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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 Bells Crossroads (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 Bells Crossroads. 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.

Name Variations for Bells Crossroads ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

  • A typical abbreviation for Bells Crossroads: Bells Xrds.
  • While the name of this community is Bells Crossroads, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Bells Crossroads may originally have been Bell's Crossroads.

    Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Bells Crossroads might be written as Bell Crossroads.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 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.

Bells Crossroads is located in Greenville 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 Greenville County: Henderson (NC), Polk (NC), Transylvania (NC), Abbeville, Anderson, Laurens, Pickens & Spartanburg.

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

  • Greenville County     (The home county of Bells Crossroads)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Five Forks
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Five Forks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Forks
      • Five Forks is located in Greenville County
    • Woodland Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodland Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland Village
      • Woodland Village is located in Greenville County
    • Simpsonville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Pelham
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pelham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelham
      • Pelham is located in Greenville County
    • Mauldin
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mauldin
      • Mauldin is located in Greenville County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 25,562 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mauldin <3>
    • Fountain Inn
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Conestee
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • East Gate Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Gate Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Gate Village
      • East Gate Village is located in Greenville County
    • Chick Springs
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chick Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chick Springs
      • Chick Springs is located in Greenville County
    • Greer
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greer
      • Greer is located in Greenville County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 35,316 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greer <3>
    • Taylors
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Pine Hill Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pine Hill Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Hill Village
      • Pine Hill Village is located in Greenville County
  • Abbeville County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Honea Path
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Ware Shoals
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Donalds
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Anderson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Piedmont
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Powderville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powderville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powderville
      • Powderville is located in Anderson County
    • Pelzer
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • West Pelzer
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Pelzer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Pelzer
      • West Pelzer is located in Anderson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 953 people
    • Williamston
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Belton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Anderson Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anderson Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson Village
      • Anderson Village is located in Anderson County
    • Northlake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Northlake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northlake
      • Northlake is located in Anderson County
  • Laurens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Green Pond
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Pond
      • Green Pond is located in Laurens County
    • Gray Court
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Princeton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Princeton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Princeton
      • Princeton is located in Laurens County
    • Tylersville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tylersville
      • Tylersville is located in Laurens County
    • Laurens
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Ekom
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ekom
      • Ekom is located in Laurens County
    • Cold Point
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cold Point
      • Cold Point is located in Laurens County
    • Mount Gallagher
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Gallagher have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Gallagher
      • Mount Gallagher is located in Laurens County
    • Lisbon ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lisbon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
      • Lisbon is located in Laurens County
    • Clinton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Waterloo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Pickens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Dacusville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dacusville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dacusville
      • Dacusville is located in Pickens County
    • Easley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Arial
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arial have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arial
      • Arial is located in Pickens County
    • Liberty
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Pickens
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Norris
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Spartanburg County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Crescent
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
      • Crescent is located in Spartanburg County
    • Green Pond
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Pond
      • Green Pond is located in Spartanburg County
    • Reidville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Woodruff
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Duncan
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan
      • Duncan is located in Spartanburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,715 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Duncan <3>
    • Brookside Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookside Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookside Village
      • Brookside Village is located in Spartanburg County
    • Lyman
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyman
      • Lyman is located in Spartanburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,796 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyman <3>
    • Startex
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Moore
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Wellford
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Roebuck
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Enoree
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Colerain
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colerain have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colerain
      • Colerain is located in Union County
    • Bishop Town ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bishop Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop Town
      • Bishop Town is located in Union County
    • Buffalo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Jonesville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Polk County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bells Crossroads, with the one closest to Bells Crossroads listed first.
    • Tryon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tryon
      • Tryon is located in Polk County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,635 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tryon <3>
    • Lynn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lynn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynn
      • Lynn is located in Polk County (NC)

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

Newspapers Published in Bells Crossroads ...

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 Bells Crossroads.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bells Crossroads, there are papers which were published within 10 miles [16.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bells Crossroads.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Bells Crossroads:

Cemeteries Near Bells Crossroads ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bells Crossroads.

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 Bells Crossroads covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Clear Springs Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clear Springs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clear Springs Cemetery
  • Five Forks Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Five Forks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Five Forks Cemetery
  • Simpsonville Municipal Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Simpsonville Municipal Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Simpsonville Municipal Cemetery
  • Vaughan Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vaughan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vaughan Cemetery
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
  • Old Shady Oak Baptist Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Cemetery
  • Antioch Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Antioch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Antioch Cemetery
  • Rocky Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rocky Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rocky Creek Cemetery
  • Standing Springs Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Standing Springs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Standing Springs Cemetery
  • Cannon Memorial Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cannon Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cannon Memorial Park
  • New Liberty Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Liberty Cemetery
  • Continue List   (390 more) ...
    • Mayfield Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mayfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mayfield Cemetery
    • Mauldin Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mauldin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mauldin Cemetery
    • First Baptist Church of Mauldin Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 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.<6>

While we didn't find Bells Crossroads in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Bells Crossroads.

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

  • Simpsonville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Batesville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Batesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesville
    • Batesville is located in Greenville County
  • Cashville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cashville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cashville
    • Cashville is located in Spartanburg County
  • Pelham
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pelham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelham
    • Pelham is located in Greenville County
  • Mauldin
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mauldin
    • Mauldin is located in Greenville County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 25,562 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mauldin <3>
  • Fountain Inn
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Reidville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Chick Springs
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chick Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chick Springs
    • Chick Springs is located in Greenville County
  • Woodruff
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Switzer
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Switzer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Switzer
    • Switzer is located in Spartanburg County
  • Taylors
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Greer
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greer
    • Greer is located in Greenville County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 35,316 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greer <3>
  • Continue List   (20 more) ...
    • Fairview
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
      • Fairview is located in Greenville County
    • Owings
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Owings have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Owings
      • Owings is located in Laurens County
    • Duncan
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan
      • Duncan is located in Spartanburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,715 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Duncan <3>

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Bells Crossroads. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Greenville County: www.greenvillecounty.org/

The official website for State of South Carolina: https://sc.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties).
<2>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Bells Crossroads) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bells Crossroads. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.7812, Longitude: -82.2143       In this case, the coordinates for Bells Crossroads have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>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.
<6>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 Bells Crossroads, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024