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 Paradise (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 Paradise. 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.
Paradise is located in Coles 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 Coles County: Clark, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie & Shelby.
Below are the counties that are near Paradise. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Paradise:
- Coles County (The home county of Paradise)
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Magnet
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Magnet is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnet
- Trilla
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Mattoon
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Lerna
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Dorans
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Dorans is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorans
- Cooks Mills
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Cooks Mills is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Mills
- Charleston
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Humboldt
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Hutton
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Hutton is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hutton
- Bushton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Bushton is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushton
- Rardin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Rardin is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rardin
- Ashmore
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Clark County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Westfield
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Oilfield
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Oilfield is located in Clark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oilfield
- Casey
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Cumberland
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Cumberland is located in Clark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumberland
- Cleone
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Cleone is located in Clark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleone
- Oak Point
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Oak Point is located in Clark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Point
- Martinsville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Cumberland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Neoga
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Johnstown
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Johnstown is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnstown
- Janesville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Bradbury
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Bradbury is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradbury
- Toledo
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Diona
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Diona is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diona
- Jewett
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Timothy
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Timothy is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timothy
- Greenup
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Union Center
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Union Center is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Center
- Walla Walla
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Walla Walla is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walla Walla
- Hazel Dell
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Hazel Dell is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Dell
- Douglas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Arcola
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Chesterville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Chesterville is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesterville
- Arthur
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Filson
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Filson is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Filson
- Kemp
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Kemp is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kemp
- Hindsboro
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Garrett
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Garrett is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrett
- Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
- Ficklin
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Ficklin is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ficklin
- Tuscola
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Chicken Bristle
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Chicken Bristle is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicken Bristle
- Patterson Springs
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Patterson Springs is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson Springs
- Camargo
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Edgar County
- Kansas
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Effingham County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Green Creek
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Green Creek is located in Effingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Creek
- Montrose
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Montrose is located in Effingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose
- Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
- Teutopolis
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Shumway
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Effingham
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Funkhouser
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Funkhouser is located in Effingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funkhouser
- Dieterich
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Beecher City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Beecher City is located in Effingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beecher City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
- Moccasin
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Moccasin is located in Effingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moccasin
- Heartville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Heartville is located in Effingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heartville
- Dexter
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Dexter is located in Effingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
- Watson
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Fayette County
- Holliday
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Holliday is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holliday
- Jasper County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Hidalgo
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Wheeler
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Rose Hill
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Rose Hill is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
- Lis
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Lis is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lis
- Falmouth
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Falmouth is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth
- Yale
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Moultrie County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Gays
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Coles
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Coles is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coles
- Allenville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Allenville is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
- Sullivan
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Cadwell
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Cadwell is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cadwell
- Cushman
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Cushman is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushman
- Dunn
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Dunn is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
- Bethany
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Lovington
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Dalton City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Lake City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Lake City is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
- Piatt County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Atwood
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Hammond
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Burrowsville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Burrowsville is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burrowsville
- Lintner
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Lintner is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lintner
- La Place
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Shelby County
- The following are listed by their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Sexson Corner
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Sexson Corner is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sexson Corner
- Trowbridge
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Trowbridge is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trowbridge
- Windsor
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Strasburg
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Sigel
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Stewardson
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Middlesworth
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Middlesworth is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlesworth
- Findlay
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Mode
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Mode is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mode
- Shelbyville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Fancher
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Fancher is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fancher
- Cowden
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Paradise, see our County-by-County Page for Paradise.
Cemeteries Near Paradise ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Paradise.
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 Paradise - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Paradise covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Zion Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Campground Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campground Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Campground Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 4 miles [6.4 km]<3> to the southwest of Mattoon.
- The Campground Cemetery has also been known as:
- Old Sawyer Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1140184 <2>
- Old Baptist Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Dry Grove Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Zion Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Concord Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Lockhart Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Neoga Railroad Crossing Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Illinois Central Railroad Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Branch Side Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Ellis Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Templeton Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Continue List (429 more) ...
- Gaskill Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bales Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Ellis 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.<4>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Paradise had a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Paradise, with the one closest to Paradise listed first.
- Etna
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Etna is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etna
- Sexson Corner
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Sexson Corner is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sexson Corner
- Gays
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Trilla
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Neoga
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Mattoon
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Coles
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Coles is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coles
- Lerna
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Trowbridge
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Trowbridge is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trowbridge
- Johnstown
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Johnstown is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnstown
- Strasburg
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Kingman
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Kingman is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingman
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Janesville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Loxa
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Loxa is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loxa
- Bradbury
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Bradbury is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradbury
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Paradise. See our List of 1890's Communities around Paradise.
Newspapers Published in Paradise ...
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 197 newspapers that have been published in the area around Paradise.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Paradise, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Paradise.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Paradise:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Coles County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Clark County
- Cumberland County
- Douglas County
- Edgar County
- Effingham County
- Fayette County
- Jasper County
- Moultrie County
- Piatt County
- Shelby County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Illinois
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> | 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- Paradise) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Paradise, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |