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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 Shoo Fly (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 Shoo Fly. 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.

Shoo Fly is located in McDonough 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 McDonough County: Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Schuyler & Warren.

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

  • McDonough County     (The home county of Shoo Fly)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Adair
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • New Philadelphia
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • New Philadelphia is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Philadelphia
    • Bardolph
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Bushnell
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Industry
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • East Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • East Village is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Village
    • Macomb
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Macomb is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macomb
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,206 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Macomb <1>
    • University Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • University Village is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for University Village
    • Lamone Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Lamone Village is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamone Village
    • Doddsville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Doddsville is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doddsville
    • Prairie City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Prairie City is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 344 people
    • Good Hope
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Colchester
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Brown County
    • Ripley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Ripley is located in Brown County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ripley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 82 people
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Beardstown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Oak Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Oak Grove is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
    • Bluff Springs
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Chandlerville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Fulton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Table Grove
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Marietta
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Vermont
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Ipava
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Checkrow
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Checkrow is located in Fulton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Checkrow
    • Smithfield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Babylon
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Babylon is located in Fulton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Babylon
    • Blyton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Blyton is located in Fulton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blyton
    • Astoria
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Summum
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Summum is located in Fulton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summum
    • Cuba
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Cuba is located in Fulton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuba
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,149 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cuba <1>
    • Lewistown
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Avon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Hancock County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Joetta
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Joetta is located in Hancock County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joetta
    • Plymouth
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Fountain Green
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Fountain Green is located in Hancock County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fountain Green
    • Augusta
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • La Harpe
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • La Harpe is located in Hancock County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Harpe
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,123 people
  • Henderson County
    • Raritan
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Raritan is located in Henderson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raritan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
  • Knox County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Saint Augustine
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Abingdon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • De Long
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • De Long is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Long
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Havana
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Bath
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Snicarte
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Snicarte is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snicarte
    • Buzzville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Buzzville is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buzzville
    • Long Branch
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Long Branch is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Branch
    • Goofy Ridge
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Goofy Ridge is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goofy Ridge
    • White City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • White City is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
    • Topeka
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Poplar City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Kilbourne
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Schuyler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Littleton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Bader
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Bader is located in Schuyler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bader
    • Wayland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Wayland is located in Schuyler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wayland
    • Browning
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Rushville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Bluff City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Bluff City is located in Schuyler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
    • Camden
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Frederick
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Huntsville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Warren County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shoo Fly, with the one closest to Shoo Fly listed first.
    • Youngstown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Youngstown is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Youngstown
    • Roseville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Berwick
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Smithshire
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Shoo Fly ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shoo Fly.

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 Shoo Fly - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Barker Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Clark - Evans - Woods Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clark - Evans - Woods Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Clark - Evans - Woods Cemetery is located less than 2 miles<2> to the north of Adair.
  • Harris Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Pennington Point Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Foster Point Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Laurel Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Temple Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Moore Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Mound Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mound Cemetery
    • The Mound Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Mound Chapel Cemetery
  • Bailey Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Pt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Miles Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (409 more) ...
    • Zoll Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Mound Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Craig Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)

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>

While we didn't find Shoo Fly in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Shoo Fly.

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

  • Adair
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Pennington Point
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Pennington Point is located in McDonough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pennington Point
  • Table Grove
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • New Philadelphia
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • New Philadelphia is located in McDonough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Philadelphia
  • Marietta
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Bardolph
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Vermont
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Bernadotte ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Bernadotte is located in Fulton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bernadotte
  • Seville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Seville is located in Fulton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seville
  • Industry
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Ipava
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Bushnell
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Smithfield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Scottsburg
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Scottsburg is located in McDonough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scottsburg
    • Manley
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Manley is located in Fulton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manley

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

Newspapers Published in Shoo Fly ...

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 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shoo Fly.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shoo Fly, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Shoo Fly.

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 Shoo Fly:

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>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- Shoo Fly) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<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 Shoo Fly, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.