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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 Aviston (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 Aviston. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Aviston is located in Clinton County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Clinton County: Bond, Fayette, Madison, Marion, Saint Clair & Washington.

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

  • Clinton County     (The home county of Aviston)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Trenton
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Breese
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Saint Rose
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Saint Rose is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Rose
    • Albers
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Germantown
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • New Baden
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Damiansville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Damiansville is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Damiansville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 484 people
    • Beckemeyer
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Bartelso
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • New Memphis
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Carlyle
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Marydale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Marydale is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marydale
  • Bond County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Pierron
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Pocahontas
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Old Ripley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Old Ripley is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Ripley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
    • Greenville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Pleasant Mound
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Pleasant Mound is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Mound
    • Smithboro
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Reno
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Reno is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reno
    • Sorento
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Mulberry Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Macoupin County
    • Staunton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Sebastopol
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Sebastopol is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sebastopol
    • Highland
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Jacob
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Grantfork
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Grantfork is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grantfork
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
    • Marine
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Troy
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Troy is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Troy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,399 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Troy <1>
    • Alhambra
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Fruit
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Fruit is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruit
    • Collinsville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Maryville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Glen Carbon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Hamel
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Central City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Central City is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,107 people
    • Junction City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Junction City is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 468 people
    • Sandoval
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Fairman
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Fairman is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairman
    • Patoka
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Odin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Odin is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,004 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Odin <1>
    • Vernon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Monroe County
    • Hecker
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Donnellson
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Panama
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Walshville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Randolph County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Tilden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Coulterville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Saint Clair County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Summerfield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Lebanon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Lebanon is located in Saint Clair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lebanon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,225 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lebanon <1>
    • Mascoutah
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • O'Fallon
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Petersburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Petersburg is located in Saint Clair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg
    • Shiloh
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Shiloh is located in Saint Clair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiloh
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,653 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shiloh <1>
    • Saint Libory
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Fayetteville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Fayetteville is located in Saint Clair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayetteville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 336 people
    • Fairview Heights
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Swansea
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Swansea is located in Saint Clair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swansea
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,276 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Swansea <1>
    • Freeburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Belleville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Aviston, with the one closest to Aviston listed first.
    • Okawville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Venedy
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Venedy is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Venedy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
    • Addieville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • New Minden
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • New Minden is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Minden
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 204 people
    • Stone Church
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Stone Church is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone Church
    • Caspars
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Caspars is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caspars
    • Hoyleton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Elkton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Elkton is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkton
    • Nashville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Oakdale
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Wamac
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Wamac is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wamac
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,117 people
    • Irvington
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Aviston ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Aviston.

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

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

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

  • St. Francis Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Lake Branch Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Trenton Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Sugar Creek Presbyterian Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Gullick Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • St. Dominic & St. Augustine Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Dominic & St. Augustine Cemetery
    • The St. Dominic & St. Augustine Cemetery has also been known as:
    • St. Augustine Catholic Cemetery
    • St. Augustine Cemetery
    • St. Dominic Catholic Cemetery
    • St. Dominic Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107859 <2>
  • St. John Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • St. Bernard Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Taylor Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Rose Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Rose Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Rose Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the north of Saint Rose.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #540915 <2>
  • Wittmer Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (473 more) ...
    • Resurrection Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • St. Boniface Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Boniface Cemetery
      • The St. Boniface Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Germantown Cemetery
      • Hanover Cemetery
    • Hoyt Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)

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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Aviston had a population of 381 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Aviston had a population of 2,156 people.

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

  • Trenton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Breese
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Saint Morgan
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Morgan is located in Madison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Morgan
  • Saint Rose
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Saint Rose is located in Clinton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Rose
  • Sebastopol
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Sebastopol is located in Madison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sebastopol
  • Germantown
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Summerfield
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • New Baden
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Damiansville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Damiansville is located in Clinton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Damiansville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 484 people
  • Highland
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Bartelso
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Jamestown
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jamestown is located in Clinton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • New Memphis
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Pierron
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Saint Jacob
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Aviston ...

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 126 newspapers that have been published in the area around Aviston.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Aviston, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Aviston.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Aviston:

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 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.
<3>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 Aviston, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Aviston) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.