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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 Balls Ferry (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 Balls Ferry. 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 Balls Ferry ...

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.

While the name of this community is Balls Ferry, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Balls Ferry may originally have been Ball's Ferry.

Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Balls Ferry might be written as Ball Ferry.

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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors 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.

Balls Ferry is located in Washington County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Washington County: Baldwin, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Johnson, Warren & Wilkinson.

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

  • Washington County     (The home county of Balls Ferry)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balls Ferry, with the one closest to Balls Ferry listed first.
    • Gardner
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gardner have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardner
      • Gardner is located in Washington County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 201 people
    • Oconee
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oconee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oconee
      • Oconee is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 240 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oconee <3>
    • Harrison
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Tennille
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Deepstep
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Goat Town
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goat Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goat Town
      • Goat Town is located in Washington County
    • Sandersville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandersville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandersville
      • Sandersville is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,275 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sandersville <3>
    • Riddleville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riddleville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riddleville
      • Riddleville is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
    • Warthen
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Davisboro
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Baldwin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balls Ferry, with the one closest to Balls Ferry listed first.
    • Oconee Old Town ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oconee Old Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oconee Old Town
      • Oconee Old Town is located in Baldwin County
    • The Colony
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Colony
      • The Colony is located in Baldwin County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 1,834 people
    • Mount Pleasant
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Pleasant have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
      • Mount Pleasant is located in Baldwin County
    • Coopers
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coopers
      • Coopers is located in Baldwin County
    • Black Spring
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Black Spring have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Spring
      • Black Spring is located in Baldwin County
    • Hardwick
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Milledgeville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Brown's Crossing
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brown's Crossing have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brown's Crossing
      • Brown's Crossing is located in Baldwin County
  • Bleckley County
    • Allentown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Dodge County
    • Chester
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Hancock County
    • Zebulon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zebulon
      • Zebulon is located in Hancock County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 1,228 people
  • Jefferson County
    • Bartow
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Johnson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balls Ferry, with the one closest to Balls Ferry listed first.
    • Wrightsville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Kite
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kite
      • Kite is located in Johnson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 226 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kite <3>
    • Adrian
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Jones County
    • Mountain Springs
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Springs
      • Mountain Springs is located in Jones County
  • Laurens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balls Ferry, with the one closest to Balls Ferry listed first.
    • Tuckers Crossroad
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tuckers Crossroad have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuckers Crossroad
      • Tuckers Crossroad is located in Laurens County
    • Midway
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Midway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
      • Midway is located in Laurens County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 2,061 people
    • Lovett
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovett
      • Lovett is located in Laurens County
    • Dublin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • East Dublin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Dudley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Montrose
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Dexter
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Rentz
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rentz have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rentz
      • Rentz is located in Laurens County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 286 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rentz <3>
    • Rockledge
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockledge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockledge
      • Rockledge is located in Laurens County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,433 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rockledge <3>
    • Cadwell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Twiggs County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balls Ferry, with the one closest to Balls Ferry listed first.
    • Danville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jeffersonville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jeffersonville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeffersonville
      • Jeffersonville is located in Twiggs County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 931 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jeffersonville <3>
    • Marion
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Marion is located in Twiggs County
  • Wilkinson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balls Ferry, with the one closest to Balls Ferry listed first.
    • Toomsboro
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toomsboro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toomsboro
      • Toomsboro is located in Wilkinson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toomsboro <3>
    • Irwinton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irwinton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwinton
      • Irwinton is located in Wilkinson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 546 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irwinton <3>
    • McIntyre
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McIntyre have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntyre
      • McIntyre is located in Wilkinson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 598 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McIntyre <3>
    • Dedrich
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dedrich have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dedrich
      • Dedrich is located in Wilkinson County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 2,146 people
    • Ivey
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ivey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivey
      • Ivey is located in Wilkinson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 899 people
    • Gordon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
      • Gordon is located in Wilkinson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,819 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gordon <3>
    • Brooks
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooks
      • Brooks is located in Wilkinson County

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

Newspapers Published in Balls Ferry ...

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 31 newspapers that have been published in the area around Balls Ferry.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Balls Ferry, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Balls Ferry.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Balls Ferry:

Cemeteries Near Balls Ferry ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Balls Ferry.

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

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

  • Salem Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Salem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salem Cemetery
  • Red Field Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Red Field Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Red Field Cemetery
  • Bay Branch Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bay Branch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bay Branch Cemetery
  • Bay Springs Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Carter Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Carter Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Carter Cemetery
  • Martin Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Martin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Martin Cemetery
  • Antioch Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Post Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Post Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Post Cemetery
  • Moody Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moody Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moody Cemetery
  • Waters Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Waters Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Waters Cemetery
  • Woods Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woods Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woods Cemetery
  • Lords Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lords Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lords Cemetery
  • Continue List   (356 more) ...
    • Plummer Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Plummer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Plummer Cemetery
    • Hightower Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hightower Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hightower Cemetery
    • Old Bethesda Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Bethesda Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Bethesda 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>

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

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

  • Oconee
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oconee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oconee
    • Oconee is located in Washington County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 240 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oconee <3>
  • Beech Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beech Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Hill
    • Beech Hill is located in Wilkinson County
  • Toomsboro
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toomsboro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toomsboro
    • Toomsboro is located in Wilkinson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toomsboro <3>
  • Hebron
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hebron have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron
    • Hebron is located in Washington County
  • Irwinton
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irwinton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwinton
    • Irwinton is located in Wilkinson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 546 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irwinton <3>
  • Harrison
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Tennille
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Lovett
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovett
    • Lovett is located in Laurens County
  • Spann
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spann have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spann
    • Spann is located in Johnson County
  • Wrightsville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • McIntyre
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McIntyre have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntyre
    • McIntyre is located in Wilkinson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 598 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McIntyre <3>
  • Dublin
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Deepstep
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Sandersville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandersville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandersville
      • Sandersville is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,275 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sandersville <3>
    • Dudley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)

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

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

The official website for State of Georgia: https://georgia.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties).
<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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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- Balls Ferry) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Balls Ferry. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.7818, Longitude: -82.9585       In this case, the coordinates for Balls Ferry have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Balls Ferry, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024