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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 Lauderdale (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 Lauderdale. 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 Lauderdale ...

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 Lauderdale: Ft. Lauderdale

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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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 Lauderdale is located in Broward County and is the County Seat.

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 Broward County: Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade & Palm Beach.

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

  • Broward County     (The home county of Fort Lauderdale)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lauderdale, with the one closest to Fort Lauderdale listed first.
    • Harbor Beach
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbor Beach
      • Harbor Beach is located in Broward County
    • Lazy Lake
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lazy Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lazy Lake
      • Lazy Lake is located in Broward County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 26 people
    • Wilton Manors
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Golden Heights
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden Heights
      • Golden Heights is located in Broward County
    • Roosevelt Gardens
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roosevelt Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roosevelt Gardens
      • Roosevelt Gardens is located in Broward County
    • Boulevard Gardens
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boulevard Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulevard Gardens
      • Boulevard Gardens is located in Broward County
    • Franklin Park
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin Park
      • Franklin Park is located in Broward County
    • Washington Park
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Washington Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Park
      • Washington Park is located in Broward County
    • Oakland Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Flamingo Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flamingo Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flamingo Village
      • Flamingo Village is located in Broward County
    • Chula Vista
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chula Vista
      • Chula Vista is located in Broward County
    • Broward Estates
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Broward Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broward Estates
      • Broward Estates is located in Broward County
    • Melrose Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melrose Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melrose Park
      • Melrose Park is located in Broward County
  • Miami-Dade County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lauderdale, with the one closest to Fort Lauderdale listed first.
    • Golden Beach
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Golden Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden Beach
      • Golden Beach is located in Miami-Dade County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 931 people
    • Aventura
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Ives Estates
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ives Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ives Estates
      • Ives Estates is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Andover
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Andover
      • Andover is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Norland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norland
      • Norland is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Ojus
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Sunny Isles Beach
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunny Isles Beach
      • Sunny Isles Beach is located in Miami-Dade County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,634 people
      • Sunny Isles Beach has also been known as:
      • Sunny Isles
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sunny Isles Beach <2>
    • Lake Lucerne
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Lucerne have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Lucerne
      • Lake Lucerne is located in Miami-Dade County
    • North Miami Beach
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Scott Lake
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scott Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scott Lake
      • Scott Lake is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Carol City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Miami Gardens
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Bal Harbour
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Palm Beach County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lauderdale, with the one closest to Fort Lauderdale listed first.
    • Boca Pointe
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boca Pointe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boca Pointe
      • Boca Pointe is located in Palm Beach County
    • Boca Del Mar
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boca Del Mar have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boca Del Mar
      • Boca Del Mar is located in Palm Beach County
    • Sandalfoot Cove
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandalfoot Cove
      • Sandalfoot Cove is located in Palm Beach County
    • Boca Raton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Boca West
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boca West have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boca West
      • Boca West is located in Palm Beach County
    • Mission Bay
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mission Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Bay
      • Mission Bay is located in Palm Beach County
    • Hamptons at Boca Raton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamptons at Boca Raton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamptons at Boca Raton
      • Hamptons at Boca Raton is located in Palm Beach County
    • Highland Beach
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Whisper Walk
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whisper Walk have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whisper Walk
      • Whisper Walk is located in Palm Beach County
    • Kings Point
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kings Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Point
      • Kings Point is located in Palm Beach County
    • Delray Beach
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • High Point
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for High Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Point
      • High Point is located in Palm Beach County
    • Villages of Oriole
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villages of Oriole have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villages of Oriole
      • Villages of Oriole is located in Palm Beach County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Fort Lauderdale ...

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 37 newspapers that have been published in the area around Fort Lauderdale.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Fort Lauderdale. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Fort Lauderdale and those printed in the larger area surrounding Fort Lauderdale.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 7 miles [11.3 km]<3> of Fort Lauderdale.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Fort Lauderdale:

Cemeteries Near Fort Lauderdale ...

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

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

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

  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Lauderdale Memorial Park
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lauderdale Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lauderdale Memorial Park
  • Washington Memorial Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Washington Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Washington Memorial Cemetery
  • Lauderdale Memorial Gardens
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lauderdale Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lauderdale Memorial Gardens
  • Sunset Memorial Gardens
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunset Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunset Memorial Gardens
  • Sharon Gardens Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sharon Gardens Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sharon Gardens Memorial Park
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Cemetery
  • Westlawn Memorial Gardens
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Westlawn Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Westlawn Memorial Gardens
  • Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Pompano Beach Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Pompano Beach Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Pompano Beach.
    • The Pompano Beach Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Pompano Beach South Lawn Cemetery
    • South Lawn Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pompano Beach Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1993291 <4>
  • Star of David Memorial Gardens
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Star of David Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Star of David Memorial Gardens
  • Hollywood Memorial Gardens North
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hollywood Memorial Gardens North have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hollywood Memorial Gardens North
  • Continue List   (32 more) ...
    • Hollywood Memorial Gardens
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hollywood Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hollywood Memorial Gardens
    • Hollywood Memorial Park
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hollywood Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hollywood Memorial Park
    • Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens

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

  • Miami
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miami
    • Miami is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 471,525 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Miami <2>

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

The official website for Fort Lauderdale: www.info.ci.ftlaud.fl.us/

The official website for Broward County: www.broward.org/

The official website for State of Florida: 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>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- Fort Lauderdale) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Fort Lauderdale. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 26.1224, Longitude: -80.1373    
<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 Lauderdale, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024