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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 Kershaw (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 Kershaw. 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 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 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.

Kershaw is primarily located in Kershaw County. A portion of Kershaw extends into Lancaster 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 Kershaw County: Chesterfield, Darlington, Fairfield, Lancaster, Lee, Richland & Sumter.

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

  • Kershaw County     (The home county of Kershaw)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Westville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Liberty Hill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Cassatt
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Pine Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pine Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Village
      • Pine Village is located in Kershaw County
    • Bethune
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Lafayette Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lafayette Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lafayette Village
      • Lafayette Village is located in Kershaw County
    • Camden
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Log Town ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Log Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Log Town
      • Log Town is located in Kershaw County
    • Lugoff
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Spring Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Village
      • Spring Village is located in Kershaw County
    • Elgin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
      • Elgin is located in Kershaw County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,585 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elgin <1>
  • Chester County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Great Falls
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Fort Lawn
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Richburg
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Lando
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Edgemoor
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Chesterfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Jefferson
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • White Plains
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Plains
      • White Plains is located in Chesterfield County
    • Angelus
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Angelus
      • Angelus is located in Chesterfield County
    • Pageland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • McBee
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBee
      • McBee is located in Chesterfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 838 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McBee <1>
    • Mount Croghan
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Ruby
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruby
      • Ruby is located in Chesterfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ruby <1>
    • Patrick
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Chesterfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Darlington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Pine Ridge
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Ridge
      • Pine Ridge is located in Darlington County
    • Prestwood Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prestwood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prestwood Village
      • Prestwood Village is located in Darlington County
  • Fairfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Mitford
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitford
      • Mitford is located in Fairfield County
    • Ridgeway
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Smallwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smallwood
      • Smallwood is located in Fairfield County
    • Winnsboro
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • White Oak
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Lancaster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Oakhurst
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakhurst have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakhurst
      • Oakhurst is located in Lancaster County
    • Heath Springs
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Pleasant Hill
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Hill
      • Pleasant Hill is located in Lancaster County
    • Primus
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Primus
      • Primus is located in Lancaster County
    • Union
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
      • Union is located in Lancaster County
    • Elgin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
      • Elgin is located in Lancaster County
    • Camp Creek
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Creek
      • Camp Creek is located in Lancaster County
    • Irwin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irwin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwin
      • Irwin is located in Lancaster County
    • Lancaster Mill
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lancaster Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lancaster Mill
      • Lancaster Mill is located in Lancaster County
    • Lancaster
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Bell Town
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bell Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell Town
      • Bell Town is located in Lancaster County
    • Riverside
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverside have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
      • Riverside is located in Lancaster County
  • Lee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Bishopville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Alcot
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alcot
      • Alcot is located in Lee County
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Catawba
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Roddey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roddey
      • Roddey is located in York County
      • Roddey has also been known as:
      • Coates Tavern
  • Union County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kershaw, with the one closest to Kershaw listed first.
    • Trinity
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trinity have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trinity
      • Trinity is located in Union County (NC)
    • Jackson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jackson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
      • Jackson is located in Union County (NC)
    • Altan
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altan
      • Altan is located in Union County (NC)
    • Jaars
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jaars have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jaars
      • Jaars is located in Union County (NC)
    • Allens Crossroads
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allens Crossroads
      • Allens Crossroads is located in Union County (NC)
    • Mineral Springs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mineral Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineral Springs
      • Mineral Springs is located in Union County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,171 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mineral Springs <1>
    • Waxhaw
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waxhaw
      • Waxhaw is located in Union County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,987 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waxhaw <1>
    • Carmel Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carmel Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carmel Village
      • Carmel Village is located in Union County (NC)
    • Rock Rest
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Rest
      • Rock Rest is located in Union County (NC)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Kershaw ...

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 53 newspapers that have been published in the area around Kershaw.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Kershaw. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Kershaw and those printed in the larger area surrounding Kershaw.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<3> of Kershaw.

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 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 Kershaw:

Cemeteries Near Kershaw ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Kershaw.

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

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

  • Laurel Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Center Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Hanging Rock Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hanging Rock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hanging Rock Cemetery
  • Beaver Creek Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beaver Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beaver Creek Cemetery
  • Abney Baptist Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Stroud Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stroud Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stroud Cemetery
  • Rock Hill Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rock Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rock Hill Cemetery
  • Fork Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Baskins Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baskins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baskins Cemetery
  • Mobley Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mobley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mobley Cemetery
  • Hammond Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hammond Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hammond Cemetery
  • Continue List   (162 more) ...
    • Beaver Creek Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beaver Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beaver Creek Cemetery
    • Beaver Creek Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beaver Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beaver Creek Cemetery
    • Shamrock Baptist Church Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)

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 Kershaw had a population of 800 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Kershaw had a population of 2,404 people.

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

  • Oakhurst
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakhurst have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakhurst
    • Oakhurst is located in Lancaster County
  • Flat Rock
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flat Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flat Rock
    • Flat Rock is located in Kershaw County
  • Westville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Pleasant Hill
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Hill
    • Pleasant Hill is located in Lancaster County
  • Primus
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Primus
    • Primus is located in Lancaster County
  • Taxahaw
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Taxahaw have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taxahaw
    • Taxahaw is located in Lancaster County
  • Dekalb
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dekalb have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dekalb
    • Dekalb is located in Kershaw County
  • Catarrh
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Catarrh have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Catarrh
    • Catarrh is located in Chesterfield County
  • Liberty Hill
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Jefferson
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • White Plains
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Plains
    • White Plains is located in Chesterfield County
  • Cantey
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cantey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantey
    • Cantey is located in Kershaw County
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Tradesville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tradesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tradesville
      • Tradesville is located in Lancaster County
    • New Cut
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Cut have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Cut
      • New Cut is located in Lancaster County
    • Dudley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dudley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dudley
      • Dudley is located in Chesterfield County

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Kershaw. 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>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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Kershaw) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Kershaw. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.5481, Longitude: -80.5823    
<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 Kershaw, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024