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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 Neals (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 Neals. 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 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.

Neals is located in Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist County: Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Lafayette & Levy.

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

  • Gilchrist County     (The home county of Neals)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • Waters Lake
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waters Lake
      • Waters Lake is located in Gilchrist County
    • Bell
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell
      • Bell is located in Gilchrist County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 510 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bell <1>
    • Little Lake City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Lake City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Lake City
      • Little Lake City is located in Gilchrist County
    • Trenton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Fanning Springs
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Alachua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • High Springs
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Newberry
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Alachua
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jonesville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Burnetts Lake
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnetts Lake
      • Burnetts Lake is located in Alachua County
    • Hague
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
      • Hague is located in Alachua County
    • La Crosse
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Rutledge
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
      • Rutledge is located in Alachua County
    • Archer
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Arredondo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arredondo
      • Arredondo is located in Alachua County
    • Gainesville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
  • Bradford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • Brooker
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Graham
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Columbia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • Fort White
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Lulu
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Watertown
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watertown
      • Watertown is located in Columbia County
    • McColskey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McColskey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McColskey
      • McColskey is located in Columbia County
  • Dixie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • Suwanee Old Town ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Suwanee Old Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Suwanee Old Town
      • Suwanee Old Town is located in Dixie County
    • Old Town
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Cross City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Levy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • Andrews
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Andrews have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Andrews
      • Andrews is located in Levy County
    • Chiefland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Manatee Road
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manatee Road have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manatee Road
      • Manatee Road is located in Levy County
    • Bronson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • East Bronson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bronson
      • East Bronson is located in Levy County
    • Raleigh
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raleigh
      • Raleigh is located in Levy County
    • Otter Creek
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Williston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Suwannee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • Branford
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • O'Brien
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • McAlpin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Neals, with the one closest to Neals listed first.
    • Worthington Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Butler
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Neals ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Neals.

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

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

  • Center Hill Church of Christ Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Osceola Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osceola Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Osceola Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Spring Ridge Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Spring Ridge Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.
  • Mt. Horeb Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Nobel Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nobel Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nobel Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Union Baptist Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Forest Grove Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pine Hills Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Hills Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Hills Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • High Springs Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the High Springs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the High Springs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shiloh Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shiloh Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shiloh Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (138 more) ...
    • Bell Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jennings Lake Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jennings Lake Cemetery
      • The Jennings Lake Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Old Judson Cemetery
    • Trenton Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trenton Cemetery
      • Former name for Trenton Cemetery:
      • Joppa Cemetery

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.<4>

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

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

  • High Springs
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Fort White
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Jonesville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Alachua
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Mikesville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mikesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mikesville
    • Mikesville is located in Columbia County
  • Newnansville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newnansville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newnansville
    • Newnansville is located in Alachua County
  • Hague
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
    • Hague is located in Alachua County
  • Branford
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
  • Rutledge
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
    • Rutledge is located in Alachua County
  • La Crosse
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
  • Archer
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Chiefland
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Meredith
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meredith have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meredith
      • Meredith is located in Levy County
    • Arredondo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arredondo
      • Arredondo is located in Alachua County
    • Columbia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Columbia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbia
      • Columbia is located in Columbia County

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

Newspapers Published in Neals ...

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 88 newspapers that have been published in the area around Neals.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Neals, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Neals.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Neals:

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

The official website for Gilchrist County: www.gilchrist.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>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 Neals, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Neals) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Neals. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.7688, Longitude: -82.7126       In this case, the coordinates for Neals have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025