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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 Silver Lake (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 Silver Lake. 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 Silver Lake ...

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 occur.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Silver Lake: Silver Lk.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Silver Lake. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Silver Lake.

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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and 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.

Silver Lake is located in Lake 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 Lake County: Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter & Volusia.

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

  • Lake County     (The home county of Silver Lake)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Bassville Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Bassville Park is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassville Park
    • Orange Bend
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Orange Bend is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Bend
    • Lisbon
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Lisbon is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
    • Mid Florida Lakes
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Mid Florida Lakes is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mid Florida Lakes
    • Sunnyside
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Sunnyside is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyside
    • Tavares
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Grand Island
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Leesburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Eustis
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Yalaha
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Fruitland Park
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Oakland Park
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Oakland Park is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland Park
    • Montclair
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Montclair is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montclair
  • Citrus County
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Weirsdale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Eastlake Weir
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Ocklawaha
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Candler
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Summerfield
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Electra
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Electra is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Electra
    • Belleview
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Danks Corner
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Silver Springs Shores
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Lynne
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Lynne is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynne
    • Silver Springs
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Orange County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Tangerine
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Zellwood
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Plymouth
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Apopka
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Paradise Heights
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Paradise Heights is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise Heights
    • South Apopka
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • South Apopka is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Apopka
    • Crown Point
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Crown Point is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crown Point
    • Killarney
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Oakland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Tildenville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Tildenville is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tildenville
    • Winter Garden
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Clarcona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Ocoee
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Ocoee is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocoee
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 49,168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ocoee <1>
  • Seminole County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Forest City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Forest City is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
    • Wekiwa Springs
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Wekiwa Springs is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wekiwa Springs
    • Heathrow
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Sanlando Springs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Sanlando Springs is located in Seminole County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanlando Springs
    • Lake Monroe
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Altamonte Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Lake Mary
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Longwood
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Casselberry
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Fern Park
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Sumter County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • The Villages
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • The Villages is located in Sumter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Villages
    • Orange Home
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Orange Home is located in Sumter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Home
    • Adamsville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Adamsville is located in Sumter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adamsville
    • Wildwood
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Oxford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Coleman
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Center Hill
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Sumterville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake Panasoffkee
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Mabel
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Mabel is located in Sumter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mabel
    • Bushnell
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Webster
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Linden
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Linden is located in Sumter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linden
  • Volusia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Silver Lake, with the one closest to Silver Lake listed first.
    • Fort Florida
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Fort Florida is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Florida
    • De Bary
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Valdez
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Valdez is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valdez
    • Volusia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Volusia is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Volusia
    • Beresford
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Beresford is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beresford
    • Orange City Hills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Orange City Hills is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange City Hills
    • Highland Park ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Highland Park is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Park
    • West De Land
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • West De Land is located in Volusia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West De Land

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

Cemeteries Near Silver Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Silver Lake.

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 Silver Lake - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Lane Park Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Tavares Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Grand Island Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Lone Oak Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Lakeside Memory Gardens
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Marsh Memorial Park
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Shiloh Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Hillcrest Memorial Gardens
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Yalaha Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Oakridge Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (97 more) ...
    • Taylor Memorial Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Pine Forest Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Umatilla Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)

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

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

  • Orange Bend
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Orange Bend is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Bend
  • Lisbon
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Lisbon is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
  • Eldorado
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Eldorado is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldorado
  • Tavares
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Leesburg
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Lane Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Lane Park is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lane Park
  • Grand Island
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Yalaha
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Ellsworth Junction
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Ellsworth Junction is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellsworth Junction
  • Eustis
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Fort Mason
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Fort Mason is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Mason
  • Fruitland Park
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Montclair
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Montclair is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montclair
    • Whitney
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Whitney is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitney
    • Okahumpka
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Silver Lake ...

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 56 newspapers that have been published in the area around Silver Lake.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Silver Lake, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Silver Lake.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we 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 Silver Lake:

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 Silver Lake, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Silver Lake) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.