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 Wiggins (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 Wiggins. 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 hospitals 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.
Wiggins is located in Stone County and is the County Seat.
To see how the shape of Mississippi's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Stone County: Forrest, George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River & Perry.
Below are the counties that are near Wiggins. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Wiggins:
- Stone County (The home county of Wiggins)
- The following are listed by their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- McHenry
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McHenry
- McHenry is located in Stone County
- Smith Town
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smith Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Town
- Smith Town is located in Stone County
- Forrest County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- Carnes
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carnes
- Carnes is located in Forrest County
- McLaurin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McLaurin
- McLaurin is located in Forrest County
- George County
- Bexley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bexley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bexley
- Bexley is located in George County
- Greene County
- McLain
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McLain have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McLain
- McLain is located in Greene County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 430 people
- Hancock County
- Necaise
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Necaise
- Necaise is located in Hancock County
- Harrison County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- Howison
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Howison. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howison
- Howison is located in Harrison County
- Saucier
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Wortham
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wortham
- Wortham is located in Harrison County
- Lyman
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyman
- Lyman is located in Harrison County
- Coalville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalville
- Coalville is located in Harrison County
- Lorraine Community ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lorraine Community. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lorraine Community
- Lorraine Community is located in Harrison County
- Wool Market
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wool Market
- Wool Market is located in Harrison County
- Wool Market has also been known as:
- Woolmarket
- North Gulfport
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Gulfport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Gulfport
- North Gulfport is located in Harrison County
- Jackson County
- Latimer
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latimer
- Latimer is located in Jackson County
- Lamar County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- Lumberton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lumberton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lumberton
- Lumberton is located in Lamar County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,242 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lumberton <3>
- Wells Town
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wells Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells Town
- Wells Town is located in Lamar County
- Purvis
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Purvis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Purvis
- Purvis is located in Lamar County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,398 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Purvis <3>
- Pearl River County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- Juniper Grove
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Juniper Grove
- Juniper Grove is located in Pearl River County
- Poplarville
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Poplarville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poplarville
- Poplarville is located in Pearl River County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,780 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Poplarville <3>
- Perry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- New Augusta
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Augusta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Augusta
- New Augusta is located in Perry County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 593 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Augusta <3>
- Wingate
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wingate
- Wingate is located in Perry County
- Beaumont
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaumont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaumont
- Beaumont is located in Perry County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 894 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Wiggins, see our County-by-County Page for Wiggins.
Cemeteries Near Wiggins ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wiggins.
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.
If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Wiggins covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- Welcome Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Welcome Hill Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Welcome Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Woodlawn Park Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodlawn Park Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodlawn Park Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Landmark Missionary Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Landmark Missionary Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Landmark Missionary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hickman Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hickman Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hickman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Green Valley Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Valley Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Bo Williams Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bo Williams Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bo Williams Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Price Memorial Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Price Memorial Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Price Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Price Memorial Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Price Memorial Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Price Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mt. Avery Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Avery Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Avery Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Lott Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lott Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lott Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Taylor Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Taylor Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Taylor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Shadeville Park Memorial Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shadeville Park Memorial Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shadeville Park Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (254 more) ...
- Herrington Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Herrington Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Herrington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Whites Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whites Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whites Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Taylor Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Taylor Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Taylor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
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 Wiggins in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Wiggins.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Wiggins, with the one closest to Wiggins listed first.
- Airey
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Airey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airey
- Airey is located in Harrison County
- Hillsdale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillsdale
- Hillsdale is located in Pearl River County
- Leaf
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leaf have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leaf
- Leaf is located in Greene County
- Orvisburg
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orvisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orvisburg
- Orvisburg is located in Pearl River County
- Poplarville
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Poplarville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poplarville
- Poplarville is located in Pearl River County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,780 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Poplarville <3>
- Wool Market
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wool Market
- Wool Market is located in Harrison County
- Wool Market has also been known as:
- Woolmarket
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Wiggins. See our List of 1890's Communities around Wiggins.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Wiggins ...
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 14 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wiggins.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Wiggins. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Wiggins and those printed in the larger area surrounding Wiggins.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<5> of Wiggins.
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 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 Wiggins:
- Websites specific to Mississippi
- Pages specific to Stone County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Forrest County
- George County
- Greene County
- Hancock County
- Harrison County
- Jackson County
- Lamar County
- Pearl River County
- Perry County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Mississippi
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Wiggins. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Mississippi: https://www.ms.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
<2> | An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace. |
<3> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<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 Wiggins, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
<5> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Wiggins) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Wiggins. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.8556, Longitude: -89.1385 In this case, the coordinates for Wiggins have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |