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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 Island Cay (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 Island Cay. 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 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.

Island Cay is located in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County: Hardee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas & Polk.

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

  • Hillsborough County     (The home county of Island Cay)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Island Cay, with the one closest to Island Cay listed first.
    • Edgewater Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edgewater Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgewater Village
      • Edgewater Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Apollo Beach
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Apollo Key Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Apollo Key Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apollo Key Village
      • Apollo Key Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Marina Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marina Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marina Village
      • Marina Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Golf and Sea Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Golf and Sea Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golf and Sea Village
      • Golf and Sea Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • McQueens Village ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McQueens Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McQueens Village
      • McQueens Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Cypress Creek Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cypress Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cypress Creek Village
      • Cypress Creek Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Adamsville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adamsville
      • Adamsville is located in Hillsborough County
    • Montero Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montero Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montero Village
      • Montero Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Garden City
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
      • Garden City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Bayou Pass Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou Pass Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Pass Village
      • Bayou Pass Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Freedom Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freedom Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freedom Village
      • Freedom Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Ruskin
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Manatee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Island Cay, with the one closest to Island Cay listed first.
    • Parrish
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Terra Ceia
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Ellenton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Memphis
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Memphis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Memphis
      • Memphis is located in Manatee County
    • Duette
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Palmetto
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Bradenton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Samoset
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Samoset have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Samoset
      • Samoset is located in Manatee County
    • Palma Sola
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • West Bradenton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Bradenton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Bradenton
      • West Bradenton is located in Manatee County
    • West Samoset
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Samoset have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Samoset
      • West Samoset is located in Manatee County
    • Oneco
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • South Bradenton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Bradenton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Bradenton
      • South Bradenton is located in Manatee County
  • Pasco County
  • Pinellas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Island Cay, with the one closest to Island Cay listed first.
    • Gandy
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gandy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gandy
      • Gandy is located in Pinellas County
    • Saint Petersburg
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Lealman
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lealman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lealman
      • Lealman is located in Pinellas County
    • Gulfport
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Pinellas Park
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Feather Sound
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Kenneth City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • South Pasadena
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Pasadena have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Pasadena
      • South Pasadena is located in Pinellas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,067 people
    • Tierra Verde
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • High Point
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • 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 Pinellas County
    • South Highpoint
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Highpoint have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Highpoint
      • South Highpoint is located in Pinellas County
    • Saint Pete Beach
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Four Corners
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Corners
      • Four Corners is located in Pinellas County
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Island Cay, with the one closest to Island Cay listed first.
    • Nichols
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Willow Oak
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Oak
      • Willow Oak is located in Polk County
    • Brewster ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brewster. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
      • Brewster is located in Polk County
    • Mulberry
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Medulla
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medulla have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medulla
      • Medulla is located in Polk County
    • Winston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston
      • Winston is located in Polk County
    • Lakeland Highlands
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeland Highlands
      • Lakeland Highlands is located in Polk County
  • Sarasota County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Island Cay, with the one closest to Island Cay listed first.
    • Desoto Lakes
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Desoto Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Desoto Lakes
      • Desoto Lakes is located in Sarasota County
    • Kensington Park
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kensington Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kensington Park
      • Kensington Park is located in Sarasota County
    • The Meadows
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Meadows have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Meadows
      • The Meadows is located in Sarasota County
    • North Sarasota
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Sarasota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Sarasota
      • North Sarasota is located in Sarasota County
    • Fruitville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Sarasota
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Island Cay ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Island Cay.

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

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

  • Ruskin Memorial Gardens
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ruskin Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ruskin Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ruskin Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ruskin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ruskin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Samford Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Samford Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Samford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hackney - Riverview Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hackney - Riverview Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Hackney - Riverview Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
    • The Hackney - Riverview Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Hackney Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72067 <4>
  • Serenity Meadows Memorial Park
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Commemorative Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Commemorative Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Commemorative Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Oaklawn Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Fortner Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • American Legion Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the American Legion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the American Legion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brandon Family Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Hillsboro Memorial Gardens
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillsboro Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillsboro Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Limona Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Limona Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Limona Cemetery is located in Brandon.
  • Continue List   (78 more) ...
    • Centro Espanol Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Orange Hill Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Orange Hill Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Orange Hill Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72409 <4>
    • Beth Israel Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beth Israel Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Beth Israel Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
      • The Beth Israel Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Rodeph Sholom Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2425075 <4>

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

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

  • Gulf City
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gulf City
    • Gulf City is located in Hillsborough County
  • Peru ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peru have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
    • Peru is located in Hillsborough County
  • Port Tampa
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Port Tampa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Tampa
    • Port Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
  • Bloomingdale
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloomingdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
    • Bloomingdale is located in Hillsborough County
  • Tampa
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tampa
    • Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 407,599 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tampa <2>
  • Brandon
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Limona
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limona
    • Limona is located in Hillsborough County
  • Ybor City
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ybor City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ybor City
    • Ybor City is located in Hillsborough County
  • Erie
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erie
    • Erie is located in Manatee County
  • Valrico
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Mango
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Seffner
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Terra Ceia
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Rye
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rye have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rye
      • Rye is located in Manatee County
    • Sydney
      (17 miles [27.4 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 Island Cay. See our List of 1890's Communities around Island Cay.

Newspapers Published in Island Cay ...

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 4 newspapers that have been published in the area around Island Cay.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Island Cay, there are papers which were published within 4 miles [6.4 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Island Cay.

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 Island Cay:

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

The official website for Hillsborough County: www.hillsboroughcounty.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 Island Cay, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Island Cay) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Island Cay. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 27.7704, Longitude: -82.3992       In this case, the coordinates for Island Cay have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025