RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Florida >> Liberty County >> Vilas >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Florida

The Commemorative Quarter for Florida





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 Vilas (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 Vilas. 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 southwest 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 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 west 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.

Vilas is located in Liberty 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 Liberty County: Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Leon & Wakulla.

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

  • Liberty County     (The home county of Vilas)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Central City
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
      • Central City is located in Liberty County
    • Telogia
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Estiffanulga
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estiffanulga
      • Estiffanulga is located in Liberty County
    • Lewis
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lewis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewis
      • Lewis is located in Liberty County
    • Hosford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Sumatra
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Bristol
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Marysville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysville
      • Marysville is located in Calhoun County
    • McNeal ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNeal
      • McNeal is located in Calhoun County
    • Blountstown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Kinard
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Clarksville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Chipola
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
      • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
    • Ocheesee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
      • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County
    • Altha
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Carrabelle
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Lanark Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Gadsden County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Greensboro
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Sycamore
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore
      • Sycamore is located in Gadsden County
    • Douglas City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Douglas City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglas City
      • Douglas City is located in Gadsden County
    • Gretna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Gulf County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Wewahitchka
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • White City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
      • White City is located in Gulf County
  • Wakulla County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Curtis Mill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Curtis Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curtis Mill
      • Curtis Mill is located in Wakulla County
    • Sopchoppy
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Crawfordville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Vilas ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vilas.

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

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

  • Nixon Garden Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nixon Garden Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nixon Garden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Orange Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Orange Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Orange Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evans Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evans Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evans Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Burnoff Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Burnoff Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Burnoff Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Humility Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Humility Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Humility Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • McNair Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McNair Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McNair Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woods Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woods Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woods Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mitchum Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mitchum Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mitchum Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bristol Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bristol Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bristol Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kent Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kent Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kent Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boggs Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boggs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boggs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (52 more) ...
    • Jehu Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jehu Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jehu Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Brown & Smith Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brown & Smith Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brown & Smith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wood Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wood Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<4>

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

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

  • Orange
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange
    • Orange is located in Liberty County
  • Estiffanulga
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estiffanulga
    • Estiffanulga is located in Liberty County
  • Lewis
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lewis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewis
    • Lewis is located in Liberty County
  • Smith Creek
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smith Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Creek
    • Smith Creek is located in Wakulla County
  • Marysville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysville
    • Marysville is located in Calhoun County
  • Bristol
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Blountstown
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
  • Abe Springs
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Abe Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abe Springs
    • Abe Springs is located in Calhoun County
  • Bloxham
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloxham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloxham
    • Bloxham is located in Leon County
  • Wewahitchka
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
  • Rock Bluff
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Bluff
    • Rock Bluff is located in Liberty County
  • Selman
    (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Selman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selman
    • Selman is located in Calhoun County
  • Continue List   (8 more) ...
    • Wetumpka
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wetumpka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wetumpka
      • Wetumpka is located in Gadsden County
    • Chipola
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipola
      • Chipola is located in Calhoun County
    • Ocheesee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheesee
      • Ocheesee is located in Calhoun County

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

Newspapers Published in Vilas ...

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 18 newspapers that have been published in the area around Vilas.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Vilas, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Vilas.

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 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 Vilas:

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

The official website for State of Florida: https://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>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>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 Vilas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Vilas) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Vilas. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.2191, Longitude: -84.8857       In this case, the coordinates for Vilas have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 28 Mar 2025