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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 Suwannee Valley (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 Suwannee Valley. 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 Suwannee Valley ...

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 Suwannee Valley: Suwannee Vly. (or less commonly used: Suwannee Vally. or Suwannee Vlly.)

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 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.

Suwannee Valley is located in Columbia 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 Columbia County: Alachua, Baker, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Suwannee, Union, Clinch (GA) & Echols (GA).

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

  • Columbia County     (The home county of Suwannee Valley)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Suwannee Valley, with the one closest to Suwannee Valley listed first.
    • Five Points
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
      • Five Points is located in Columbia County
    • Lake City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Watertown
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watertown
      • Watertown is located in Columbia County
    • McColskey
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McColskey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McColskey
      • McColskey is located in Columbia County
    • Lulu
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Fort White
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
  • Baker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Suwannee Valley, with the one closest to Suwannee Valley listed first.
    • Olustee
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Sanderson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Taylor
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylor
      • Taylor is located in Baker County
  • Hamilton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Suwannee Valley, with the one closest to Suwannee Valley listed first.
    • White Springs
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Marion
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marion. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Hamilton County
    • Jasper
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Bakers Mill
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bakers Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bakers Mill
      • Bakers Mill is located in Hamilton County
  • Suwannee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Suwannee Valley, with the one closest to Suwannee Valley listed first.
    • Wellborn
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Rixford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rixford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rixford
      • Rixford is located in Suwannee County
    • Live Oak
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Padlock
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Padlock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Padlock
      • Padlock is located in Suwannee County
    • McAlpin
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • O'Brien
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Branford
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Suwannee Valley, with the one closest to Suwannee Valley listed first.
    • Lake Butler
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Worthington Springs
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Clinch County (GA)
    • Fargo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fargo
      • Fargo is located in Clinch County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 315 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fargo <1>
  • Echols County (GA)
    • Potter
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Potter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potter
      • Potter is located in Echols County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 870 people

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

Cemeteries Near Suwannee Valley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Suwannee Valley.

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

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

  • Eastside Memorial Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Huntsville Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Huntsville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Huntsville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Riverside Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • East Rest Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Rest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jerusalem Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Godbolt Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Oak Grove Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Swift Creek Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swift Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swift Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wellborn Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wellborn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wellborn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fellowship Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fellowship Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fellowship Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Memorial Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Oak Lawn Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (92 more) ...
    • Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • McClellan Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Truvine Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Suwannee Valley had railroad service and no post office.

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

  • Winfield
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winfield
    • Winfield is located in Columbia County
  • White Springs
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Wellborn
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake City
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Watertown
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watertown
    • Watertown is located in Columbia County
  • Genoa
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Genoa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa
    • Genoa is located in Hamilton County
  • Houston
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Houston have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston
    • Houston is located in Suwannee County
  • Benton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton
    • Benton is located in Columbia County
  • Mount Carrie
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Carrie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Carrie
    • Mount Carrie is located in Columbia County
  • Columbia
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Columbia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbia
    • Columbia is located in Columbia County
  • Rixford
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rixford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rixford
    • Rixford is located in Suwannee County
  • Padlock
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Padlock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Padlock
    • Padlock is located in Suwannee County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Live Oak
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Olustee
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Marion
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marion. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Hamilton County

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

Newspapers Published in Suwannee Valley ...

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 23 newspapers that have been published in the area around Suwannee Valley.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Suwannee Valley, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Suwannee Valley.

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 Suwannee Valley:

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

The official website for Columbia County: www.columbiacountyfla.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>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.
<3>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.
<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 Suwannee Valley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Suwannee Valley) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Suwannee Valley. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.2991, Longitude: -82.7082       In this case, the coordinates for Suwannee Valley have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025