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 Vernal (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 Vernal. 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.
Vernal is located in Greene 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 Greene County: Mobile (AL), Washington (AL), George, Perry & Wayne.
Below are the counties that are near Vernal. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Vernal:
- Greene County (The home county of Vernal)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- Hillman
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Hillman is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillman
- Leakesville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Brown Town
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Brown Town is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brown Town
- McLain
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- McLain is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McLain
- Population from the 2020 Census: 430 people
- Clark
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Clark is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clark
- Avera
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Avera is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avera
- Bothwell
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Bothwell is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bothwell
- Carson City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Carson City is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carson City
- State Line
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- State Line is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line
- Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
- George County
- The following are listed by their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- Bexley
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bexley is located in George County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bexley
- Lucedale
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Agricola
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Howell
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Howell is located in George County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howell
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- Americus ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Americus is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Americus
- Hurley
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Wade
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Wade is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wade
- Brewton ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Brewton is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewton
- Brewton has also been known as:
- Brewer's Bluff
- Perry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- Beaumont
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Beaumont is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaumont
- Population from the 2020 Census: 894 people
- Wingate
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Wingate is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wingate
- New Augusta
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Richton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Mobile County (AL)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- Wilmer
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Citronelle
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Gulfcrest
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Gulfcrest is located in Mobile County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gulfcrest
- Chunchula
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Chunchula is located in Mobile County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chunchula
- Semmes
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Washington County (AL)
- The following are listed by their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- Deer Park
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Deer Park is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Park
- Escatawpa
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Escatawpa is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escatawpa
- Vinegar Bend
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Vinegar Bend is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinegar Bend
- Fruitdale
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Fruitdale is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruitdale
- Yellow Pine
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Yellow Pine is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yellow Pine
- Sims Chapel
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Sims Chapel is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sims Chapel
- Tibbie
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Tibbie is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tibbie
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Vernal, see our County-by-County Page for Vernal.
Cemeteries Near Vernal ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vernal.
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 Vernal - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Vernal covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- McIntosh Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- McLeod Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- McInnis Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Cooley Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Sandy Branch Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Pine Grove Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Coward Place Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Williams Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Green Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Green Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Woodard Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Green Lodge Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (243 more) ...
- Ball Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Pine Grove Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Windburn Chapel Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
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>
While we didn't find Vernal in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Vernal.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Vernal, with the one closest to Vernal listed first.
- Leakesville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Leaf
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Leaf is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leaf
- Adamsville ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Adamsville is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adamsville
- Avera
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Avera is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avera
- Deer Park
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Deer Park is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Park
- Escatawpa
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Escatawpa is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escatawpa
- Americus ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Americus is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Americus
- Citronelle
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Vinegar Bend
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Vinegar Bend is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinegar Bend
- Continue List (6 more) ...
- Chunchula
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Chunchula is located in Mobile County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chunchula
- Yellow Pine
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Yellow Pine is located in Washington County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yellow Pine
- Kittrell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Kittrell is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kittrell
- Oak Grove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Oak Grove is located in Mobile County (AL)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
- State Line
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- State Line is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line
- Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
- Henderson
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Henderson is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henderson
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Vernal. See our List of 1890's Communities around Vernal.
Newspapers Published in Vernal ...
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 10 newspapers that have been published in the area around Vernal.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Vernal, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Vernal.
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 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 Vernal:
- Websites specific to Mississippi
- Pages specific to Greene County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- George County
- Jackson County
- Perry County
- Mobile County
- Washington County
- 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> | 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 Vernal, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Vernal) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |