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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 Simsville (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 Simsville. 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.

Simsville is located in Jackson 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 Jackson County: Geneva (AL), Houston (AL), Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Liberty, Washington & Seminole (GA).

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

  • Jackson County     (The home county of Simsville)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Cypress
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Marianna
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Grand Ridge
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Inwood
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Inwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inwood
      • Inwood is located in Jackson County
    • Alford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Greenwood
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Two Egg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Two Egg
      • Two Egg is located in Jackson County
    • Steele City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Steele City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele City
      • Steele City is located in Jackson County
    • Sneads
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Cottondale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Butler ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Butler. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler
      • Butler is located in Jackson County
    • Bascom
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Bay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Fountain
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Youngstown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Altha
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Ocheesee
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ocheesee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
      • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County
    • Chipola
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chipola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
      • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
    • Clarksville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Blountstown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • McNeal ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McNeal. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNeal
      • McNeal is located in Calhoun County
    • Marysville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysville
      • Marysville is located in Calhoun County
    • Kinard
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Gadsden County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Chattahoochee
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • River Junction
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for River Junction. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Junction
      • River Junction is located in Gadsden County
    • Sycamore
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sycamore. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore
      • Sycamore is located in Gadsden County
    • Greensboro
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Mount Pleasant
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Gretna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Holmes County
    • Bonifay
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Liberty County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Bristol
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Estiffanulga
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Estiffanulga. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estiffanulga
      • Estiffanulga is located in Liberty County
    • Hosford
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Chipley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Wausau
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Brock Crossroad
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brock Crossroad
      • Brock Crossroad is located in Washington County
  • Houston County (AL)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Cottonwood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Madrid
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Madrid have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madrid
      • Madrid is located in Houston County (AL)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 293 people
  • Decatur County (GA)
    • Recovery
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Recovery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Recovery
      • Recovery is located in Decatur County (GA)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 33,015 people
  • Early County (GA)
    • Jakin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jakin have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jakin
      • Jakin is located in Early County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jakin <1>
  • Seminole County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simsville, with the one closest to Simsville listed first.
    • Butlers Ferry
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Butlers Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butlers Ferry
      • Butlers Ferry is located in Seminole County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 1,759 people
    • Steam Mill
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Steam Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steam Mill
      • Steam Mill is located in Seminole County (GA)
    • Reynoldsville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reynoldsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynoldsville
      • Reynoldsville is located in Seminole County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 960 people
    • Donalsonville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Simsville ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Simsville.

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

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

  • Little Rocky Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Rocky Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Rocky Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sims Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Elder Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elder Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elder Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Grant Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grant Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jerusalem Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jerusalem Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jerusalem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pledger Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pledger Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pledger Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Logan Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Logan Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Logan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Braxton Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Braxton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Braxton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lipford Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lipford Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lipford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Maddox Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maddox Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maddox 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)
    • 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.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (126 more) ...
    • Pelt Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pelt Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pelt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Poplar Spring Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Poplar Spring Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Poplar Spring Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Farmer Family Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)

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

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

  • Alliance
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alliance have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alliance
    • Alliance is located in Jackson County
  • Cypress
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Marianna
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Ocheesee
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ocheesee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
    • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County
  • Inwood
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Inwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inwood
    • Inwood is located in Jackson County
  • Chipola
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chipola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
    • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
  • Selman
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Selman have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selman
    • Selman is located in Calhoun County
  • Greenwood
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Sneads
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Cottondale
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Bascom
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Blountstown
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Rock Bluff
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Bluff
      • Rock Bluff is located in Liberty County
    • River Junction
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for River Junction. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Junction
      • River Junction is located in Gadsden County
    • Chattahoochee
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Simsville ...

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 35 newspapers that have been published in the area around Simsville.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Simsville, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Simsville.

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 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 Simsville:

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

The official website for Jackson County: www.jacksoncounty-fl.com/

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 Simsville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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 from Point A (ie- Simsville) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Simsville. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.6807, Longitude: -85.1741       In this case, the coordinates for Simsville have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025