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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 Fort Drane (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 Fort Drane. 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 Fort Drane ...

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 Fort Drane: Ft. Drane

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 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.

Fort Drane is located in Marion 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 Marion County: Alachua, Citrus, Lake, Levy, Putnam, Sumter & Volusia.

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

  • Marion County     (The home county of Fort Drane)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Drane, with the one closest to Fort Drane listed first.
    • Irvine
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irvine
      • Irvine is located in Marion County
    • Fairfield
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfield
      • Fairfield is located in Marion County
    • Heijahs Town ‑ Historic
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heijahs Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heijahs Town
      • Heijahs Town is located in Marion County
    • Paynes Town ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paynes Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paynes Town
      • Paynes Town is located in Marion County
    • Reddick
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Orange Lake
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • McIntosh
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Lowell
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Martin
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
      • Martin is located in Marion County
    • Citra
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Sparr
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Fellowship
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fellowship
      • Fellowship is located in Marion County
  • Alachua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Drane, with the one closest to Fort Drane listed first.
    • Evinston
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Micanopy
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Island Grove
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Lochloosa
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Rochelle
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rochelle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochelle
      • Rochelle is located in Alachua County
    • Hawthorne
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Arredondo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arredondo
      • Arredondo is located in Alachua County
    • Gainesville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Windsor
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
      • Windsor is located in Alachua County
    • Archer
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Campville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Campville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campville
      • Campville is located in Alachua County
    • Rutledge
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
      • Rutledge is located in Alachua County
  • Citrus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Drane, with the one closest to Fort Drane listed first.
    • Citrus Springs
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Holder
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Drane, with the one closest to Fort Drane listed first.
    • Keystone Heights
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Geneva
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Levy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Drane, with the one closest to Fort Drane listed first.
    • East Williston
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Williston. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Williston
      • East Williston is located in Levy County
    • Williston
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Morriston
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Raleigh
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raleigh
      • Raleigh is located in Levy County
    • Williston Highlands
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williston Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williston Highlands
      • Williston Highlands is located in Levy County
    • East Bronson
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bronson
      • East Bronson is located in Levy County
    • Bronson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Gulf Hammock
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Drane, with the one closest to Fort Drane listed first.
    • Edgar
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Keuka
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Keuka. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keuka
      • Keuka is located in Putnam County
    • Interlachen
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Putnam Hall
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Grandin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Hollister
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Fort Drane ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Fort Drane.

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

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

  • Millwood Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Millwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Millwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Flemington Baptist Church Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Center Hill Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Center Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Center Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Olive AME Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • McFall Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McFall Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McFall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Willow Plant Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Willow Plant Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Willow Plant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Micanopy Historic Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Union Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Citra Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Citra Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Citra Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Haynes Memorial Historic Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Haynes Memorial Historic Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Haynes Memorial Historic Cemetery is located outside and to the northeast of Micanopy.
    • The Haynes Memorial Historic Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Haynes Memorial Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2280648 <4>
  • Pine Grove Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dupree Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dupree Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dupree Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (119 more) ...
    • New Hope Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Carter Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Carter Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Carter Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Pleasant Hill Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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

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

  • Millwood
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millwood
    • Millwood is located in Marion County
  • Reddick
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Orange Lake
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Flemington
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flemington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flemington
    • Flemington is located in Marion County
  • McIntosh
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Lowell
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Boardman
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boardman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boardman
    • Boardman is located in Marion County
  • Martin
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
    • Martin is located in Marion County
  • Evinston
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Micanopy
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Blitchton
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blitchton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blitchton
    • Blitchton is located in Marion County
  • Citra
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Fellowship
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fellowship
      • Fellowship is located in Marion County
    • Sparr
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Island Grove
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Fort Drane ...

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 69 newspapers that have been published in the area around Fort Drane.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Fort Drane, there are papers which were published within 18 miles [29 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Fort Drane.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Fort Drane:

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

The official website for Marion County: www.marioncountyfl.org/

The official website for State of Florida: https://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>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 Fort Drane, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Fort Drane) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Fort Drane. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.3864, Longitude: -82.2520       In this case, the coordinates for Fort Drane have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025