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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 Rock Island (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 Rock Island. 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.

Name Variations for Rock Island ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Rock Island: Rock Is. (in Canada, 'Isld.' is the more common abbreviation.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 and doctors 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.

Rock Island is located in Broward 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 Broward County: Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade & Palm Beach.

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

  • Broward County     (The home county of Rock Island)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rock Island, with the one closest to Rock Island listed first.
    • Rock Island Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Island Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Island Village
      • Rock Island Village is located in Broward County
    • Flamingo Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flamingo Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flamingo Village
      • Flamingo Village is located in Broward County
    • Golden Heights
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden Heights
      • Golden Heights is located in Broward County
    • Lazy Lake
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lazy Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lazy Lake
      • Lazy Lake is located in Broward County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 26 people
    • Franklin Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin Park
      • Franklin Park is located in Broward County
    • Roosevelt Gardens
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roosevelt Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roosevelt Gardens
      • Roosevelt Gardens is located in Broward County
    • Washington Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Washington Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Park
      • Washington Park is located in Broward County
    • Saint George
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint George have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint George
      • Saint George is located in Broward County
    • West Ken - Lark
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Ken - Lark
      • West Ken - Lark is located in Broward County
    • Lauderdale Lakes
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Boulevard Gardens
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boulevard Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulevard Gardens
      • Boulevard Gardens is located in Broward County
    • Broward Estates
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Broward Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broward Estates
      • Broward Estates is located in Broward County
  • Miami-Dade County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rock Island, with the one closest to Rock Island listed first.
    • Andover
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Andover
      • Andover is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Aventura
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Golden Beach
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Golden Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden Beach
      • Golden Beach is located in Miami-Dade County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 931 people
    • Ives Estates
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ives Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ives Estates
      • Ives Estates is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Lake Lucerne
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Lucerne have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Lucerne
      • Lake Lucerne is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Norland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norland
      • Norland is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Ojus
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Carol City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Miami Gardens
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • North Miami Beach
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Scott Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scott Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scott Lake
      • Scott Lake is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Sunny Isles Beach
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunny Isles Beach
      • Sunny Isles Beach is located in Miami-Dade County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,634 people
      • Sunny Isles Beach has also been known as:
      • Sunny Isles
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sunny Isles Beach <2>
  • Palm Beach County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rock Island, with the one closest to Rock Island listed first.
    • Boca Pointe
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boca Pointe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boca Pointe
      • Boca Pointe is located in Palm Beach County
    • Sandalfoot Cove
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandalfoot Cove
      • Sandalfoot Cove is located in Palm Beach County
    • Boca Del Mar
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boca Del Mar have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boca Del Mar
      • Boca Del Mar is located in Palm Beach County
    • Mission Bay
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mission Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Bay
      • Mission Bay is located in Palm Beach County
    • Boca Raton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Boca West
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boca West have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boca West
      • Boca West is located in Palm Beach County
    • Hamptons at Boca Raton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamptons at Boca Raton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamptons at Boca Raton
      • Hamptons at Boca Raton is located in Palm Beach County
    • Whisper Walk
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whisper Walk have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whisper Walk
      • Whisper Walk is located in Palm Beach County
    • Highland Beach
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Kings Point
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kings Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Point
      • Kings Point is located in Palm Beach County
    • High Point
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • 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 Palm Beach County
    • Villages of Oriole
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villages of Oriole have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villages of Oriole
      • Villages of Oriole is located in Palm Beach County

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

Cemeteries Near Rock Island ...

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

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

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

  • Sunset Memorial Gardens
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunset Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunset Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Washington Memorial Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Washington Memorial Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Washington Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lauderdale Memorial Gardens
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lauderdale Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lauderdale Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Lauderdale Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lauderdale Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lauderdale Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Westlawn Memorial Gardens
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Westlawn Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Westlawn Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sharon Gardens Memorial Park
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sharon Gardens Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sharon Gardens Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pompano Beach Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pompano Beach Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Pompano Beach Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Pompano Beach.
    • The Pompano Beach Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Pompano Beach South Lawn Cemetery
    • South Lawn Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1993291 <3>
  • Star of David Memorial Gardens
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Star of David Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Star of David Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Westview Community Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (31 more) ...
    • Hollywood Memorial Gardens North
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hollywood Memorial Gardens North
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hollywood Memorial Gardens North have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Woodlawn Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Forest Lawn Memorial Park of Broward County
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Lawn Memorial Park of Broward County
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Lawn Memorial Park of Broward County have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<4>

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

  • Miami
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miami
    • Miami is located in Miami-Dade County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 471,525 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Miami <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Rock Island ...

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 37 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rock Island.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rock Island, there are papers which were published within 10 miles [16.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rock Island.

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 Rock Island:

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

The official website for Broward County: www.broward.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>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.
<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 Rock Island, 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- Rock Island) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rock Island. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 26.1551, Longitude: -80.1770       In this case, the coordinates for Rock Island have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025