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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 Watertown (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 Watertown. 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 hospitals 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.

Watertown 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 Watertown. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Watertown:

  • Columbia County     (The home county of Watertown)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watertown, with the one closest to Watertown listed first.
    • Lake City
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Five Points
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
      • Five Points is located in Columbia County
    • McColskey
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • 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
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Fort White
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Alachua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watertown, with the one closest to Watertown listed first.
    • High Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • La Crosse
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Alachua
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Burnetts Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burnetts Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnetts Lake
      • Burnetts Lake is located in Alachua County
  • Baker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watertown, with the one closest to Watertown listed first.
    • Olustee
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Sanderson
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Taylor
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylor
      • Taylor is located in Baker County
    • Glen Saint Mary
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • MacClenny
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Bradford County
    • Brooker
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Gilchrist County
    • Little Lake City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Lake City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Lake City
      • Little Lake City is located in Gilchrist County
  • Hamilton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watertown, with the one closest to Watertown listed first.
    • White Springs
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Marion
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marion have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Hamilton County
    • Jasper
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Suwannee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watertown, with the one closest to Watertown listed first.
    • Wellborn
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • McAlpin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • O'Brien
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Rixford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rixford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rixford
      • Rixford is located in Suwannee County
    • Live Oak
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Branford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watertown, with the one closest to Watertown listed first.
    • Lake Butler
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Worthington Springs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Raiford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Watertown ...

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 Watertown.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Watertown, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Watertown.

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 Watertown:

Cemeteries Near Watertown ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Watertown.

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

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

  • Truvine Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • 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.<4>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
  • Memorial Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Oak Lawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Price Creek Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Hope Henry Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Hope Henry Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hope Henry Cemetery
  • East Rest Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Rest Cemetery
  • Jerusalem Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jerusalem Cemetery
  • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Carmel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Carmel Cemetery
  • Pleasant Grove Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery
  • Hopeful Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hopeful Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hopeful Church Cemetery
  • Continue List   (112 more) ...
    • Ebenezer Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Huntsville Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • 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.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Huntsville Cemetery
    • Oak Grove Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • 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.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery

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, Watertown had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Lake City
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Mount Carrie
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • 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
  • Winfield
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • 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
  • Columbia
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • 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
  • Lulu
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Suwannee Valley
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Suwannee Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Suwannee Valley
    • Suwannee Valley is located in Columbia County
  • Olustee
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • White Springs
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Wellborn
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Mikesville
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mikesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mikesville
    • Mikesville is located in Columbia County
  • Houston
    (17 miles [27.4 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
  • Fort White
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Genoa
      (19 miles [30.6 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
    • McAlpin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Lake Butler
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Watertown. 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: 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>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- Watertown) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Watertown. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.1926, Longitude: -82.6147    
<4>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.
<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 Watertown, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024