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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 Shenks (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 Shenks. 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 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.

Shenks is located in Alachua County.

To see how the shape of Florida's counties may 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 Shenks. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Shenks:

  • Alachua County     (The home county of Shenks)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shenks, with the one closest to Shenks listed first.
    • Waldo
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Earleton
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Campville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Campville is located in Alachua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campville
    • Melrose
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Windsor
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Windsor is located in Alachua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
    • Hawthorne
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Rochelle
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Rochelle is located in Alachua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochelle
    • Gainesville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Hague
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Hague is located in Alachua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hague
    • La Crosse
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Rutledge
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Rutledge is located in Alachua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
    • Lochloosa
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
  • Bradford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shenks, with the one closest to Shenks listed first.
    • Hampton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Graham
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Starke
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Brooker
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Lawtey
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shenks, with the one closest to Shenks listed first.
    • Keystone Heights
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Lake Geneva
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Kingsley Lake
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Kingsley Lake is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley Lake
    • Kingsley Village
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Kingsley Village is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley Village
    • Kingsley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Kingsley is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley
    • Penney Farms
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Middleburg
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Asbury Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Asbury Lake is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Asbury Lake
  • Levy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shenks, with the one closest to Shenks listed first.
    • Raleigh
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Raleigh is located in Levy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raleigh
    • East Williston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • East Williston is located in Levy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Williston
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shenks, with the one closest to Shenks listed first.
    • Orange Springs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • McIntosh
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Orange Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Citra
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Paynes Town ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Paynes Town is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paynes Town
    • Irvine
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Irvine is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irvine
    • Reddick
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Fairfield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Fairfield is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfield
    • Heijahs Town ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Heijahs Town is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heijahs Town
    • Fort McCoy
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Lowell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Sparr
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shenks, with the one closest to Shenks listed first.
    • Putnam Hall
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Grandin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Florahome
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Edgar
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Interlachen
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Keuka
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Keuka is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keuka
    • Mannville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Mannville is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mannville
    • Hollister
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Palatka
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Peniel
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Peniel is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peniel
    • Bostwick
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Buffalo Bluff
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Buffalo Bluff is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo Bluff
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shenks, with the one closest to Shenks listed first.
    • Worthington Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Raiford
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Lake Butler
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Shenks ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shenks.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Shenks - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Shenks covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Free Canaan Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Saluda Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saluda Cemetery
    • The Saluda Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Saluda - Orange Heights Cemetery
  • St. John's Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Laurel Grove Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Waldo Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo Cemetery
    • The Waldo Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Waldo Community Cemetery
  • Nelson - Starke Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Eliam Cemetery of Melrose Florida
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Keystone Heights Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Hope Baptist Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Fairbanks Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Providence Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • St. John Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (140 more) ...

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.<3>

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

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

  • Orange Heights
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Orange Heights is located in Alachua County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Heights
  • Earleton
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Waldo
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Campville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Campville is located in Alachua County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campville
  • Melrose
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Theressa
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Theressa is located in Bradford County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Theressa
  • Fairbanks
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Fairbanks is located in Alachua County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
  • Hampton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Windsor
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Windsor is located in Alachua County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
  • Putnam Hall
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Grove Park
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Grove Park is located in Alachua County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove Park
  • Hawthorne
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Paradise
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Paradise is located in Alachua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
    • Rochelle
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Rochelle is located in Alachua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochelle
    • Starke
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in Shenks ...

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 78 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shenks.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shenks, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Shenks.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Shenks:

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 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.
<3>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 Shenks, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Shenks) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.