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 Valier Patch (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 Valier Patch. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Valier Patch is located in Franklin 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 Franklin County: Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, Saline & Williamson.
Below are the counties that are near Valier Patch. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Valier Patch:
- Franklin County (The home county of Valier Patch)
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Valier
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Rend City
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Rend City is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rend City
- Coello
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- North City
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- North City is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 566 people
- Buckner
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Christopher
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Sesser
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- West City
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- West City is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 626 people
- Mulkeytown
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Benton
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Steel City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Steel City is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steel City
- Orient
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Hamilton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Macedonia
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Flint
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Flint is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flint
- Dahlgren
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Lovilla
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Lovilla is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovilla
- Diamond City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Diamond City is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diamond City
- Walpole
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Walpole is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walpole
- McLeansboro
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Piopolis
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Piopolis is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piopolis
- Dale
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Belle Prairie City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Belle Prairie City is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Prairie City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 50 people
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Dowell
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Elkville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Hallidayboro
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hallidayboro is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallidayboro
- De Soto
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Vergennes
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Oraville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Carbondale
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Murphysboro
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Ava
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Campbell Hill
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Makanda
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Jefferson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Emerson City
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Emerson City is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emerson City
- Fitzgerrell ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Fitzgerrell is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitzgerrell
- Nason
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Scheller
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Ina
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Ina is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ina
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,279 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ina <1>
- Dareville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Dareville is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dareville
- Waltonville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Bonnie
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Marcoe
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Marcoe is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marcoe
- Roaches
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Roaches is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roaches
- Woodlawn
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Opdyke
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Johnson County
- Eagle Point Bay
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Eagle Point Bay is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Point Bay
- Perry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Du Quoin
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Du Quoin is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Du Quoin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,591 people
- Saint Johns
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Saint Johns is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johns
- Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
- Sunfield
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Sunfield is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunfield
- Tamaroa
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Pyatts
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Pyatts is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pyatts
- Pinckneyville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Conant
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Conant is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conant
- Denmark
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Denmark is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denmark
- Winkle
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Winkle is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winkle
- Cutler
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Willisville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Saline County
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Cornerville
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Cornerville is located in Saline County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornerville
- Long Branch
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Long Branch is located in Saline County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Branch
- Galatia
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Raleigh
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Washington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Du Bois
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Du Bois is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Du Bois
- Population from the 2020 Census: 189 people
- Radom
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Ashley
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Posen
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Posen is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Posen
- Richview
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Nashville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Baldwin Heights
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Baldwin Heights is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baldwin Heights
- Irvington
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Oakdale
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Wayne County
- Keenes
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Williamson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Freeman Spur
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Freeman Spur is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman Spur
- Population from the 2020 Census: 276 people
- Freeman Spur has also been known as:
- Freeman Spur village
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Freeman Spur <1>
- Bush
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Bush is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bush
- Population from the 2020 Census: 263 people
- Stiritz
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Stiritz is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stiritz
- Herrin Junction ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Herrin Junction is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herrin Junction
- Hurst
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Blairsville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Blairsville is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blairsville
- Colp
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- 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
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Johnston City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Cambria
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Dewmaine
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Dewmaine is located in Williamson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewmaine
- Energy
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Valier Patch, see our County-by-County Page for Valier Patch.
Cemeteries Near Valier Patch ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Valier Patch.
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 Valier Patch - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Valier Patch covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Grammer Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Smith Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Knight Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Hickory Corners Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Browning Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Hammond Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Harrison Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Mitchell Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Youngblood Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Ward Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Naylor Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (476 more) ...
- Moser Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Bear Point Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 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.<3>
While we didn't find Valier Patch in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Valier Patch.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Valier Patch, with the one closest to Valier Patch listed first.
- Christopher
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Buckner
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Mulkeytown
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Benton
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Fitzgerrell ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Fitzgerrell is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitzgerrell
- Plumfield
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Plumfield is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plumfield
- Ewing
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Du Quoin
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Du Quoin is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Du Quoin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,591 people
- Frankfort
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Frankfort is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankfort
- Smothersville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Smothersville is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smothersville
- Sunfield
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Sunfield is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunfield
- Saint Johns
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Saint Johns is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johns
- Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Tamaroa
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Elkville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Parrish
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Parrish is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parrish
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Valier Patch. See our List of 1890's Communities around Valier Patch.
Newspapers Published in Valier Patch ...
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 52 newspapers that have been published in the area around Valier Patch.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Valier Patch, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Valier Patch.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Valier Patch:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Franklin County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Hamilton County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Johnson County
- Perry County
- Saline County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Williamson 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> | 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 Valier Patch, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Valier Patch) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |