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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 Shelly (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 Shelly. 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.

Shelly is primarily located in Thomas County. A portion of Shelly extends into Brooks 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 Thomas County: Jefferson (FL), Leon (FL), Brooks, Colquitt, Grady & Mitchell.

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

  • Thomas County     (The home county of Shelly)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Pavo
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Coolidge
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Fredonia
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Fredonia is located in Thomas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
    • Boston
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Newark
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Newark is located in Thomas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newark
      • Estimated population in 2019: 783 people
    • Thomasville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Ochlocknee
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Dewey City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Dewey City is located in Thomas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewey City
    • Hansell
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Hansell is located in Thomas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hansell
      • Estimated population in 2019: 6,534 people
    • Meigs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  • Brooks County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Tallokas ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Tallokas is located in Brooks County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tallokas
      • Estimated population in 2019: 171 people
    • Barwick
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Barney
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Morven
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Dixie
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Fodie
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Fodie is located in Brooks County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fodie
      • Estimated population in 2019: 5,037 people
    • Quitman
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Empress
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Empress is located in Brooks County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Empress
  • Colquitt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Berlin
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Moultrie
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Riverside
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Riverside is located in Colquitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
    • Ellenton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Funston
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Norman Park
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Hartsfield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Minnesota
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Minnesota is located in Colquitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minnesota
    • Doerun
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Cook County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Cecil
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Adel
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Sparks
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Lenox
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Staunton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Staunton is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staunton
  • Grady County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Spence
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Spence is located in Grady County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spence
    • Woodland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Woodland is located in Grady County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland
      • Estimated population in 2019: 353 people
    • Midway
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Midway is located in Grady County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
    • Cairo
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Lowndes County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Shiloh
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Shiloh is located in Lowndes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiloh
    • Hahira
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Barko Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Barko Village is located in Lowndes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barko Village
    • Mineola
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Mineola is located in Lowndes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineola
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 150 people
    • Franklinville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Franklinville is located in Lowndes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklinville
      • Estimated population in 2019: 971 people
    • Remerton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Remerton is located in Lowndes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remerton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,061 people
    • Valdosta
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Mitchell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Cotton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Sale City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Pebble City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Pebble City is located in Mitchell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pebble City
    • Pelham
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Greenough
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Greenough is located in Mitchell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenough
      • Estimated population in 2019: 3,304 people
  • Tift County
    • Omega
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
  • Worth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Anderson City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Anderson City is located in Worth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson City
    • Liberty Hill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Liberty Hill is located in Worth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Hill

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

Cemeteries Near Shelly ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shelly.

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

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

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

  • Prosperity Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Lebanon Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Enon Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Antioch Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • McDonald Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Gandy Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Salem Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Shady Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Henry Clark Family Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Lasseter Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Kennedy Chapel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (251 more) ...
    • Martin Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Pleasant Grove Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)

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 Shelly in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Shelly.

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

  • Patten
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Patten is located in Thomas County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patten
  • Berlin
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Chastain
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Chastain is located in Thomas County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chastain
  • Moultrie
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Boston
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • Morven
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Dixie
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Bayboro ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Bayboro is located in Colquitt County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayboro
  • Bay
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Bay is located in Colquitt County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay
  • Thomasville
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Quitman
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Ochlocknee
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Adel
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Hartsfield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Hahira
      (21 miles [33.8 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 Shelly. See our List of 1890's Communities around Shelly.

Newspapers Published in Shelly ...

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 45 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shelly.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shelly, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Shelly.

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 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 Shelly:

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 Shelly, 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' (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- Shelly) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.