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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 Finland (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 Finland. 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 doctors and 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.

Finland is located in Bamberg 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 Bamberg County: Allendale, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton & Orangeburg.

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

  • Bamberg County     (The home county of Finland)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Denmark
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Bamberg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Govan
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Govan
      • Govan is located in Bamberg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 57 people
    • Olar
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olar
      • Olar is located in Bamberg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 228 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Olar <1>
    • Ehrhardt
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Aiken County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Salley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Perry
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Wagener
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Windsor
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Kitchings Mill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kitchings Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kitchings Mill
      • Kitchings Mill is located in Aiken County
      • Kitchings Mill has also been known as:
      • Kinchens Mill
    • Camp Rawls
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Rawls
      • Camp Rawls is located in Aiken County
    • Seivern
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seivern
      • Seivern is located in Aiken County
  • Allendale County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Ulmer
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Sycamore
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Allendale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Fairfax
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Martin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Barnwell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Hilda
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Blackville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Whaley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whaley
      • Whaley is located in Barnwell County
    • Reynold
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reynold have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynold
      • Reynold is located in Barnwell County
    • Elko
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elko
      • Elko is located in Barnwell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 180 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elko <1>
    • Barnwell
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Williston
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Kline
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Snelling
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snelling
      • Snelling is located in Barnwell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 259 people
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Cameron
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cameron have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron
      • Cameron is located in Calhoun County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 396 people
    • Saint Matthews
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Creston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creston
      • Creston is located in Calhoun County
  • Colleton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Lodge
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Johnsville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsville
      • Johnsville is located in Colleton County
    • Ashton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
      • Ashton is located in Colleton County
    • Smoaks
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Williams
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Ruffin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Dorchester County
    • Reevesville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Hampton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Miley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Brunson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Lexington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Swansea
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Pelion
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Orangeburg County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Finland, with the one closest to Finland listed first.
    • Cope
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cope
      • Cope is located in Orangeburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 70 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cope <1>
    • Norway
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Bolen Town
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bolen Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolen Town
      • Bolen Town is located in Orangeburg County
    • Neeses
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Cordova
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Boiling Spring ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boiling Spring have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boiling Spring
      • Boiling Spring is located in Orangeburg County
    • Livingston
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Livingston have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Livingston
      • Livingston is located in Orangeburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
    • Edisto
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edisto have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edisto
      • Edisto is located in Orangeburg County
    • Rowesville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Springfield
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Sixty Six
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sixty Six
      • Sixty Six is located in Orangeburg County
    • Orangeburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Branchville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Finland ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Finland.

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

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

  • Zion Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Denmark Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Denmark Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Denmark Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Union Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Union Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bamberg County Memory Gardens
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bamberg County Memory Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bamberg County Memory Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jericho Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jericho Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jericho Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Willow Swamp Baptist Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Willow Swamp Baptist Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Willow Swamp Baptist Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethel Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Log Bridge Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Log Bridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Log Bridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Capernaum Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • South End Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South End Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the South End Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southeast of Bamberg.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1438311 <4>
  • Continue List   (207 more) ...
    • Norway Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norway Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norway Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Oakland Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakland Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Two Mile Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Two Mile Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Two Mile Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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.<5>

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

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

  • Denmark
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Bamberg
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Govan
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Govan
    • Govan is located in Bamberg County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 57 people
  • Blackville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Boiling Spring ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boiling Spring have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boiling Spring
    • Boiling Spring is located in Orangeburg County
  • Whaley
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whaley
    • Whaley is located in Barnwell County
  • Walker
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walker have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
    • Walker is located in Barnwell County
  • Ashleigh
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashleigh have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashleigh
    • Ashleigh is located in Barnwell County
  • Reynold
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reynold have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynold
    • Reynold is located in Barnwell County
  • Rowesville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Felder
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Felder have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Felder
    • Felder is located in Orangeburg County
  • Springfield
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Sixty Six
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sixty Six
      • Sixty Six is located in Orangeburg County
    • Elko
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elko
      • Elko is located in Barnwell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 180 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elko <1>
    • North
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North
      • North is located in Orangeburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 699 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Finland ...

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 37 newspapers that have been published in the area around Finland.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Finland, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Finland.

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 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 Finland:

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

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

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>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>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.
<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 Finland, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Finland) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Finland. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.3660, Longitude: -81.0932       In this case, the coordinates for Finland have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 22 Apr 2025