RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Illinois >> Moultrie County >> Gays >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Illinois

The Commemorative Quarter for Illinois





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 Gays (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 Gays. 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 and hospitals 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.

Gays is located in Moultrie 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 Moultrie County: Coles, Douglas, Macon, Piatt & Shelby.

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

  • Moultrie County     (The home county of Gays)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Coles
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coles
      • Coles is located in Moultrie County
    • Allenville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • 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
    • Sullivan
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Cadwell
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cadwell
      • Cadwell is located in Moultrie County
    • Cushman
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cushman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushman
      • Cushman is located in Moultrie County
    • Dunn
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
      • Dunn is located in Moultrie County
    • Bethany
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bethany have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethany
      • Bethany is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,210 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bethany <2>
    • Lovington
      (19 miles [30.6 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>
    • Lake City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
      • Lake City is located in Moultrie County
    • Dalton City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Christian County
    • Assumption
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Assumption have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Assumption
      • Assumption is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,056 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Assumption <2>
  • Clark County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Westfield
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Oilfield
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oilfield
      • Oilfield is located in Clark County
    • Casey
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Cumberland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumberland
      • Cumberland is located in Clark County
  • Coles County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Magnet
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnet
      • Magnet is located in Coles County
    • Mattoon
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Cooks Mills
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Mills
      • Cooks Mills is located in Coles County
    • Trilla
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Dorans
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorans
      • Dorans is located in Coles County
    • Lerna
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • 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>
    • Humboldt
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Charleston
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Bushton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushton
      • Bushton is located in Coles County
    • Hutton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hutton
      • Hutton is located in Coles County
    • Rardin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rardin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rardin
      • Rardin is located in Coles County
    • Ashmore
      (25 miles [40.2 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>
  • Cumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Neoga
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • 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>
    • Johnstown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnstown
      • Johnstown is located in Cumberland County
    • Janesville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Toledo
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Diona
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diona
      • Diona is located in Cumberland County
    • Jewett
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Greenup
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Union Center
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Center
      • Union Center is located in Cumberland County
    • Walla Walla
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walla Walla have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walla Walla
      • Walla Walla is located in Cumberland County
    • Hazel Dell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Dell
      • Hazel Dell is located in Cumberland County
  • Douglas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Arthur
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arthur have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arthur
      • Arthur is located in Douglas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,192 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arthur <2>
    • Chesterville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesterville
      • Chesterville is located in Douglas County
    • Arcola
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Garrett
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garrett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrett
      • Garrett is located in Douglas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
    • Kemp
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kemp
      • Kemp is located in Douglas County
    • Ficklin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ficklin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ficklin
      • Ficklin is located in Douglas County
    • Hindsboro
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Chicken Bristle
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicken Bristle
      • Chicken Bristle is located in Douglas County
    • Tuscola
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tuscola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuscola
      • Tuscola is located in Douglas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,370 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tuscola <2>
    • Patterson Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson Springs
      • Patterson Springs is located in Douglas County
    • Camargo
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Hayes
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayes
      • Hayes is located in Douglas County
  • Edgar County
    • Kansas
      (30 miles [48.3 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>
  • Effingham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Shumway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shumway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumway
      • Shumway is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 192 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shumway <2>
    • Montrose
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • 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
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Effingham
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Beecher City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beecher City
      • Beecher City is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
    • Funkhouser
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funkhouser
      • Funkhouser is located in Effingham County
    • Moccasin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moccasin
      • Moccasin is located in Effingham County
    • Dexter
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dexter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
      • Dexter is located in Effingham County
    • Dieterich
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dieterich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dieterich
      • Dieterich is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 593 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dieterich <2>
    • Heartville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heartville
      • Heartville is located in Effingham County
    • Watson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Watson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
      • Watson is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 732 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Watson <2>
    • Altamont
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
      • Altamont is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,350 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Altamont <2>
  • Fayette County
    • Holliday
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holliday
      • Holliday is located in Fayette County
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Hidalgo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • 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>
    • Wheeler
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheeler have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler
      • Wheeler is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 146 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wheeler <2>
    • Rose Hill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill
      • Rose Hill is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
  • Macon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Hervey City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hervey City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hervey City
      • Hervey City is located in Macon County
    • Casner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casner
      • Casner is located in Macon County
    • Long Creek
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Creek
      • Long Creek is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,262 people
    • Mount Zion
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Zion have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Zion
      • Mount Zion is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,762 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Zion <2>
  • Piatt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Atwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atwood
      • Atwood is located in Piatt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,155 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Atwood <2>
    • Burrowsville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burrowsville
      • Burrowsville is located in Piatt County
    • Hammond
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hammond have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hammond
      • Hammond is located in Piatt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hammond <2>
    • Lintner
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lintner have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lintner
      • Lintner is located in Piatt County
    • La Place
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for La Place have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Place
      • La Place is located in Piatt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for La Place <2>
    • Voorhies
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Voorhies have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
      • Voorhies is located in Piatt County
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gays, with the one closest to Gays listed first.
    • Sexson Corner
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sexson Corner
      • Sexson Corner is located in Shelby County
    • Windsor
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Strasburg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • 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>
    • Findlay
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Stewardson
      (15 miles [24.1 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>
    • Sigel
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Shelbyville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Mode
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mode
      • Mode is located in Shelby County
    • Yantisville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yantisville
      • Yantisville is located in Shelby County
    • Lakewood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
      • Lakewood is located in Shelby County
    • Cowden
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cowden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowden
      • Cowden is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 573 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cowden <2>
    • Tower Hill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tower Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tower Hill
      • Tower Hill is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tower Hill <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Gays ...

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 119 newspapers that have been published in the area around Gays.

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

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 Gays:

Cemeteries Near Gays ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Gays.

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

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

  • Branch Side Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Branch Side Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Branch Side Cemetery
  • Ellis Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ellis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ellis Cemetery
  • Ellis Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ellis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ellis Cemetery
  • Templeton Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Templeton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Templeton Cemetery
  • Old Baptist Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Baptist Cemetery
  • Cochran Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cochran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cochran Cemetery
  • Ash Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ash Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ash Grove Cemetery
  • Zion Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Campground Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Old Lynn Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Lynn Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Lynn Creek Cemetery
  • Lynn Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lynn Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lynn Creek Cemetery
  • Whitfield Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whitfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whitfield Cemetery
  • Continue List   (407 more) ...
    • Hilligoss Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hilligoss Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hilligoss Cemetery
    • Windsor Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Windsor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Windsor Cemetery
    • Dry Grove Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dry Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dry Grove Cemetery

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Gays had a population of 99 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Gays had a population of 252 people.

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

  • Sexson Corner
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sexson Corner
    • Sexson Corner is located in Shelby County
  • Paradise
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paradise have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
    • Paradise is located in Coles County
  • Coles
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coles
    • Coles is located in Moultrie County
  • Etna
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Etna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etna
    • Etna is located in Coles County
  • Mattoon
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Bruce
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bruce have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruce
    • Bruce is located in Moultrie County
  • Allenville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Neoga
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • 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>
  • Trilla
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Cooks Mills
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Mills
    • Cooks Mills is located in Coles County
  • Strasburg
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • 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>
  • Trowbridge
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trowbridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trowbridge
    • Trowbridge is located in Shelby County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Kingman
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kingman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingman
      • Kingman is located in Shelby County
    • Lerna
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • 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>
    • Sullivan
      (11 miles [17.7 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 Gays. See our List of 1890's Communities around Gays.

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

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Gays) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Gays. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.4582, Longitude: -88.4963       In this case, the coordinates for Gays have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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>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 Gays, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024