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 Virginia (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 Virginia. 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 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.
Virginia is located in Cass County and is the County Seat.
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 Cass County: Brown, Mason, Menard, Morgan, Sangamon & Schuyler.
Below are the counties that are near Virginia. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Virginia:
- Cass County (The home county of Virginia)
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Jules
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Jules is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jules
- Burlingame
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Burlingame is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlingame
- Philadelphia
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Philadelphia is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
- Old Princeton
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Old Princeton is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Princeton
- Sylvan ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Sylvan is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan
- Chandlerville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bluff Springs
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Gurney ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Gurney is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gurney
- Arenzville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hagener
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Hagener is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hagener
- Ashland
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Newmansville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Newmansville is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newmansville
- Oak Grove
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Grove is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
- Brown County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Cooperstown
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Cooperstown is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooperstown
- Ripley
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Ripley is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ripley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 82 people
- Versailles
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Gilbirds
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Gilbirds is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbirds
- Hersman
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Hersman is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hersman
- Mount Sterling
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Fulton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Marbletown
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Marbletown is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marbletown
- Astoria
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Summum
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Summum is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summum
- Vermont
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Sepo
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Sepo is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sepo
- Ipava
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Lewistown
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Table Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Mason County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Snicarte
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Snicarte is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snicarte
- White City
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- White City is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
- Bath
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Kilbourne
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Long Branch
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Long Branch is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Branch
- Havana
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Poplar City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Easton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Teheran
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Teheran is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teheran
- Topeka
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Menard County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Tallula
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Oakford
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Petersburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Athens
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Greenview
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Morgan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Literberry
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Arcadia
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Arcadia is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcadia
- Prentice
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Prentice is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prentice
- Concord
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jacksonville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Arnold
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Arnold is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnold
- Chapin
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- South Jacksonville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- South Jacksonville is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Jacksonville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,075 people
- Morgan City ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Morgan City is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan City
- Alexander
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Lynnville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Lynnville is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynnville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 113 people
- Pisgah
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Pisgah is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pisgah
- Meredosia
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Pike County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Chambersburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Valley City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Valley City is located in Pike County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 14 people
- Florence
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Florence is located in Pike County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
- Population from the 2020 Census: 36 people
- Perry
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Sangamon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Pleasant Plains
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Berlin
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Berlin is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berlin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 173 people
- Salisbury
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Salisbury is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salisbury
- New Berlin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Pasfield
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Pasfield is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pasfield
- Maxwell ‑ Historic
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Maxwell is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxwell
- Curran
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Curran is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curran
- Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
- Loami
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Cantrall
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Leland Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Leland Grove is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leland Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,451 people
- Jerome
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Jerome is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerome
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,575 people
- Schuyler County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Frederick
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Bluff City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Bluff City is located in Schuyler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
- Browning
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Bader
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Bader is located in Schuyler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bader
- Rushville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Littleton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Scott County
- The following are listed by their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Exeter
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Exeter is located in Scott County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exeter
- Population from the 2020 Census: 60 people
- Bluffs
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Naples
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Oxville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Oxville is located in Scott County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxville
- Winchester
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Manchester
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Alsey
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Virginia, see our County-by-County Page for Virginia.
Cemeteries Near Virginia ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Virginia.
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 Virginia - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Virginia covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Walnut Ridge Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Levi Springer Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- John Robertson Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- James Davis Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- William Nisbet Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Bethlehem Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Beard Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Hopkins Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Allendale Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Cauby Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Powell Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Tureman Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Continue List (493 more) ...
- Clark Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Huffman Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Stephenson Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 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.<2>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Virginia had a population of 1,602 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Virginia had a population of 1,406 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Virginia, with the one closest to Virginia listed first.
- Jules
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Jules is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jules
- Burlingame
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Burlingame is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlingame
- Anderson
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Anderson is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
- Cass ‑ Historic
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Cass is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cass
- Little Indian
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Little Indian is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Indian
- Philadelphia
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Philadelphia is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
- Literberry
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Arcadia
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Arcadia is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcadia
- Sylvan ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Sylvan is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan
- Chandlerville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bluff Springs
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Jordanville ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Jordanville is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordanville
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Hagener
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Hagener is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hagener
- Arenzville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Gurney ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Gurney is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gurney
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Virginia. See our List of 1890's Communities around Virginia.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Virginia ...
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 221 newspapers that have been published in the area around Virginia.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Virginia. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Virginia and those printed in the larger area surrounding Virginia.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3> of Virginia.
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 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 Virginia:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Cass County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Brown County
- Fulton County
- Mason County
- Menard County
- Morgan County
- Pike County
- Sangamon County
- Schuyler 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 Virginia, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Virginia) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |