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Introduction ...

So far, we found very little information about Okeafenoke Swamp. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>

We've added Okeafenoke Swamp to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Okeafenoke Swamp, please Contact Us.

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 Okeafenoke Swamp (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 Okeafenoke Swamp. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors 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.

Although our information shows that the community of Okeafenoke Swamp is historic, it would have been located within present day Baker 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 Baker County: Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Nassau, Union, Charlton (GA), Clinch (GA) & Ware (GA).

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

  • Baker County     (The home county of Okeafenoke Swamp)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Okeafenoke Swamp, with the one closest to Okeafenoke Swamp listed first.
    • Olustee
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Sanderson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Glen Saint Mary
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • MacClenny
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Taylor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylor
      • Taylor is located in Baker County
  • Alachua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Okeafenoke Swamp, with the one closest to Okeafenoke Swamp listed first.
    • La Crosse
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • High Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Alachua
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Burnetts Lake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • 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
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
      • Hague is located in Alachua County
    • Waldo
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Bradford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Okeafenoke Swamp, with the one closest to Okeafenoke Swamp listed first.
    • Brooker
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Lawtey
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Starke
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Graham
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Hampton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Okeafenoke Swamp, with the one closest to Okeafenoke Swamp listed first.
    • Kingsley Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley Lake
      • Kingsley Lake is located in Clay County
    • Kingsley Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kingsley Village have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley Village
      • Kingsley Village is located in Clay County
  • Columbia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Okeafenoke Swamp, with the one closest to Okeafenoke Swamp listed first.
    • Lulu
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • McColskey
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McColskey have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McColskey
      • McColskey is located in Columbia County
    • Watertown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watertown
      • Watertown is located in Columbia County
    • Five Points
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
      • Five Points is located in Columbia County
    • Lake City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Fort White
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Duval County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Okeafenoke Swamp, with the one closest to Okeafenoke Swamp listed first.
    • Maxville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxville
      • Maxville is located in Duval County
    • Baldwin
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
  • Hamilton County
    • White Springs
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Suwannee County
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Okeafenoke Swamp, with the one closest to Okeafenoke Swamp listed first.
    • Lake Butler
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Raiford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Worthington Springs
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Okeafenoke Swamp ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Okeafenoke Swamp.

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

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

  • Dyess Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dyess Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dyess Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Monument Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Monument Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Monument Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kerce Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Gillen Allen Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Lulu Baptist Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Douglas Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Douglas Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Douglas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • New Zion Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ebenezer Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Hopeful Church Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hopeful Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hopeful Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Varnes Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Varnes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Varnes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • South Prong Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Prong Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Prong Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Price Creek Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (111 more) ...
    • Dekle Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dekle Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dekle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Sanderson Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sanderson Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sanderson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Cedar Creek Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> 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.

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

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

  • Olustee
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Mount Carrie
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Carrie have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Carrie
    • Mount Carrie is located in Columbia County
  • Lulu
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake Butler
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Sanderson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Watertown
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watertown
    • Watertown is located in Columbia County
  • Lake City
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • New River
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New River have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New River
    • New River is located in Bradford County
  • Columbia
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Columbia have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbia
    • Columbia is located in Columbia County
  • Glen Saint Mary
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Winfield
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winfield have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winfield
    • Winfield is located in Columbia County
  • Mikesville
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mikesville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mikesville
    • Mikesville is located in Columbia County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • MacClenny
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Suwannee Valley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Suwannee Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Suwannee Valley
      • Suwannee Valley is located in Columbia County
    • La Crosse
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)

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

Newspapers Published in Okeafenoke Swamp ...

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 41 newspapers that have been published in the area around Okeafenoke Swamp.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Okeafenoke Swamp, 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 Okeafenoke Swamp.

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 Okeafenoke Swamp:

The official website for Baker County: www.bakercountyfl.org/

The official website for State of Florida: https://www.myflorida.com/

Footnotes ...

<1>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 Okeafenoke Swamp, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 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.
<5>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- Okeafenoke Swamp) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Okeafenoke Swamp. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.1669, Longitude: -82.4165       In this case, the coordinates for Okeafenoke Swamp have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025