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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 Athens (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 Athens. 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 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.

Athens is located in Menard County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Menard County: Cass, Logan, Mason & Sangamon.

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

  • Menard County     (The home county of Athens)
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Athens, with the one closest to Athens listed first.
    • Ashland
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Newmansville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Gurney ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gurney. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gurney
      • Gurney is located in Cass County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gurney
      • From Athens to Gurney
    • Sylvan ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sylvan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan
      • Sylvan is located in Cass County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sylvan
      • From Athens to Sylvan
    • Philadelphia
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Burlingame
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Burlingame. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlingame
      • Burlingame is located in Cass County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Burlingame
      • From Athens to Burlingame
    • Chandlerville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Old Princeton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Virginia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Virginia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virginia
      • Virginia is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,406 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Virginia <1>
    • Jules
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jules. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jules
      • Jules is located in Cass County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jules
      • From Athens to Jules
  • Christian County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Athens, with the one closest to Athens listed first.
    • Bolivia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Edinburg
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Grove City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grove City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove City
      • Grove City is located in Christian County
    • Mount Auburn
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Bulpitt
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bulpitt have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bulpitt
      • Bulpitt is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bulpitt <1>
    • Tovey
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tovey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tovey
      • Tovey is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 467 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tovey <1>
    • Kincaid
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kincaid have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kincaid
      • Kincaid is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,362 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kincaid <1>
  • Logan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Athens, with the one closest to Athens listed first.
    • Middletown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middletown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
      • Middletown is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 301 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Middletown <1>
    • Elkhart
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Broadwell
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Broadwell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broadwell
      • Broadwell is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
    • Cornland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • New Holland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Holland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Holland
      • New Holland is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 266 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Holland <1>
    • Lake Fork
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Mount Pulaski
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Pulaski have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pulaski
      • Mount Pulaski is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,449 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Pulaski <1>
    • Bell
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Chestervale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Lincoln
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Hartsburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartsburg
      • Hartsburg is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 302 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hartsburg <1>
    • Emden
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emden
      • Emden is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 456 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emden <1>
  • Macon County
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Athens, with the one closest to Athens listed first.
    • Mason City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Teheran
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Easton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Kilbourne
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Natrona
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Poplar City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • White City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
      • White City is located in Mason County
    • San Jose
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Jose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Jose
      • San Jose is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 587 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for San Jose <1>
    • Long Branch
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Long Branch. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Branch
      • Long Branch is located in Mason County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Long Branch
      • From Athens to Long Branch
    • Bath
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bath have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
      • Bath is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 306 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bath <1>
    • Topeka
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Topeka have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Topeka
      • Topeka is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Topeka <1>
    • Forest City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forest City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
      • Forest City is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 222 people
  • Morgan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Athens, with the one closest to Athens listed first.
    • Prentice
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Alexander
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Literberry
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Arnold
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arnold. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnold
      • Arnold is located in Morgan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Arnold
      • From Athens to Arnold
    • Waverly
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waverly have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waverly
      • Waverly is located in Morgan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,182 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waverly <1>
    • Arcadia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Franklin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
      • Franklin is located in Morgan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 591 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Franklin <1>
    • Pisgah
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pisgah. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pisgah
      • Pisgah is located in Morgan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pisgah
      • From Athens to Pisgah
  • Sangamon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Athens, with the one closest to Athens listed first.
    • Cantrall
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cantrall have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantrall
      • Cantrall is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 132 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cantrall <1>
    • Salisbury
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Sherman
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Williamsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsville
      • Williamsville is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,490 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Williamsville <1>
    • Ridgely
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ridgely. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgely
      • Ridgely is located in Sangamon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ridgely
      • From Athens to Ridgely
    • Grandview
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grandview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandview
      • Grandview is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,369 people
    • Spaulding
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spaulding have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spaulding
      • Spaulding is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 836 people
    • Pleasant Plains
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Plains have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Plains
      • Pleasant Plains is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 792 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pleasant Plains <1>
    • Hawthorne Place
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Leland Grove
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leland Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leland Grove
      • Leland Grove is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,451 people
    • Springfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Riverton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverton
      • Riverton is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,430 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Riverton <1>
  • Schuyler County
    • Bluff City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bluff City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
      • Bluff City is located in Schuyler County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bluff City
      • From Athens to Bluff City
  • Tazewell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Athens, with the one closest to Athens listed first.
    • Winkel ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Winkel. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winkel
      • Winkel is located in Tazewell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Winkel
      • From Athens to Winkel
    • Delavan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Athens ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Athens.

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

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

  • Old West Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Joel Hall Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Canterbury Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Canterbury Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Canterbury Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Indian Point Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Strode Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Strode Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Strode Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lebanon Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lebanon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lebanon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hornback Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hornback Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hornback Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hopwood Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hopwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hopwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brittin Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brittin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brittin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hickory Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hickory Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hickory Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Salisbury Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salisbury Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Salisbury Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fancy Creek Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fancy Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fancy Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (305 more) ...
    • Sugar Grove Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sugar Grove Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sugar Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Baker Prairie #1 Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baker Prairie #1 Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baker Prairie #1 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Baker Prairie #2 Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baker Prairie #2 Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baker Prairie #2 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Athens had a population of 944 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Athens had a population of 1,893 people.

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

  • Cantrall
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cantrall have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantrall
    • Cantrall is located in Sangamon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 132 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cantrall <1>
  • Tice
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tice
    • Tice is located in Menard County
  • Salisbury
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Sweet Water
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sweet Water have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweet Water
    • Sweet Water is located in Menard County
  • Loyd
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loyd have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
    • Loyd is located in Menard County
  • Sherman
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Curtis
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Curtis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curtis
    • Curtis is located in Menard County
  • Fancy Prairie
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fancy Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fancy Prairie
    • Fancy Prairie is located in Menard County
  • Petersburg
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Greenview
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenview
    • Greenview is located in Menard County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 715 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenview <1>
  • Hill Top
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill Top have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill Top
    • Hill Top is located in Menard County
  • Bradfordton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bradfordton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradfordton
    • Bradfordton is located in Sangamon County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Williamsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsville
      • Williamsville is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,490 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Williamsville <1>
    • Richland
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
      • Richland is located in Sangamon County
    • Farmingdale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farmingdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmingdale
      • Farmingdale is located in Sangamon County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Athens ...

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 30 newspapers that have been published in the area around Athens.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Athens. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Athens and those printed in the larger area surrounding Athens.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<5> of Athens.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Athens:

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

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.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>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Athens) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Athens. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.9607, Longitude: -89.7239    
<6>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 Athens, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025