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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 Peterson (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 Peterson. 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 southwest 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 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 west 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.

Peterson is located in Lafayette 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 Lafayette County: Dixie, Gilchrist, Madison, Suwannee & Taylor.

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

  • Lafayette County     (The home county of Peterson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peterson, with the one closest to Peterson listed first.
    • Mayo
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayo
      • Mayo is located in Lafayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,289 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mayo <1>
    • Buckville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckville
      • Buckville is located in Lafayette County
    • Day
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Gilchrist County
    • Little Lake City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • 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
  • Hamilton County
    • Marion
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marion. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Hamilton County
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peterson, with the one closest to Peterson listed first.
    • Lee
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee
      • Lee is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 333 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lee <1>
    • Madison
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Suwannee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peterson, with the one closest to Peterson listed first.
    • Dowling Park
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dowling Park
      • Dowling Park is located in Suwannee County
    • McAlpin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • O'Brien
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Padlock
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Padlock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Padlock
      • Padlock is located in Suwannee County
    • Live Oak
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Branford
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Rixford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rixford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rixford
      • Rixford is located in Suwannee County
    • Wellborn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Taylor County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peterson, with the one closest to Peterson listed first.
    • Salem
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Perry
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Shady Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Steinhatchee
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Peterson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Peterson.

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

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

  • Ivey Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ivey Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ivey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brown Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brown Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brown Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Folsom Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Folsom Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Folsom Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Winburn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Winburn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Winburn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Head Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Head Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Head Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wayfare Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wayfare Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wayfare Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Land Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Land Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Land Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Alton Church of God Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Grant Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grant Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Willing Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Willing Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Willing Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (95 more) ...
    • St. Luke Baptist Church Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Dees Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dees Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dees Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Sand Pond Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sand Pond Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sand Pond 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.<6>

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

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

  • Mayo
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayo
    • Mayo is located in Lafayette County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,289 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mayo <1>
  • Luraville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Luraville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luraville
    • Luraville is located in Suwannee County
  • O'Brien
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • McAlpin
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Padlock
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Padlock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Padlock
    • Padlock is located in Suwannee County
  • Salem
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Branford
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Live Oak
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Houston
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Houston have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston
    • Houston is located in Suwannee County
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Perry
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Lee
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee
      • Lee is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 333 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lee <1>
    • Rixford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rixford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rixford
      • Rixford is located in Suwannee County
    • Wellborn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Madison
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Marion
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marion. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Hamilton County

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

Newspapers Published in Peterson ...

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 23 newspapers that have been published in the area around Peterson.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Peterson, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Peterson.

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 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 Peterson:

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

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Peterson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Peterson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.0927, Longitude: -83.2151       In this case, the coordinates for Peterson have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>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 Peterson, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025