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 Baton Rouge (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 Baton Rouge. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Baton Rouge is located in Chester County.
To see how the shape of South Carolina's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Chester County: Fairfield, Lancaster, Union & York.
Below are the counties that are near Baton Rouge. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Baton Rouge:
- Chester County (The home county of Baton Rouge)
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Gayle Mill
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gayle Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gayle Mill
- Gayle Mill is located in Chester County
- Chester
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Eureka Mill
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka Mill
- Eureka Mill is located in Chester County
- Lowrys
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lowrys have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lowrys
- Lowrys is located in Chester County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
- Cabal
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cabal
- Cabal is located in Chester County
- Cornwell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cornwell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornwell
- Cornwell is located in Chester County
- Blackstock
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Smith
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith
- Smith is located in Chester County
- Richburg
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Lando
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Edgemoor
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Fort Lawn
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Great Falls
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Cherokee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Kings Creek
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Blacksburg
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Fairfield County
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Woodward
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Woodward. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodward
- Woodward is located in Fairfield County
- Blair
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- White Oak
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Adger
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Adger. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adger
- Adger is located in Fairfield County
- Monticello
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monticello
- Monticello is located in Fairfield County
- Mitford
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitford
- Mitford is located in Fairfield County
- Winnsboro
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Winnsboro Mills
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winnsboro Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winnsboro Mills
- Winnsboro Mills is located in Fairfield County
- Jenkinsville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Rion
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Rock Hill
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Hill
- Rock Hill is located in Fairfield County
- Lancaster County
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Bell Town
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bell Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell Town
- Bell Town is located in Lancaster County
- Caskey
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Caskey. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caskey
- Caskey is located in Lancaster County
- Riverside
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Riverside. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
- Riverside is located in Lancaster County
- Irwin
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwin
- Irwin is located in Lancaster County
- Van Wyck
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Laurens County
- Renno
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renno
- Renno is located in Laurens County
- Newberry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Whitmire
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Glymphville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Glymphville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glymphville
- Glymphville is located in Newberry County
- Sondleys ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sondleys have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sondleys
- Sondleys is located in Newberry County
- Pomaria
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Spartanburg County
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Central Pacolet
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central Pacolet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Pacolet
- Central Pacolet is located in Spartanburg County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
- Pacolet Mills
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Pacolet
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Cross Anchor
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- White Stone
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Union County
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Lockhart
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Carlisle
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Meador ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meador have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meador
- Meador is located in Union County
- Bailey Town ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bailey Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bailey Town
- Bailey Town is located in Union County
- Red Town ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Town
- Red Town is located in Union County
- Tuckertown
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuckertown
- Tuckertown is located in Union County
- Union
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Kelly
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kelly. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelly
- Kelly is located in Union County
- Delta
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Delta. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delta
- Delta is located in Union County
- Sartor Town
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sartor Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sartor Town
- Sartor Town is located in Union County
- Bonham
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bonham. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonham
- Bonham is located in Union County
- Buffalo
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Bishop Town ‑ Historic
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bishop Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop Town
- Bishop Town is located in Union County
- York County
- The following are listed by their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- McConnells
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Blairsville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blairsville
- Blairsville is located in York County
- Hopewell
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hopewell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopewell
- Hopewell is located in York County
- Sharon
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Hickory Grove
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- York
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Filbert
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Filbert
- Filbert is located in York County
- Smyrna
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Newport
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newport
- Newport is located in York County
- Rock Hill
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Lesslie
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lesslie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lesslie
- Lesslie is located in York County
- Catawba
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Roddey
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roddey
- Roddey is located in York County
- Roddey has also been known as:
- Coates Tavern
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Baton Rouge, see our County-by-County Page for Baton Rouge.
Cemeteries Near Baton Rouge ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Baton Rouge.
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 Baton Rouge covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Brushy Fork Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brushy Fork Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brushy Fork Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mt. Moriah Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Moriah Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Moriah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #70751 <4>
- Mt. Moriah Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Grant Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grant Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Old Zion Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Zion Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Chester Memorial Gardens
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chester Memorial Gardens
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chester Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Sims Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sims Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sims Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Glenn Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Glenn Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Glenn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Sandy River Baptist Church Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Armenia UMC Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Sweet Hope Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sweet Hope Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sweet Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Thomas Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thomas Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thomas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (281 more) ...
- Evergreen Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Mt. Hebron Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Hebron Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Hebron Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Benson Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 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.<5>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Baton Rouge had a population of 23 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Baton Rouge, with the one closest to Baton Rouge listed first.
- Sandy River
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandy River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy River
- Sandy River is located in Chester County
- Wilksburg
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilksburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilksburg
- Wilksburg is located in Chester County
- Leeds
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leeds have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leeds
- Leeds is located in Chester County
- Chester
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Carlisle
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Meador ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meador have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meador
- Meador is located in Union County
- Cotton ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cotton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cotton
- Cotton is located in York County
- Santuc
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Santuc have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santuc
- Santuc is located in Union County
- Bullock Creek
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bullock Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bullock Creek
- Bullock Creek is located in York County
- Cornwell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cornwell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornwell
- Cornwell is located in Chester County
- Orrs
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orrs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orrs
- Orrs is located in Chester County
- Gould ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gould have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould
- Gould is located in York County
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Ada ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ada have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ada
- Ada is located in Union County
- Feasterville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Feasterville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Feasterville
- Feasterville is located in Fairfield County
- Hoodtown
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hoodtown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoodtown
- Hoodtown is located in York County
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Baton Rouge. See our List of 1890's Communities around Baton Rouge.
Newspapers Published in Baton Rouge ...
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 31 newspapers that have been published in the area around Baton Rouge.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Baton Rouge, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Baton Rouge.
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 Baton Rouge:
- Websites specific to South Carolina
- Pages specific to Chester County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cherokee County
- Fairfield County
- Lancaster County
- Laurens County
- Newberry County
- Spartanburg County
- Union County
- York County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for South Carolina
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Baton Rouge. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of South Carolina: https://sc.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> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<3> | 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. |
<4> | 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. |
<5> | 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 Baton Rouge, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
<6> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Baton Rouge) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Baton Rouge. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.6971, Longitude: -81.3440 In this case, the coordinates for Baton Rouge have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |