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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 Shumway (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 Shumway. 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 and 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.

Shumway is located in Effingham 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 Effingham County: Clay, Cumberland, Fayette, Jasper & Shelby.

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

  • Effingham County     (The home county of Shumway)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Green Creek
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Green Creek is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Creek
    • Funkhouser
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Funkhouser is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funkhouser
    • Moccasin
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Moccasin is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moccasin
    • Dexter
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Dexter is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
    • Effingham
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Beecher City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Beecher City is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beecher City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
    • Teutopolis
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Heartville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Heartville is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heartville
    • Altamont
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Watson
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Gilmore
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Gilmore is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilmore
    • Montrose
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Montrose is located in Effingham County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Mason
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • 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>
  • Christian County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Pana
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Pana is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pana
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,327 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pana <1>
    • Rosamond
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Iola
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Louisville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Ingraham
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Coles County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Trilla
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Magnet
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Magnet is located in Coles County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnet
    • Lerna
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Mattoon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Cooks Mills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Cooks Mills is located in Coles County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Mills
    • Dorans
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Dorans is located in Coles County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorans
  • Cumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Neoga
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Neoga is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neoga
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,585 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neoga <1>
    • Jewett
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Toledo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Toledo is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toledo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,185 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toledo <1>
    • Bradbury
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Bradbury is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradbury
    • Johnstown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Johnstown is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnstown
    • Walla Walla
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Walla Walla is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walla Walla
    • Janesville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Greenup
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Timothy
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Timothy is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timothy
    • Diona
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Diona is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diona
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Holliday
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Holliday is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holliday
    • Howards Point ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Howards Point is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howards Point
    • Saint Elmo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Avena
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Avena is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avena
    • Brownstown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • La Clede
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • La Clede is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Clede
    • Dressor
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Dressor is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dressor
    • Loogootee
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Peter
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Ramsey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Farina
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Bluff City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Bluff City is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
    • Bayle City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Bayle City is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayle City
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Wheeler
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Lis
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Lis is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lis
    • Hidalgo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Rose Hill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Rose Hill is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
    • Falmouth
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Falmouth is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth
    • Bogota
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Bogota is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bogota
    • Newton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Marion County
    • Kinmundy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Moultrie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Gays
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Gays is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gays
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gays <1>
    • Coles
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Coles is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coles
    • Allenville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Allenville is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
    • Sullivan
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Dunn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Dunn is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shumway, with the one closest to Shumway listed first.
    • Stewardson
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Mode
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Mode is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mode
    • Sigel
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Fancher
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Fancher is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fancher
    • Strasburg
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Trowbridge
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Trowbridge is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trowbridge
    • Cowden
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Sexson Corner
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Sexson Corner is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sexson Corner
    • Middlesworth
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Middlesworth is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlesworth
    • Lakewood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Lakewood is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
    • Shelbyville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Herrick
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Windsor
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Shumway ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shumway.

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

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

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

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 Shumway had a population of 225 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Shumway had a population of 192 people.

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

  • Blue Point
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Blue Point is located in Effingham County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Point
  • Stewardson
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Moccasin
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Moccasin is located in Effingham County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moccasin
  • Funkhouser
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Funkhouser is located in Effingham County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funkhouser
  • Dexter
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Dexter is located in Effingham County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
  • Effingham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Mode
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Mode is located in Shelby County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mode
  • Beecher City
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Beecher City is located in Effingham County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beecher City
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
  • Sigel
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Herborn
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Herborn is located in Shelby County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herborn
  • Fancher
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Fancher is located in Shelby County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fancher
  • Kingman
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Kingman is located in Shelby County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingman
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Holliday
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Holliday is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holliday
    • Altamont
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Teutopolis
      (10 miles [16.1 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 Shumway. See our List of 1890's Communities around Shumway.

Newspapers Published in Shumway ...

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 69 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shumway.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shumway, 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 Shumway.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with 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 Shumway:

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