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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 Bethel (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 Bethel. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Bethel is located in Turner 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 Turner County: Ben Hill, Crisp, Irwin, Tift, Wilcox & Worth.

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

  • Turner County     (The home county of Bethel)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Sycamore
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Ashburn
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Hobby
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hobby have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobby
      • Hobby is located in Turner County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 536 people
    • Rebecca
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Ben Hill County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Abba
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abba
      • Abba is located in Ben Hill County
    • Fitzgerald
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • Berrien County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Enigma
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Alapaha
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Colquitt County
    • Norman Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norman Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norman Park
      • Norman Park is located in Colquitt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 958 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norman Park <1>
  • Cook County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Staunton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Staunton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staunton
      • Staunton is located in Cook County
    • Lenox
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Crisp County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Arabi
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • McKenzie
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McKenzie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McKenzie
      • McKenzie is located in Crisp County
    • Milldale ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milldale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milldale
      • Milldale is located in Crisp County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 18,704 people
    • Cordele
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Lamb Town
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lamb Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamb Town
      • Lamb Town is located in Crisp County
  • Irwin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Irwinville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irwinville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwinville
      • Irwinville is located in Irwin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irwinville <1>
    • Arp
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arp
      • Arp is located in Irwin County
    • Mystic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mystic have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mystic
      • Mystic is located in Irwin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mystic <1>
    • Ocilla
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ocilla have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocilla
      • Ocilla is located in Irwin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,722 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ocilla <1>
    • Wray
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Lee County
    • Philema
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philema
      • Philema is located in Lee County
  • Tift County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Chula
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Abac
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Ty Ty
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Tifton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Phillipsburg
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phillipsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phillipsburg
      • Phillipsburg is located in Tift County
    • Unionville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Unionville
      • Unionville is located in Tift County
    • Brookfield
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Omega
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Wilcox County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Pitts
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Seville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seville
      • Seville is located in Wilcox County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Seville <1>
    • Rochelle
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rochelle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochelle
      • Rochelle is located in Wilcox County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,081 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rochelle <1>
    • Abbeville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Worth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Sumner
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Cuffietown
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cuffietown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuffietown
      • Cuffietown is located in Worth County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 186 people
    • Poulan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Poulan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poulan
      • Poulan is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 770 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Poulan <1>
    • Sylvester
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sylvester have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvester
      • Sylvester is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,690 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sylvester <1>
    • Warwick
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Alfords
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alfords have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alfords
      • Alfords is located in Worth County
    • Oakfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakfield
      • Oakfield is located in Worth County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakfield <1>
    • Anderson City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anderson City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson City
      • Anderson City is located in Worth County
    • East Dougherty
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Dougherty have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Dougherty
      • East Dougherty is located in Worth County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 2,398 people
    • Liberty Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Hill
      • Liberty Hill is located in Worth County
    • Bridgeboro
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Bethel ...

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 29 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bethel.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bethel, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bethel.

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 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 Bethel:

Cemeteries Near Bethel ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bethel.

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

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

  • Bethel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
  • Prospects Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prospects Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prospects Cemetery
  • Ross Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ross Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ross Cemetery
  • Clements Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clements Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clements Cemetery
  • Pleasant Hill Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Inaha Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Inaha Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Inaha Cemetery
  • Live Oak Methtodist Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Avery Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Avery Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Avery Cemetery
  • Henderson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Henderson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Henderson Cemetery
  • Macedonia Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Macedonia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Macedonia Cemetery
  • Rose Hill Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rose Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rose Hill Cemetery
  • Clements Chapel Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clements Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clements Chapel Cemetery
  • Continue List   (257 more) ...
    • Fletcher Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fletcher Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fletcher Cemetery
    • Waterloo Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Waterloo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Waterloo Cemetery
    • Waterloo Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Waterloo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Waterloo 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 Bethel in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Bethel.

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

  • Irwinville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irwinville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwinville
    • Irwinville is located in Irwin County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irwinville <1>
  • Abba
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abba
    • Abba is located in Ben Hill County
  • Sumner
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Arabi
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Poulan
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Poulan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poulan
    • Poulan is located in Worth County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 770 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Poulan <1>
  • Isabella
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Isabella have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isabella
    • Isabella is located in Worth County
  • Sylvester
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sylvester have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvester
    • Sylvester is located in Worth County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,690 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sylvester <1>
  • Doles
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doles have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doles
    • Doles is located in Worth County
  • Brookfield
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Pitts
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • Sibbie
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sibbie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sibbie
    • Sibbie is located in Wilcox County
  • Seville
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seville
    • Seville is located in Wilcox County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Seville <1>
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Willingham ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willingham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willingham
      • Willingham is located in Worth County
    • Rochelle
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rochelle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochelle
      • Rochelle is located in Wilcox County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,081 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rochelle <1>
    • Enigma
      (22 miles [35.4 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 Bethel. See our List of 1890's Communities around Bethel.

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

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

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- Bethel) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bethel. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.6585, Longitude: -83.5666       In this case, the coordinates for Bethel have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Bethel, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024