kingsley Village
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kingsley Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley Village
      • Kingsley Village is located in Clay County
    • Keystone Heights
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Lake Geneva
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Columbia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dana, with the one closest to Dana listed first.
    • Lulu
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • McColskey
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McColskey have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McColskey
      • McColskey is located in Columbia County
    • Fort White
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Watertown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watertown
      • Watertown is located in Columbia County
    • Lake City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Five Points
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
      • Five Points is located in Columbia County
  • Duval County
    • Maxville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxville
      • Maxville is located in Duval County
  • Gilchrist County
    • Waters Lake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waters Lake
      • Waters Lake is located in Gilchrist County
  • Putnam County

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

Cemeteries Near Dana ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dana.

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

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

  • Elzey Chapel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elzey Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elzey Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Bradford Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Bradford Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Old Bradford Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Old Bradford Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<4> to the east of Brooker.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72390 <5>
  • Markey Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Markey Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Markey Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Markey Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<4> to the southwest of Brooker.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2328391 <5>
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Richard Family Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Richard Family Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Richard Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dekle Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dekle Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dekle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ft. Call Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Call Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Call Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dedan Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dedan Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Dedan Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southeast of Brooker.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #71894 <5>
  • New River Baptist Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Little Rock Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Rock Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Rock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • New Hope Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (145 more) ...
    • Varnes Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Varnes Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Varnes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Rhuda Branch Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rhuda Branch Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rhuda Branch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • McKinney Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)

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>

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

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

  • Lake Butler
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • La Crosse
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • New River
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New River have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New River
    • New River is located in Bradford County
  • Newnansville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newnansville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newnansville
    • Newnansville is located in Alachua County
  • Alachua
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Hague
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
    • Hague is located in Alachua County
  • Lulu
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Mikesville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mikesville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mikesville
    • Mikesville is located in Columbia County
  • High Springs
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Hampton
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Paradise
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paradise have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
    • Paradise is located in Alachua County
  • Fairbanks
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairbanks have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
    • Fairbanks is located in Alachua County
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Waldo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Olustee
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Rutledge
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
      • Rutledge is located in Alachua County

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

Newspapers Published in Dana ...

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 84 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dana.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Dana, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Dana.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Dana:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Dana. 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>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 from Point A (ie- Dana) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Dana. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.9489, Longitude: -82.3871       In this case, the coordinates for Dana have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Dana, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025