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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 Ruskin (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 Ruskin. 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 hospitals 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.

Ruskin is located in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County: Hardee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas & Polk.

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

  • Hillsborough County     (The home county of Ruskin)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ruskin, with the one closest to Ruskin listed first.
    • Bayou Pass Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou Pass Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Pass Village
      • Bayou Pass Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Park Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Village
      • Park Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Gulf City
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gulf City
      • Gulf City is located in Hillsborough County
    • Manatee Harbor
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manatee Harbor
      • Manatee Harbor is located in Hillsborough County
    • Cypress Creek Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cypress Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cypress Creek Village
      • Cypress Creek Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Montero Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montero Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montero Village
      • Montero Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Golf and Sea Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Golf and Sea Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golf and Sea Village
      • Golf and Sea Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Freedom Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freedom Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freedom Village
      • Freedom Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Apollo Key Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Apollo Key Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apollo Key Village
      • Apollo Key Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Marina Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marina Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marina Village
      • Marina Village is located in Hillsborough County
    • Apollo Beach
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Edgewater Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edgewater Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgewater Village
      • Edgewater Village is located in Hillsborough County
  • Manatee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ruskin, with the one closest to Ruskin listed first.
    • Parrish
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Terra Ceia
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Ellenton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Memphis
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Memphis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Memphis
      • Memphis is located in Manatee County
    • Palmetto
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Bradenton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Samoset
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Samoset have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Samoset
      • Samoset is located in Manatee County
    • Palma Sola
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • West Bradenton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Bradenton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Bradenton
      • West Bradenton is located in Manatee County
    • West Samoset
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Samoset have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Samoset
      • West Samoset is located in Manatee County
    • Oneco
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • South Bradenton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Bradenton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Bradenton
      • South Bradenton is located in Manatee County
  • Pinellas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ruskin, with the one closest to Ruskin listed first.
    • Saint Petersburg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Gandy
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gandy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gandy
      • Gandy is located in Pinellas County
    • Lealman
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lealman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lealman
      • Lealman is located in Pinellas County
    • Gulfport
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Tierra Verde
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Pinellas Park
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Kenneth City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Saint Pete Beach
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • South Pasadena
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Pasadena have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Pasadena
      • South Pasadena is located in Pinellas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,067 people
    • Feather Sound
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Treasure Island
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • High Point
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • 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 Pinellas County
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ruskin, with the one closest to Ruskin listed first.
    • Nichols
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Brewster ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
      • Brewster is located in Polk County
    • Willow Oak
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Oak
      • Willow Oak is located in Polk County
    • Mulberry
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Sarasota County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ruskin, with the one closest to Ruskin listed first.
    • Desoto Lakes
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Desoto Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Desoto Lakes
      • Desoto Lakes is located in Sarasota County
    • The Meadows
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Meadows have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Meadows
      • The Meadows is located in Sarasota County
    • North Sarasota
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Sarasota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Sarasota
      • North Sarasota is located in Sarasota County
    • Kensington Park
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kensington Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kensington Park
      • Kensington Park is located in Sarasota County
    • Fruitville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Pinecraft
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Sarasota
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Sarasota Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sarasota Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sarasota Springs
      • Sarasota Springs is located in Sarasota County
    • Southgate
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Southgate have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southgate
      • Southgate is located in Sarasota County
    • Lake Sarasota
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Sarasota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Sarasota
      • Lake Sarasota is located in Sarasota County
    • Bee Ridge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bee Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee Ridge
      • Bee Ridge is located in Sarasota County
    • Ridge Wood Heights
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ridge Wood Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridge Wood Heights
      • Ridge Wood Heights is located in Sarasota County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Ruskin ...

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 4 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ruskin.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Ruskin. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Ruskin and those printed in the larger area surrounding Ruskin.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 4 miles [6.4 km]<3> of Ruskin.

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 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 Ruskin:

Cemeteries Near Ruskin ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ruskin.

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

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

  • Ruskin Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ruskin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ruskin Cemetery
  • Ruskin Memorial Gardens
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ruskin Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ruskin Memorial Gardens
  • Fortner Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Samford Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Samford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Samford Cemetery
  • Skyway Memorial Gardens
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Skyway Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Skyway Memorial Gardens
  • Hackney - Riverview Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Hackney - Riverview Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Tampa.
    • The Hackney - Riverview Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Hackney Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hackney - Riverview Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #72067 <4>
  • Serenity Meadows Memorial Park
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
  • Mansion Memorial Park
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mansion Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mansion Memorial Park
  • Sunnyside Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Skyway Memorial Gardens
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Skyway Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Skyway Memorial Gardens
  • American Legion Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the American Legion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the American Legion Cemetery
  • Continue List   (73 more) ...
    • Commemorative Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Commemorative Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Commemorative Cemetery
    • Eternal Light Mausoleums and Gardens
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eternal Light Mausoleums and Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eternal Light Mausoleums and Gardens
    • Royal Palm North Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)

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 Ruskin in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Ruskin.

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

  • Gulf City
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gulf City
    • Gulf City is located in Hillsborough County
  • Erie
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erie
    • Erie is located in Manatee County
  • Port Tampa
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Port Tampa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Tampa
    • Port Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
  • Peru ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peru have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
    • Peru is located in Hillsborough County
  • Terra Ceia
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Ellenton
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • Rye
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rye have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rye
    • Rye is located in Manatee County
  • Ybor City
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ybor City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ybor City
    • Ybor City is located in Hillsborough County
  • Palmetto
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Manatee
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manatee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manatee
    • Manatee is located in Manatee County
  • Bloomingdale
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloomingdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
    • Bloomingdale is located in Hillsborough County
  • Tampa
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tampa
    • Tampa is located in Hillsborough County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 407,599 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tampa <2>
  • Continue List   (11 more) ...
    • Bradenton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Brandon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Limona
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limona
      • Limona is located in Hillsborough County

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

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

The official website for Hillsborough County: www.hillsboroughcounty.org/

The official website for State of Florida: 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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Ruskin) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ruskin. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 27.7206, Longitude: -82.4340    
<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 Ruskin, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024