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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 Charleston (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 Charleston. 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.

Charleston is located in Coles County and is the County Seat.

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 Coles County: Clark, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie & Shelby.

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

  • Coles County     (The home county of Charleston)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Bushton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Hutton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Lerna
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lerna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lerna
      • Lerna is located in Coles County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 274 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lerna <2>
    • Ashmore
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashmore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashmore
      • Ashmore is located in Coles County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 740 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ashmore <2>
    • Rardin
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rardin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rardin
      • Rardin is located in Coles County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rardin
      • From Charleston to Rardin
    • Saint Omer ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Omer came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Omer
      • Saint Omer is located in Coles County
    • Dorans
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Mattoon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Humboldt
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Trilla
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Magnet
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Cooks Mills
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Champaign County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Longview
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Longview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longview
      • Longview is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 146 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Longview <2>
    • Broadlands
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Broadlands have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broadlands
      • Broadlands is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Broadlands <2>
    • Pesotum
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Clark County
  • Crawford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Bellair
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Annapolis
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Annapolis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Annapolis
      • Annapolis is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Annapolis <2>
  • Cumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Diona
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Janesville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Janesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Janesville
      • Janesville is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Janesville <2>
    • Johnstown
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Bradbury
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bradbury. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradbury
      • Bradbury is located in Cumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bradbury
      • From Charleston to Bradbury
    • Union Center
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Timothy
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Timothy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timothy
      • Timothy is located in Cumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Timothy
      • From Charleston to Timothy
    • Toledo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toledo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toledo
      • Toledo is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,185 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toledo <2>
    • Greenup
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Neoga
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neoga have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neoga
      • Neoga is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,585 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neoga <2>
    • Jewett
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jewett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jewett
      • Jewett is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 219 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jewett <2>
    • Walla Walla
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Hazel Dell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
  • Douglas County
  • Edgar County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Kansas
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kansas have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kansas
      • Kansas is located in Edgar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 707 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kansas <2>
    • Borton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Grandview
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Brocton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Redmon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Redmon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redmon
      • Redmon is located in Edgar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 157 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Redmon <2>
    • Conlogue
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Conlogue. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conlogue
      • Conlogue is located in Edgar County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Conlogue
      • From Charleston to Conlogue
    • Bell Ridge
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Oliver
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oliver. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oliver
      • Oliver is located in Edgar County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Oliver
      • From Charleston to Oliver
    • Paris
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paris have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paris
      • Paris is located in Edgar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,144 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Paris <2>
    • Hume
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hume have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hume
      • Hume is located in Edgar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hume <2>
    • Nevins
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Nevins. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nevins
      • Nevins is located in Edgar County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Nevins
      • From Charleston to Nevins
    • Metcalf
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Metcalf have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metcalf
      • Metcalf is located in Edgar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Metcalf <2>
  • Effingham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Montrose
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montrose have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose
      • Montrose is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Teutopolis
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Hidalgo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hidalgo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hidalgo
      • Hidalgo is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hidalgo <2>
    • Rose Hill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rose Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill
      • Rose Hill is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rose Hill
      • From Charleston to Rose Hill
    • Yale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yale
      • Yale is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yale <2>
    • Falmouth
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Hunt City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Moultrie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Coles
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Gays
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gays have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gays
      • Gays is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gays <2>
    • Allenville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
      • Allenville is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
    • Cadwell
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Sullivan
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Cushman
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cushman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushman
      • Cushman is located in Moultrie County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cushman
      • From Charleston to Cushman
    • Lovington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lovington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovington
      • Lovington is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,010 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lovington <2>
    • Dunn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dunn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
      • Dunn is located in Moultrie County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dunn
      • From Charleston to Dunn
  • Piatt County
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Charleston, with the one closest to Charleston listed first.
    • Sexson Corner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Trowbridge
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Windsor
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Sigel
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Strasburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strasburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strasburg
      • Strasburg is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 435 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Strasburg <2>
    • Stewardson
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stewardson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewardson
      • Stewardson is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 718 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stewardson <2>
    • Middlesworth
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Findlay
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Charleston ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Charleston.

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

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

  • Chambers Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chambers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chambers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Charleston Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Charleston Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Charleston Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Adkins Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Adkins Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Adkins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Yocum Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Yocum Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Yocum Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Roselawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roselawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roselawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Unity Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Unity Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Unity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kickapoo Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kickapoo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kickapoo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kelley Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kelley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kelley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Huckabee Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Lumbrick Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lumbrick Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lumbrick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cossell Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Mound Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mound Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mound Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (380 more) ...
    • Stoner Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stoner Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stoner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • New Kelley Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Kelley Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Kelley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • McKenzie Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McKenzie Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McKenzie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<7>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Charleston had a population of 4,135 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Charleston had a population of 20,034 people.

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

  • Loxa
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loxa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loxa
    • Loxa is located in Coles County
  • Campbell
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Campbell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell
    • Campbell is located in Coles County
  • Lerna
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lerna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lerna
    • Lerna is located in Coles County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 274 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lerna <2>
  • Diona
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Hutton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Bushton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Janesville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Janesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Janesville
    • Janesville is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Janesville <2>
  • Ashmore
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashmore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashmore
    • Ashmore is located in Coles County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 740 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ashmore <2>
  • Westfield
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Rardin
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rardin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rardin
    • Rardin is located in Coles County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Rardin
    • From Charleston to Rardin
  • Johnstown
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Mattoon
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Charleston ...

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 69 newspapers that have been published in the area around Charleston.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Charleston. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Charleston and those printed in the larger area surrounding Charleston.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<5> of Charleston.

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 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 Charleston:

The official website for Charleston: www.charlestonillinois.org/

The official website for Coles County: www.co.coles.il.us/

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>If we found a location and have questions about the accuracy of our information, we will simply say that the marker is 'in the vicinity'. We are not confident about the location and the position of our marker is only a rough guide. If we have too many doubts about the location, we will not include it in our database.
<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 drawn from Point A (ie- Charleston) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Charleston. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.4843, Longitude: -88.1770    
<6>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.
<7>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 Charleston, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 13 Jul 2025