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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 Northwest (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 Northwest. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and 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 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, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Northwest is located in Brunswick County.

To see how the shape of North Carolina's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Brunswick County: Columbus, New Hanover, Pender & Horry (SC).

Below are the counties that are near Northwest. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Northwest:

  • Brunswick County     (The home county of Northwest)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Northwest, with the one closest to Northwest listed first.
    • Sandy Creek
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Sandy Creek is located in Brunswick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Creek
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 319 people
    • Malmo
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Phoenix
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Navassa
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Navassa is located in Brunswick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navassa
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,534 people
    • Town Creek
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Town Creek is located in Brunswick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town Creek
    • Winnabow
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Belville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Belville is located in Brunswick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,135 people
    • Leland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Leland is located in Brunswick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leland
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 25,647 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Leland <1>
    • Bolivia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Old Town
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Old Town is located in Brunswick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Town
    • Makatoka
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Boiling Spring Lakes
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Boiling Spring Lakes is located in Brunswick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boiling Spring Lakes
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,430 people
  • Bladen County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Northwest, with the one closest to Northwest listed first.
    • East Arcadia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Long View
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Long View is located in Bladen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long View
    • Kelly
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Council
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Council is located in Bladen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Council
    • Rosindale
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • White Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Clarkton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Mount Olive
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Mount Olive is located in Bladen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Olive
  • Columbus County
  • Duplin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Northwest, with the one closest to Northwest listed first.
    • Harrells
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Harrells is located in Duplin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrells
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 191 people
    • Safe
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Wallace
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • New Hanover County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Northwest, with the one closest to Northwest listed first.
    • Hightsville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Hightsville is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightsville
    • Wrightsboro
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Wrightsboro is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrightsboro
    • Skippers Corner
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Skippers Corner is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skippers Corner
    • Castle Hayne
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Kings Grant
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Kings Grant is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Grant
    • Murraysville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Murraysville is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murraysville
    • Smith Creek
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Smith Creek is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Creek
    • Wilmington
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Windemere
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Windemere is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windemere
    • Silver Lake
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Silver Lake is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
    • Ogden
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Seagate
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Seagate is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seagate
  • Pender County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Northwest, with the one closest to Northwest listed first.
    • Currie
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Atkinson
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Rocky Point
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Ashton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Saint Helena
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Saint Helena is located in Pender County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Helena
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 428 people
    • Burgaw
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Brown Town
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Brown Town is located in Pender County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brown Town
    • Hampstead
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Murray Town
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Murray Town is located in Pender County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murray Town
    • Watha
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Watha is located in Pender County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watha
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
    • Topsail
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Willard
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Willard is located in Pender County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willard
  • Sampson County

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Northwest, see our County-by-County Page for Northwest.

Cemeteries Near Northwest ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Northwest.

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 Northwest - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Northwest covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Northwest, with the one closest to Northwest listed first.

  • Skipper Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Scull Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Sykes Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Skipper Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Chinnis Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Wells Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Benton Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Rogers Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Lennon Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Atkinson Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Williams Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Robinson Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (202 more) ...
    • Mulberry Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Rhyne Grave
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Dew Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)

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 in 1895, Northwest had railroad service and no post office. In 2020, Northwest had a population of 806 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Northwest, with the one closest to Northwest listed first.

  • Malmo
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Phoenix
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Armour
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Freeman
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Freeman is located in Columbus County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
  • Navassa
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Navassa is located in Brunswick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navassa
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,534 people
  • Byrdville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Montague
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Montague is located in Pender County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montague
  • Town Creek
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Town Creek is located in Brunswick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town Creek
  • Currie
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Point Caswell
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Point Caswell is located in Pender County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Caswell
  • Winnabow
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Colly
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Colly is located in Bladen County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colly
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Long Creek
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Long Creek is located in Pender County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Creek
    • Wrightsboro
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Wrightsboro is located in New Hanover County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrightsboro
    • Atkinson
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Northwest. See our List of 1890's Communities around Northwest.

Newspapers Published in Northwest ...

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 91 newspapers that have been published in the area around Northwest.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Northwest, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Northwest.

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 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 Northwest:

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 Northwest, 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' (or 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- Northwest) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.