Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Bellfield. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Bellfield to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Bellfield, please Contact Us.
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 Bellfield (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 Bellfield. 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 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.
Although our information shows that the community of Bellfield is historic, it would have been located within present day Kershaw County.
To see how the shape of South 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 Kershaw County: Chesterfield, Darlington, Fairfield, Lancaster, Lee, Richland & Sumter.
Below are the counties that are near Bellfield. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Bellfield:
- Kershaw County (The home county of Bellfield)
- The following are listed by their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Lugoff
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Elgin
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Spring Village
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Spring Village is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Village
- Camden
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Lafayette Village
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Lafayette Village is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lafayette Village
- Log Town ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Log Town is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Log Town
- Liberty Hill
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Shepard
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Shepard is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shepard
- Westville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Cassatt
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Kershaw
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Pine Village
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Pine Village is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Village
- Bethune
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Chester County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Great Falls
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Blackstock
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Fort Lawn
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Cornwell
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Cornwell is located in Chester County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornwell
- Fairfield County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Smallwood
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Smallwood is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smallwood
- Ridgeway
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Winnsboro Mills
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Winnsboro Mills is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winnsboro Mills
- Winnsboro
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Mitford
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Mitford is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitford
- Rion
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Adger
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Adger is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adger
- White Oak
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Woodward
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Woodward is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodward
- Rock Hill
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Rock Hill is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Hill
- Jenkinsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Monticello
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Monticello is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monticello
- Lancaster County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Heath Springs
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Oakhurst
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Oakhurst is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakhurst
- Bell Town
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Bell Town is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell Town
- Pleasant Hill
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Pleasant Hill is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Hill
- Elgin
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Elgin is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
- Irwin
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Irwin is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwin
- Lancaster Mill
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Lancaster Mill is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lancaster Mill
- Primus
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Primus is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Primus
- Springdale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Lancaster
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Lee County
- Manville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Manville is located in Lee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manville
- Lexington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Seven Oaks
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- West Columbia
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Irmo
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Irmo is located in Lexington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irmo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 12,734 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irmo <2>
- Cayce
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Springdale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Springdale is located in Lexington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,732 people
- Arthur
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Arthur is located in Lexington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arthur
- Oak Grove
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Grove is located in Lexington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
- Newberry County
- Peak
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Richland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Blythewood
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Dentsville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Woodfield
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Woodfield is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodfield
- Arcadia Lakes
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Arcadia Lakes is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcadia Lakes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 874 people
- Belmont
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Brickyard Village
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Brickyard Village is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brickyard Village
- Ravenwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Ravenwood is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravenwood
- Cedar Creek
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Cedar Creek is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Creek
- Forest Acres
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Forest Acres is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Acres
- Population from the 2020 Census: 10,269 people
- Capitol View
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Capitol View is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Capitol View
- Dutch Village
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Dutch Village is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dutch Village
- Columbia
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Hollywood
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Hollywood is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollywood
- Sumter County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Rembert
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Horatio
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Claremont
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Claremont is located in Sumter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claremont
- Oakland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Oakland is located in Sumter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
- Stateburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Stateburg is located in Sumter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stateburg
- Dalzell
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Cherryvale
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Cherryvale is located in Sumter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherryvale
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Bellfield, see our County-by-County Page for Bellfield.
Cemeteries Near Bellfield ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bellfield.
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 Bellfield - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Bellfield covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Hardshell Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardshell Cemetery
- The Hardshell Cemetery has also been known as:
- Jackson Cemetery
- Ebenezer Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Rock Hill Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Pine Grove Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Sawneys Creek Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Parker Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- St. Matthews Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Longtown Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Antioch Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Good Aim Baptist Church Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Chestnut Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Browns Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (242 more) ...
- Smyrles Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- White Oak Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
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.
While we didn't find Bellfield in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Bellfield.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Bellfield, with the one closest to Bellfield listed first.
- Longtown
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Longtown is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longtown
- Cantey
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Cantey is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantey
- Ridgeway
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Sharp
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Sharp is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharp
- Camden
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Flint Hill
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Flint Hill is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flint Hill
- Liberty Hill
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Killian
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Killian is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Killian
- Dekalb
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Dekalb is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dekalb
- Simpson
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Simpson is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simpson
- Pleasant ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Pleasant is located in Richland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant
- Flat Rock
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Flat Rock is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flat Rock
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Stockton ‑ Historic
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Stockton is located in Kershaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stockton
- Westville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Rockton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Rockton is located in Fairfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockton
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Bellfield. See our List of 1890's Communities around Bellfield.
Newspapers Published in Bellfield ...
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 70 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bellfield.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bellfield, 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 Bellfield.
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 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 Bellfield:
- Websites specific to South Carolina
- Pages specific to Kershaw County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Chester County
- Fairfield County
- Lancaster County
- Lee County
- Lexington County
- Newberry County
- Richland County
- Sumter County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for South Carolina
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 Bellfield, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | 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- Bellfield) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |