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 Saratoga (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 Saratoga. 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.
Saratoga is located in Union 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 Union County: Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Pulaski, Williamson, Cape Girardeau (MO) & Perry (MO).
Below are the counties that are near Saratoga. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Saratoga:
- Union County (The home county of Saratoga)
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Water Valley
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Water Valley is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Water Valley
- Lick Creek
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Lick Creek is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lick Creek
- Anna
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Cobden
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Mount Pleasant
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Mount Pleasant is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
- Jonesboro
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Alto Pass
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Dutch Mills
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Dutch Mills is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dutch Mills
- Dongola
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Mill Creek
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Mill Creek is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Creek
- Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
- Wolf Lake
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Reynoldsville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Reynoldsville is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynoldsville
- Alexander County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Elco
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Tamms
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- McClure
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Diswood
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Diswood is located in Alexander County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diswood
- East Cape Girardeau
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- East Cape Girardeau is located in Alexander County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Cape Girardeau
- Population from the 2020 Census: 268 people
- Hodges Park
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Hodges Park is located in Alexander County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hodges Park
- Unity
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Olive Branch
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Thebes
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Thebes is located in Alexander County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thebes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
- Cache
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Frog City ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Frog City is located in Alexander County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frog City
- Miller City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Franklin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Royalton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Plumfield
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Plumfield is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plumfield
- Zeigler
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Cambon
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Cambon is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambon
- Orient
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- West Frankfort
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- West Frankfort is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Frankfort
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,733 people
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Makanda
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Pomona
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Carbondale
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Grand Tower
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Murphysboro
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- De Soto
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Gorham
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Hallidayboro
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Hallidayboro is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallidayboro
- Jacob
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Oraville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Elkville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Vergennes
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Johnson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Buncombe
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Goreville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Deer Ridge
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Deer Ridge is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Ridge
- Cypress
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Eagle Point Bay
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Eagle Point Bay is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Point Bay
- Egyptian Hills
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Egyptian Hills is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egyptian Hills
- Vienna
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Belknap
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Bender ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Bender is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bender
- Reynoldsburg
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Reynoldsburg is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynoldsburg
- New Burnside
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Ozark
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Massac County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- New Columbia
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- New Columbia is located in Massac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Columbia
- Joppa
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Big Bay
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Big Bay is located in Massac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Bay
- Pope County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- McCormick
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- McCormick is located in Pope County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCormick
- Glendale
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Glendale is located in Pope County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendale
- Dixon Springs
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Dixon Springs is located in Pope County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixon Springs
- Rock
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Rock is located in Pope County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock
- Pulaski County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Perks
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Ullin
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Karnak
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Grand Chain
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- New Grand Chain
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- New Grand Chain is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Grand Chain
- Population from the 2020 Census: 178 people
- Pulaski
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Olmsted
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Villa Ridge
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Villa Ridge is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa Ridge
- Mounds
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Mounds is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mounds
- Population from the 2020 Census: 666 people
- Mound City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Saline County
- Stonefort
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Williamson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Lake Crest
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Lake Crest is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Crest
- Carterville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Crainville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Crainville is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crainville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,419 people
- Cambria
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Dewmaine
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Dewmaine is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewmaine
- Energy
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Creal Springs
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Marion
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Blairsville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Blairsville is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blairsville
- Colp
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Colp is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colp
- Population from the 2020 Census: 208 people
- Former name for Colp:
- Colpville
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colp <1>
- Herrin
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Spillertown
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Spillertown is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spillertown
- Population from the 2020 Census: 197 people
- Ballard County (KY)
- Bandana
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Bandana is located in Ballard County (KY)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bandana
- McCracken County (KY)
- Ragland
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Ragland is located in McCracken County (KY)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ragland
- Cape Girardeau County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Leemon
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Leemon is located in Cape Girardeau County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leemon
- Cape Girardeau
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Pocahontas
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Shawneetown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Shawneetown is located in Cape Girardeau County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shawneetown
- Jackson
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Jackson is located in Cape Girardeau County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 14,699 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jackson <1>
- Perry County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Altenburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Frohna
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Frohna is located in Perry County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frohna
- Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
- Brazeau
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Brazeau is located in Perry County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brazeau
- Scott County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Commerce
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Scott City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Kelso
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Saratoga, see our County-by-County Page for Saratoga.
Cemeteries Near Saratoga ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Saratoga.
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 Saratoga - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Saratoga covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Sitter Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Saratoga Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Williams Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Kelley Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Karaker Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Trinity Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Wall Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Keller Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Hall Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Treece Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Rich Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- McGinnis Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (461 more) ...
- Goddard Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Lockard Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Walker Cemetery
(5 miles [8 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.<2>
While we didn't find Saratoga in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Saratoga.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Saratoga, with the one closest to Saratoga listed first.
- Lick Creek
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Lick Creek is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lick Creek
- Anna
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Cobden
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Mount Pleasant
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Mount Pleasant is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
- Jonesboro
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Balcom
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Balcom is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balcom
- Elvira
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Elvira is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elvira
- Mountain Glen
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Mountain Glen is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Glen
- Makanda
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Moscow
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Moscow is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscow
- Alto Pass
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Dongola
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Buncombe
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Goreville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Springville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Springville is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springville
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Saratoga. See our List of 1890's Communities around Saratoga.
Newspapers Published in Saratoga ...
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 106 newspapers that have been published in the area around Saratoga.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Saratoga, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Saratoga.
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 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 Saratoga:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Union County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Alexander County
- Franklin County
- Jackson County
- Johnson County
- Massac County
- Pope County
- Pulaski County
- Saline County
- Williamson County
- Ballard County
- McCracken County
- Cape Girardeau County
- Perry County
- Scott 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> | 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 Saratoga, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <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- Saratoga) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |