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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Shobonier (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 Shobonier. 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 hospitals 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.

Shobonier is located in Fayette 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 Fayette County: Bond, Clay, Clinton, Effingham, Marion, Montgomery & Shelby.

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

  • Fayette County     (The home county of Shobonier)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Bluff City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Bluff City is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
    • Hagarstown
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Paul
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Saint Paul is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Paul
    • Vandalia
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Brownstown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Loogootee
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Saint Peter
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Avena
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Avena is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avena
    • Howards Point ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Howards Point is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howards Point
    • Saint Elmo
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Farina
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Bayle City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Bayle City is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayle City
    • Bingham
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Bond County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Mulberry Grove
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Pleasant Mound
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Pleasant Mound is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Mound
    • Smithboro
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Greenville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Reno
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Reno is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reno
    • Pocahontas
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Old Ripley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Old Ripley is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Ripley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
    • Sorento
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Pierron
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Iola
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Xenia
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Clinton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Keyesport
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Boulder
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Boulder is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder
    • Marydale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Marydale is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marydale
    • Huey
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Huey is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 161 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Huey <1>
    • Carlyle
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Centralia
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Hoffman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Beckemeyer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Posey
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Posey is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Posey
    • Saint Rose
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Saint Rose is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Rose
    • Breese
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Bartelso
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Effingham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Gilmore
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Gilmore is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilmore
    • Altamont
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Edgewood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Mason
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Mason is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 333 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mason <1>
    • Dexter
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Dexter is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
    • Moccasin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Moccasin is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moccasin
    • Beecher City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Beecher City is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beecher City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
    • Watson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Funkhouser
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Funkhouser is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funkhouser
  • Jefferson County
    • Dix
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Dix is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dix
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 428 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dix <1>
  • Madison County
    • Sebastopol
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Sebastopol is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sebastopol
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Vernon
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Patoka
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Fairman
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Fairman is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairman
    • Alma
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Kinmundy
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Odin
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Odin is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,004 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Odin <1>
    • Sandoval
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Salem
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Junction City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Junction City is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 468 people
    • Omega
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Omega is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omega
    • Bannister
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Bannister is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bannister
    • Central City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Central City is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,107 people
    • Iuka
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Fillmore
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Chapman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Chapman is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapman
    • Coffeen
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Donnellson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Panama
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Irving
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Schram City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Schram City is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schram City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 542 people
    • Taylor Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Hillsboro
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Coalton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Coalton is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 282 people
    • Witt
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Witt is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Witt
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 833 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Witt <1>
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Herrick
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Oconee
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Cowden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shobonier, with the one closest to Shobonier listed first.
    • Wamac
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Wamac is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wamac
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,117 people
    • Baldwin Heights
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Baldwin Heights is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baldwin Heights
    • Hoyleton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Irvington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Shobonier ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shobonier.

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 Shobonier - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Shobonier covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Farmer Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • McConnell Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Heckethorn Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Britton Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Thorp Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Tillman Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Lee Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Hatch Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Crowder Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Augsburg Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Pinhook Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Evans Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (440 more) ...
    • Seminary Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Meador Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Holt Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)

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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Shobonier had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Vernon
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Hagarstown
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Pittsburg
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Pittsburg is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsburg
  • Patoka
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Lester
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Lester is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
  • Saint Paul
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Saint Paul is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Paul
  • Wilberton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Wilberton is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilberton
  • Vandalia
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Mulberry Grove
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Pleasant Mound
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Pleasant Mound is located in Bond County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Mound
  • Brownstown
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Vera
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Vera is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vera
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Hookdale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Hookdale is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hookdale
    • Tamalco
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Tamalco is located in Bond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tamalco
    • Loogootee
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Shobonier ...

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 140 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shobonier.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shobonier, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Shobonier.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Shobonier:

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>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 Shobonier, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Shobonier) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.