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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 Etna (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 Etna. 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.

Etna is located in Polk 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 Polk County: Cherokee (AL), Cleburne (AL), Bartow, Floyd, Haralson & Paulding.

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

  • Polk County     (The home county of Etna)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Greenway ‑ Historic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Greenway is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenway
    • Esom Hill
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Cedartown
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Grady ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Grady is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grady
      • Estimated population in 2019: 290 people
    • Seney
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Seney is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seney
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,412 people
    • Aragon
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Rockmart
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • Bartow County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Taylorsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Ligon ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Ligon is located in Bartow County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ligon
      • Estimated population in 2019: 12,810 people
    • Euharlee
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Stilesboro
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Stilesboro is located in Bartow County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stilesboro
      • Estimated population in 2019: 518 people
    • Shellman ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Shellman is located in Bartow County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shellman
      • Estimated population in 2019: 933 people
    • Kingston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Carroll County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Jake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Jake is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jake
      • Estimated population in 2019: 146 people
    • Bowdon Junction
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Temple
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Mount Zion
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Hart Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Hart Town is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hart Town
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,437 people
  • Chattooga County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Chattoogaville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Taliaferro ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Taliaferro is located in Chattooga County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taliaferro
      • Estimated population in 2019: 71 people
    • Lyerly
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Berryton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Floyd County
  • Haralson County
  • Paulding County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Braswell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Hanlin
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Hanlin is located in Paulding County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanlin
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 3,298 people
  • Calhoun County (AL)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Dailey
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Piedmont
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Goshen ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Goshen is located in Calhoun County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
    • Abernathy ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Abernathy is located in Calhoun County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abernathy
    • Nances Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Collins ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Collins is located in Calhoun County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collins
    • Merrellton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Adelia ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Adelia is located in Calhoun County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adelia
    • Germania Springs ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Germania Springs is located in Calhoun County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Germania Springs
    • Jacksonville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • White Plains
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Colvins Gap
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Booker T City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Booker T City is located in Calhoun County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Booker T City
  • Cherokee County (AL)
  • Cleburne County (AL)
  • DeKalb County (AL)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Lickskillet
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Mount Vernon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Mount Vernon is located in DeKalb County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Vernon
    • Sigsbee
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Sigsbee is located in DeKalb County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sigsbee
    • Dog Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Dog Town is located in DeKalb County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dog Town
  • Etowah County (AL)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Etna, with the one closest to Etna listed first.
    • Banner
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Banner is located in Etowah County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Banner
    • Ballplay
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Coato Bend ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Coato Bend is located in Etowah County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coato Bend
    • Hale ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Hale is located in Etowah County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hale
    • Hokes Bluff
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Coat's Bend
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Turkeytown
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Wilsonia
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Anderson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Cobb City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Cobb City is located in Etowah County (AL)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobb City
    • Edwardsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Etna ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Etna.

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

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

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

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Etna had a post office and no railroad service. In 2019, Etna had a population of 902 people.

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

  • Tecumseh
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Prior
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Prior is located in Polk County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prior
  • Bluffton
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Bluffton is located in Cherokee County (AL)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
  • Greenway ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Greenway is located in Polk County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenway
  • Rock Run Station
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Rock Run Station is located in Cherokee County (AL)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Run Station
  • Esom Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Palestine
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Borden Springs
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Borden Springs is located in Cleburne County (AL)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borden Springs
  • Forney
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Forney is located in Cherokee County (AL)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forney
  • Pleasant Gap
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Pleasant Gap is located in Cherokee County (AL)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Gap
  • Cave Spring
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Walthrall ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Walthrall is located in Polk County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walthrall
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Etna ...

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 16 newspapers that have been published in the area around Etna.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Etna, there are papers which were published within 18 miles [29 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Etna.

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 Etna:

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>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 from Point A (ie- Etna) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<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 Etna, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.