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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 Ritch (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 Ritch. 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 and doctors 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.

Ritch is located in Wayne 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 Wayne County: Appling, Brantley, Glynn, Long, McIntosh, Pierce & Tattnall.

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

  • Wayne County     (The home county of Ritch)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Screven
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Odum
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jesup
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Madray Springs
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madray Springs
      • Madray Springs is located in Wayne County
    • Pendarvis
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pendarvis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pendarvis
      • Pendarvis is located in Wayne County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 562 people
  • Appling County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Surrency
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Baxley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Phillipi
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phillipi have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phillipi
      • Phillipi is located in Appling County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 707 people
    • Graham
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graham
      • Graham is located in Appling County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
  • Bacon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Coffee
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coffee
      • Coffee is located in Bacon County
    • Alma
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
      • Alma is located in Bacon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,336 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alma <1>
    • Guysie
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guysie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guysie
      • Guysie is located in Bacon County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 2,226 people
  • Brantley County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Hortense
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Raybon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Raybon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raybon
      • Raybon is located in Brantley County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 1,094 people
    • Hoboken
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Nahunta
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Popwellville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Popwellville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Popwellville
      • Popwellville is located in Brantley County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 692 people
    • Waynesville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Glynn County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Thalmann
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thalmann
      • Thalmann is located in Glynn County
    • Altamaha Park
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamaha Park
      • Altamaha Park is located in Glynn County
  • Long County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Donald
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donald
      • Donald is located in Long County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 2,466 people
    • Ludowici
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ludowici have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ludowici
      • Ludowici is located in Long County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,352 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ludowici <1>
  • Pierce County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Bristol
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Offerman
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Patterson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Mershon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Blackshear
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Tattnall County
    • Glennville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Ware County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ritch, with the one closest to Ritch listed first.
    • Jamestown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jamestown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
      • Jamestown is located in Ware County
    • Sunnyside
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunnyside have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyside
      • Sunnyside is located in Ware County
    • Waltertown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waltertown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waltertown
      • Waltertown is located in Ware County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,115 people
      • Waltertown has also been known as:
      • Watertown
    • Waycross
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Deenwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deenwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deenwood
      • Deenwood is located in Ware County
    • Winona Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winona Park
      • Winona Park is located in Ware County
    • Emerson Park
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emerson Park
      • Emerson Park is located in Ware County
    • Waresboro
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Ritch ...

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 58 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ritch.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ritch, 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 Ritch.

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 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 Ritch:

Cemeteries Near Ritch ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ritch.

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

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

  • Smiths Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smiths Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smiths Cemetery
  • Old Ritch Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Ritch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Ritch Cemetery
  • Thornton Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thornton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thornton Cemetery
  • Griffis Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Griffis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Griffis Cemetery
  • Clay Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clay Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clay Hill Cemetery
  • Foster Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Foster Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Foster Cemetery
  • Aspinwall Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Aspinwall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Aspinwall Cemetery
  • Bennett Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Bennett Cemetery is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<3> to the south of Screven.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bennett Cemetery
  • Williamson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Williamson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Williamson Cemetery
  • Ashley Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ashley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ashley Cemetery
  • Tyre Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tyre Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tyre Cemetery
  • Mill Creek Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mill Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mill Creek Cemetery
  • Continue List   (200 more) ...
    • New Home Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Home Cemetery
    • Screven Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Screven Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Screven Cemetery
    • Dixon Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dixon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dixon 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Ritch had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Screven
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Offerman
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Odum
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Patterson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Brentwood
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brentwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brentwood
    • Brentwood is located in Wayne County
  • Surrency
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Jesup
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Hortense
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Blackshear
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Gardi
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gardi have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardi
    • Gardi is located in Wayne County
  • Doctortown
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doctortown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doctortown
    • Doctortown is located in Wayne County
  • Wheaton
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheaton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheaton
    • Wheaton is located in Appling County
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Baxley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Beach
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beach
      • Beach is located in Ware County
    • Waltertown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waltertown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waltertown
      • Waltertown is located in Ware County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,115 people
      • Waltertown has also been known as:
      • Watertown

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

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

The official website for Wayne County: www.co.wayne.ga.us/

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 '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- Ritch) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ritch. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.5399, Longitude: -82.1062       In this case, the coordinates for Ritch have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Ritch, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024