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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 Riceland (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 Riceland. 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 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.

Riceland is located in Alachua 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 Alachua County: Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, Marion, Putnam & Union.

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

  • Alachua County     (The home county of Riceland)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • Arredondo
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arredondo
      • Arredondo is located in Alachua County
    • Gainesville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Rutledge
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
      • Rutledge is located in Alachua County
    • Jonesville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Micanopy
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Archer
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Rochelle
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rochelle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochelle
      • Rochelle is located in Alachua County
    • Hague
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
      • Hague is located in Alachua County
    • Windsor
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Windsor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
      • Windsor is located in Alachua County
    • Burnetts Lake
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • 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.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnetts Lake
      • Burnetts Lake is located in Alachua County
    • Alachua
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Evinston
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Newberry
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Bradford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • Brooker
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Graham
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Hampton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Starke
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • Keystone Heights
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Geneva
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Columbia County
    • Fort White
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Gilchrist County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • Waters Lake
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waters Lake
      • Waters Lake is located in Gilchrist County
    • Trenton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Bell
      (29 miles [46.7 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>
  • Levy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • Raleigh
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raleigh
      • Raleigh is located in Levy County
    • East Williston
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Williston. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Williston
      • East Williston is located in Levy County
    • Williston
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • East Bronson
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bronson
      • East Bronson is located in Levy County
    • Bronson
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Williston Highlands
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williston Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williston Highlands
      • Williston Highlands is located in Levy County
    • Morriston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Andrews
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Andrews have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Andrews
      • Andrews is located in Levy County
    • Chiefland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Otter Creek
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • McIntosh
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Irvine
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irvine
      • Irvine is located in Marion County
    • Orange Lake
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Paynes Town ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paynes Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paynes Town
      • Paynes Town is located in Marion County
    • Fairfield
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfield
      • Fairfield is located in Marion County
    • Heijahs Town ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heijahs Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heijahs Town
      • Heijahs Town is located in Marion County
    • Reddick
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Citra
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Lowell
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Fellowship
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fellowship
      • Fellowship is located in Marion County
    • Martin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
      • Martin is located in Marion County
    • Sparr
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Anthony
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • Edgar
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Putnam Hall
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Keuka
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Keuka. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keuka
      • Keuka is located in Putnam County
    • Grandin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Interlachen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Riceland, with the one closest to Riceland listed first.
    • Worthington Springs
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Lake Butler
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Riceland ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Riceland.

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

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

  • Kanapaha Presbyterian Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kanapaha Presbyterian Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kanapaha Presbyterian Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Morning Star Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morning Star Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morning Star Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pine Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (5 miles [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.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest Meadows Memorial Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Meadows Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Meadows Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest Meadows Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Meadows Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Meadows Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • West Hills Memorial Gardens
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Hills Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Hills Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Peter's Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Peter's Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Peter's Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wacahoota Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wacahoota Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wacahoota Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wacahoota Baptist Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Oak Ridge Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (158 more) ...
    • Alachua Hillcrest Memorial Park
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Alachua Hillcrest Memorial Park
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Alachua Hillcrest Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jonesville Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jonesville Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jonesville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Shiloh Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • 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.<3> 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 Riceland in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Riceland.

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

  • Arredondo
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arredondo
    • Arredondo is located in Alachua County
  • Gainesville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Rutledge
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
    • Rutledge is located in Alachua County
  • Paradise
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paradise have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
    • Paradise is located in Alachua County
  • Jonesville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Archer
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Micanopy
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Rochelle
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rochelle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochelle
    • Rochelle is located in Alachua County
  • Micanopy Junction
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Micanopy Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Micanopy Junction
    • Micanopy Junction is located in Alachua County
  • Fairbanks
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairbanks have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
    • Fairbanks is located in Alachua County
  • Hague
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
    • Hague is located in Alachua County
  • Windsor
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Windsor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
    • Windsor is located in Alachua County
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Evinston
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Alachua
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Newnansville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newnansville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newnansville
      • Newnansville is located in Alachua County

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

Newspapers Published in Riceland ...

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 Riceland.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Riceland, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Riceland.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with 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 Riceland:

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

The official website for Alachua County: www.alachua-county.org/

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>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.
<3>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.
<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 Riceland, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Riceland) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Riceland. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.6108, Longitude: -82.3937       In this case, the coordinates for Riceland have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025