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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 Sumac (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 Sumac. 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 and hospitals 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.

Sumac is located in Murray 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 Murray County: Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Whitfield, Bradley (TN) & Polk (TN).

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

  • Murray County     (The home county of Sumac)
  • Catoosa County
  • Fannin County
  • Gilmer County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac listed first.
    • Tails Creek
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Santaluca
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Santaluca is located in Gilmer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santaluca
    • Ellijay
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • White Path
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • White Path is located in Gilmer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Path
      • Estimated population in 2019: 342 people
    • East Ellijay
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Northcutt
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Northcutt is located in Gilmer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northcutt
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 16,698 people
    • Cherry Log
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Yukon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Whitestone
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Whitestone is located in Gilmer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitestone
    • Rolston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Rolston is located in Gilmer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rolston
      • Estimated population in 2019: 36,716 people
  • Gordon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac listed first.
    • Buff ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Buff is located in Gordon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buff
      • Estimated population in 2019: 15,522 people
    • Soapstick
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Soapstick is located in Gordon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Soapstick
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,544 people
    • Oakman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Resaca Ferry
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Resaca Ferry is located in Gordon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Resaca Ferry
      • Estimated population in 2019: 803 people
    • Resaca
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Hill City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Hill City is located in Gordon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill City
    • Damascus
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • New Town
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • New Town is located in Gordon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Town
    • Sugar Valley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Ranger
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Calhoun Ferry
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Calhoun Ferry is located in Gordon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calhoun Ferry
      • Estimated population in 2019: 17,271 people
    • Calhoun
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Pickens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac listed first.
    • Ludville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Hinton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Hinton is located in Pickens County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinton
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,223 people
    • Talking Rock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Walker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac listed first.
    • Furnace ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Villanow
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Rock Spring
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Park City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Park City is located in Walker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City
    • Chickamauga
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Dewberry Town
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Dewberry Town is located in Walker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewberry Town
    • Fairview
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • John Ross Estates
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • John Ross Estates is located in Walker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for John Ross Estates
      • Estimated population in 2018: 84,310 people
    • Lytle
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Lytle is located in Walker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lytle
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 37,115 people
    • Warren Terrace
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Warren Terrace is located in Walker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren Terrace
      • Estimated population in 2019: 1,720 people
    • Orchard Hills
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Orchard Hills is located in Walker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard Hills
      • Estimated population in 2019: 232 people
    • Rossville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Whitfield County
  • Cherokee County (NC)
    • Burger Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Burger Town is located in Cherokee County (NC)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burger Town
  • Bradley County (TN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac listed first.
    • Earnest ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Earnest is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earnest
    • Wildwood Lake
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Wildwood Lake is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood Lake
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 3,124 people
    • South Cleveland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • South Cleveland is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Cleveland
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 6,912 people
    • McDonald
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Cleveland
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • East Cleveland
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • East Cleveland is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Cleveland
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 1,608 people
    • Mineral Park
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Bent Tree Acres
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Bent Tree Acres is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bent Tree Acres
      • Estimated population in 2014: 1,309 people
    • Countryside Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Countryside Village is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Countryside Village
    • Hopewell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Hopewell is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopewell
    • Bellefounte
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Hopewell Estates
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Hopewell Estates is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopewell Estates
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 1,874 people
  • Hamilton County (TN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac listed first.
    • Howardville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Apison
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Collegedale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Ooltewah
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Ryall Springs
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Ryall Springs is located in Hamilton County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryall Springs
      • Estimated population in 2014: 1,166 people
    • Auburn Hills
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Auburn Hills is located in Hamilton County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auburn Hills
      • Estimated population in 2014: 929 people
    • East Brainerd
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • East Brainerd is located in Hamilton County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brainerd
    • Harrison
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Brainerd Hills
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • East Ridge
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Harrison Ferry
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Harrison Ferry is located in Hamilton County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrison Ferry
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 7,769 people
    • Hillsboro Heights
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Hillsboro Heights is located in Hamilton County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillsboro Heights
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 450 people
  • McMinn County (TN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac listed first.
    • Calhoun
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Luskville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Claxton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Polk County (TN)

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

Cemeteries Near Sumac ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sumac.

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

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Sumac, with the one closest to Sumac 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 Sumac had a population of 40 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Norton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Norton is located in Whitfield County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norton
  • Beaverdale
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Beaverdale is located in Whitfield County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaverdale
  • Ruralvale
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Cisco
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Dawnville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Dawnville is located in Whitfield County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawnville
  • Hasslers Mill
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Hasslers Mill is located in Murray County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hasslers Mill
  • Mills ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Mills is located in Whitfield County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mills
  • Fillmore ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Fillmore is located in Whitfield County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fillmore
  • Cedar Ridge
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Cedar Ridge is located in Whitfield County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Ridge
  • Earnest ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Earnest is located in Bradley County (TN)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earnest
  • Spring Place
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Spring Place is located in Murray County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Place
  • Fort Mountain ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Fort Mountain is located in Murray County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Mountain
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Doogan
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Doogan is located in Murray County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doogan
    • Conasauga
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Felker
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Felker is located in Bradley County (TN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Felker

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

Newspapers Published in Sumac ...

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 40 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sumac.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sumac, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sumac.

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 Sumac:

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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Sumac) 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 Sumac, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.