Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Pigeon. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Pigeon to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Pigeon, please Contact Us.
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 Pigeon (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 Pigeon. 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 northeast 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 north.
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 north 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.
Although our information shows that the community of Pigeon is historic, it would have been located within present day Jefferson 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 Jefferson County: Franklin, Hamilton, Marion, Perry, Washington & Wayne.
Below are the counties that are near Pigeon. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Pigeon:
- Jefferson County (The home county of Pigeon)
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Bluford
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Markham City
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Markham City is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Markham City
- Shields
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Shields is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shields
- Marlow
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Marlow is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlow
- Summersville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Summersville is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summersville
- Texico
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Opdyke
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Mount Vernon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Idlewood
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Idlewood is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Idlewood
- Dix
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Belle Rive
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Marcoe
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Marcoe is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marcoe
- Bonnie
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Clay County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Xenia
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Kenner
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Kenner is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kenner
- Flora
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Camp Travis
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Camp Travis is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Travis
- Clay City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Louisville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Clinton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Centralia
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Hoffman
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Fayette County
- Farina
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Franklin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Frisco
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Frisco is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frisco
- Taylor Hill
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Taylor Hill is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylor Hill
- Ewing
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Whittington
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Sesser
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Benton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Akin
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Steel City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Steel City is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steel City
- Rend City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Rend City is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rend City
- West City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- West City is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 626 people
- Hanaford
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Hanaford is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanaford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 316 people
- Smothersville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Smothersville is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smothersville
- Valier
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Hamilton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Dahlgren
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Belle Prairie City
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Belle Prairie City is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Prairie City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 50 people
- Lovilla
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Lovilla is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovilla
- Piopolis
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Piopolis is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piopolis
- Flint
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Flint is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flint
- Macedonia
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Diamond City
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Diamond City is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diamond City
- Jefferson City ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Jefferson City is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson City
- Bungay
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Bungay is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bungay
- McLeansboro
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Marion County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Hickory Hill
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Hickory Hill is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Hill
- Union Town
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Union Town is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Town
- Kell
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Cartter
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Cartter is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cartter
- Iuka
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Bannister
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Bannister is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bannister
- Walnut Hill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Salem
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Omega
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Omega is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omega
- Central City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Central City is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,107 people
- Odin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Junction City
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Junction City is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 468 people
- Alma
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Washington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Baldwin Heights
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Baldwin Heights is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baldwin Heights
- Irvington
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Richview
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Wamac
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Wamac is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wamac
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,117 people
- Ashley
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Radom
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Du Bois
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Du Bois is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Du Bois
- Population from the 2020 Census: 189 people
- Hoyleton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Wayne County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Keenes
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Wayne City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Sims
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Johnsonville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Boyleston
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Boyleston is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyleston
- Geff
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Jeffersonville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Jeffersonville is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeffersonville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 350 people
- Cisne
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Rinard
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Fairfield
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Barnhill
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Enterprise
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Enterprise is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enterprise
- Golden Gate
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- White County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Mill Shoals
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Springerton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Burnt Prairie
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Enfield
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Pigeon, see our County-by-County Page for Pigeon.
Cemeteries Near Pigeon ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pigeon.
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 Pigeon - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Pigeon covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Oak Dale Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Mt. Zion Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Clark Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Harmony Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- East Hickory Hill MB Church Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Mifflin Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Greenwalt Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Falley Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Atkinson Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Newton Farm Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Garrison Temple Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Lowery Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (429 more) ...
- McConnaughhay Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Wells Chapel Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- East Salem Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
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.
Pigeon itself is historic and was described in the Rand McNally Atlas as having a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Pigeon, with the one closest to Pigeon listed first.
- Bluford
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Marlow
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Marlow is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlow
- Divide
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Divide is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Divide
- Keenes
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Hickory Hill
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Hickory Hill is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Hill
- Mount Vernon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Opdyke
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Wayne City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Orchardville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Orchardville is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchardville
- Idlewood
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Idlewood is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Idlewood
- Foxville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Foxville is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foxville
- Dix
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Belle Rive
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Sims
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Drivers
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Drivers is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drivers
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Pigeon. See our List of 1890's Communities around Pigeon.
Newspapers Published in Pigeon ...
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 95 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pigeon.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pigeon, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pigeon.
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 Pigeon:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Jefferson County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Clay County
- Clinton County
- Fayette County
- Franklin County
- Hamilton County
- Marion County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- White County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Illinois
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 Pigeon, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Pigeon) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |