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

Avants is located in Wheeler County.

To see how the shape of Georgia's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wheeler County: Dodge, Jeff Davis, Laurens, Montgomery, Telfair & Treutlen.

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

  • Wheeler County     (The home county of Avants)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avants, with the one closest to Avants listed first.
    • Alamo
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Alamo is located in Wheeler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,301 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alamo <1>
    • Glenwood
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Ochwalkee
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Ochwalkee is located in Wheeler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ochwalkee
      • Estimated population in 2019: 3,732 people
  • Appling County
    • Graham
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Graham is located in Appling County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
  • Dodge County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avants, with the one closest to Avants listed first.
    • Chauncey
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Plainfield
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Eastman
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Rhine
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Bryant
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Bryant is located in Dodge County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryant
    • Chester
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Yonkers
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Yonkers is located in Dodge County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yonkers
    • Empire
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Empire is located in Dodge County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Empire
  • Jeff Davis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avants, with the one closest to Avants listed first.
    • Lumber City Ferry
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Lumber City Ferry is located in Jeff Davis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lumber City Ferry
      • Estimated population in 2019: 1,257 people
    • Tallahassee
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Tallahassee is located in Jeff Davis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tallahassee
      • Estimated population in 2019: 3,185 people
    • Kirkland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Kirkland is located in Jeff Davis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirkland
    • Hazlehurst
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Denton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Quinn ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Quinn is located in Jeff Davis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quinn
      • Estimated population in 2019: 3,652 people
  • Laurens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avants, with the one closest to Avants listed first.
    • Cedar Grove
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Cedar Grove is located in Laurens County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
    • Cadwell
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Rentz
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Rockledge
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Dexter
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Dublin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • East Dublin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avants, with the one closest to Avants listed first.
    • Mount Vernon
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Ailey
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Ailey is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ailey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 528 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ailey <1>
    • Uvalda
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Alston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Tarrytown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Petross
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Petross is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petross
    • Higgston
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Higgston is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higgston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 305 people
  • Telfair County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avants, with the one closest to Avants listed first.
    • McRae - Helena
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • McRae
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • McRae is located in Telfair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McRae
    • Scotland
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Helena
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Milan
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Lumber City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jacksonville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
  • Toombs County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Avants, with the one closest to Avants listed first.
    • Charles
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Charles is located in Toombs County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charles
    • Rock Springs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Rock Springs is located in Toombs County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Springs
    • Cedar Crossing
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Cedar Crossing is located in Toombs County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Crossing
    • Vidalia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Toombs Central
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Toombs Central is located in Toombs County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toombs Central
      • Estimated population in 2019: 486 people
  • Treutlen County
    • Soperton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Wilcox County
    • Abbeville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Avants ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Avants.

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 Avants - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Williams Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Erick Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Grimes Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Hinson Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Stuart Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Harrelson Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Telfair Memorial Gardens
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • McDuffie Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Helena Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Alamo Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Floyd Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (309 more) ...
    • Purvis Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Clark Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Clark Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)

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.<2>

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

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

  • McRae - Helena
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • McRae
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • McRae is located in Telfair County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McRae
  • Helena
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Scotland
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Towns
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Towns is located in Telfair County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Towns
  • Cox ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Cox is located in Dodge County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cox
  • Walkee ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Walkee is located in Laurens County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walkee
  • Westbrook ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Westbrook is located in Laurens County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westbrook
  • Chauncey
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Milan
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Hatoff ‑ Historic
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Hatoff is located in Laurens County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatoff
  • Cobbville
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Cobbville is located in Telfair County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobbville
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Godwinsville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Godwinsville is located in Dodge County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Godwinsville
    • Lumber City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Mount Vernon
      (16 miles [25.7 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 Avants. See our List of 1890's Communities around Avants.

Newspapers Published in Avants ...

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 42 newspapers that have been published in the area around Avants.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Avants, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Avants.

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 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 Avants:

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>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 Avants, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Avants) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.