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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 Matanzas (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 Matanzas. 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 Matanzas ...

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 Matanzas: Ft. Matanzas

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 and 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.

Fort Matanzas is located in Saint Johns 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 Saint Johns County: Clay, Duval, Flagler & Putnam.

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

  • Saint Johns County     (The home county of Fort Matanzas)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Matanzas, with the one closest to Fort Matanzas listed first.
    • Crescent Beach
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Butler Beach
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler Beach
      • Butler Beach is located in Saint Johns County
    • Saint Augustine Shores
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Augustine Shores have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Augustine Shores
      • Saint Augustine Shores is located in Saint Johns County
    • Saint Augustine Beach
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Saint Augustine South
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Augustine South have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Augustine South
      • Saint Augustine South is located in Saint Johns County
    • Elkton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Armstrong
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armstrong
      • Armstrong is located in Saint Johns County
    • Saint Augustine
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Vilano Beach
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Hastings
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Tocoi
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tocoi
      • Tocoi is located in Saint Johns County
  • Flagler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Matanzas, with the one closest to Fort Matanzas listed first.
    • Marineland
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Palm Coast
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Beverly Beach
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beverly Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beverly Beach
      • Beverly Beach is located in Flagler County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 434 people
    • Bunnell
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Flagler Beach
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Korona
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Korona
      • Korona is located in Flagler County
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Matanzas, with the one closest to Fort Matanzas listed first.
    • Federal Point
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Federal Point
      • Federal Point is located in Putnam County
    • East Palatka
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • San Mateo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Bostwick
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Crescent City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake Como
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Palatka
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Pomona Park
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Crescent City Station
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crescent City Station have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent City Station
      • Crescent City Station is located in Putnam County
    • Satsuma
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Buffalo Bluff
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Buffalo Bluff. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo Bluff
      • Buffalo Bluff is located in Putnam County
    • Peniel
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Peniel. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peniel
      • Peniel is located in Putnam County
  • Volusia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Matanzas, with the one closest to Fort Matanzas listed first.
    • Ormond-by-the-Sea
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ormond-by-the-Sea
      • Ormond-by-the-Sea is located in Volusia County
    • Tomoka Estates
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tomoka Estates
      • Tomoka Estates is located in Volusia County

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

Cemeteries Near Fort Matanzas ...

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

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

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

  • Pellicer Creek Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pellicer Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pellicer Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Barnes Memorial Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barnes Memorial Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Barnes Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Craig Memorial Park
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Craig Memorial Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Craig Memorial Park is a large cemetery that is located in Saint Augustine.
    • The Craig Memorial Park has also been known as:
    • St. Augustine Memorial Park
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72556 <4>
  • St. Augustine National Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Augustine National Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Augustine National Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • San Lorenzo Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the San Lorenzo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the San Lorenzo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Augustine Memorial Park
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Augustine Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Augustine Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Espanola Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Resthaven Cemetery & Memorial Park
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Resthaven Cemetery & Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Resthaven Cemetery & Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hope Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (23 more) ...
    • Good Hope Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Good Hope Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Good Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Yelvington Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Yelvington Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Yelvington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Pauls Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Pauls Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Pauls Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 Matanzas in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Fort Matanzas.

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

  • Moultrie
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moultrie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moultrie
    • Moultrie is located in Saint Johns County
  • Anastasia
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anastasia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anastasia
    • Anastasia is located in Saint Johns County
  • Armstrong
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armstrong
    • Armstrong is located in Saint Johns County
  • Saint Augustine
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Yelvington
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yelvington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yelvington
    • Yelvington is located in Putnam County
  • Federal Point
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Federal Point
    • Federal Point is located in Putnam County
  • Bridgeport
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bridgeport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeport
    • Bridgeport is located in Putnam County
  • Orange Mills
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Mills
    • Orange Mills is located in Putnam County
  • Tocoi
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tocoi
    • Tocoi is located in Saint Johns County
  • East Palatka
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • San Mateo
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • West Tocoi
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Tocoi have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Tocoi
    • West Tocoi is located in Clay County
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Bostwick
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Teasdale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Teasdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teasdale
      • Teasdale is located in Putnam County
    • Palatka
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Fort Matanzas ...

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 31 newspapers that have been published in the area around Fort Matanzas.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Fort Matanzas, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Fort Matanzas.

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 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 Matanzas:

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

The official website for Saint Johns County: www.co.st-johns.fl.us/

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>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.
<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 Matanzas, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Fort Matanzas) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Fort Matanzas. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.7150, Longitude: -81.2387       In this case, the coordinates for Fort Matanzas have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025