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 Improve (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 Improve. 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/Parishes ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties/parishes.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast 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 north.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties/parishes 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/parishes, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Improve is located in Marion County.
To see how the shape of Mississippi's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Marion County: Washington (LA), Jefferson, Lamar, Lawrence, Pearl River & Walthall.
Below are the counties/parishes that are near Improve. For each of these counties/parishes, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Improve:
- Marion County (The home county of Improve)
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Columbia
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Expose
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Expose is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Expose
- Goss
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Goss is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goss
- Pinebur
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Pinebur is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinebur
- Kokomo
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Twin
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Twin is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin
- Covington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Sanford
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Sanford is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanford
- Lux
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Lux is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lux
- Williamsburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Williamsburg is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
- Seminary
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Collins
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Kola
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Kola is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kola
- Arbo
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Arbo is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arbo
- Mount Olive
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Mount Olive is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Olive
- Population from the 2020 Census: 896 people
- Forrest County
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Hattiesburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Petal
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Jefferson Davis County
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Melba
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Melba is located in Jefferson Davis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melba
- Bassfield
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Bassfield is located in Jefferson Davis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassfield
- Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
- Oak Vale
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Vale is located in Jefferson Davis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Vale
- Prentiss
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lamar County
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Sumrall
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- West Hattiesburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- West Hattiesburg is located in Lamar County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Hattiesburg
- Purvis
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Wells Town
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Wells Town is located in Lamar County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells Town
- Lumberton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Lawrence County
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Tilton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Tilton is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilton
- Arm
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Arm is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arm
- Silver Creek
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Hooker
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hooker is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hooker
- Monticello
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Grange ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Grange is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grange
- Simpson County
- Jaynesville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Jaynesville is located in Simpson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jaynesville
- Walthall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Sartinville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Sartinville is located in Walthall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sartinville
- Tylertown
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Washington Parish (LA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Angie
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Angie is located in Washington Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Angie
- Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Angie <1>
- Popeville ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Popeville is located in Washington Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Popeville
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Improve, see our County-by-County Page for Improve.
Cemeteries Near Improve ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Improve.
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 Improve - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Improve covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Rose Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Watts Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Stringer Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Improve Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Hopewell Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Mt. Gilead Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Raybourn Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Old Rocky Branch Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Watts Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- St. Marys Catholic Church Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Marys Catholic Church Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Marys Catholic Church Cemetery is located 9 miles [14.5 km]<2> to the northeast of Columbia.
- The St. Marys Catholic Church Cemetery has also been known as:
- Sylvest Family Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2316202 <3>
- Stringer Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Singley Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (518 more) ...
- Broom Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Tolar Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Buchanan Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
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.<4>
While we didn't find Improve in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Improve.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Improve, with the one closest to Improve listed first.
- Columbia
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Goss
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Goss is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goss
- Pickwick
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Pickwick is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pickwick
- Oak Vale
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Vale is located in Jefferson Davis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Vale
- Spring Cottage
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Spring Cottage is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Cottage
- Williamsburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Williamsburg is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
- Tilton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Tilton is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilton
- Moscos
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Moscos is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscos
- Ora
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Ora is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ora
- Hattiesburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Eastabuchie
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Eastabuchie is located in Forrest County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastabuchie
- Silver Creek
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (6 more) ...
- Moselle
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Moselle is located in Jones County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moselle
- Mount Olive
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Mount Olive is located in Covington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Olive
- Population from the 2020 Census: 896 people
- Hooker
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hooker is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hooker
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Improve. See our List of 1890's Communities around Improve.
Newspapers Published in Improve ...
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 13 newspapers that have been published in the area around Improve.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Improve, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Improve.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Improve:
- Websites specific to Mississippi
- Pages specific to Marion County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Covington County
- Forrest County
- Jefferson Davis County
- Lamar County
- Lawrence County
- Simpson County
- Walthall County
- Washington Parish
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Mississippi
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- Improve) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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 Improve, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |