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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 Madison (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 Madison. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Madison is located in Oconee 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 Oconee County: Franklin (GA), Habersham (GA), Hart (GA), Rabun (GA), Stephens (GA), Jackson (NC), Macon (NC), Transylvania (NC), Anderson & Pickens.

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

  • Oconee County     (The home county of Madison)
  • Anderson County
  • Pickens County
  • Banks County (GA)
  • Franklin County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Gumlog
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gumlog have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gumlog
      • Gumlog is located in Franklin County (GA)
    • Parhams
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Parhams. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parhams
      • Parhams is located in Franklin County (GA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Parhams
      • From Madison to Parhams
    • Lavonia
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lavonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lavonia
      • Lavonia is located in Franklin County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,187 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lavonia <2>
    • Carnesville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Canon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Plainview
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Plainview. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainview
      • Plainview is located in Franklin County (GA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Plainview
      • From Madison to Plainview
    • Cromers
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cromers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cromers
      • Cromers is located in Franklin County (GA)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 639 people
    • Franklin Springs
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Royston
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
  • Habersham County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Tugaloo
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tugaloo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tugaloo
      • Tugaloo is located in Habersham County (GA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tugaloo
      • From Madison to Tugaloo
    • Turnerville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Turnerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turnerville
      • Turnerville is located in Habersham County (GA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Turnerville <2>
    • Hills
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hills
      • Hills is located in Habersham County (GA)
    • Mount Airy
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Clarkesville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Cornelia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Demorest
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Baldwin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Alto
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Raoul
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Raoul have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raoul
      • Raoul is located in Habersham County (GA)
    • Mauldins ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mauldins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mauldins
      • Mauldins is located in Habersham County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 225 people
  • Hart County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Bowersville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Maretts
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Reed Creek
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reed Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reed Creek
      • Reed Creek is located in Hart County (GA)
    • Crawfords Ferry
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crawfords Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crawfords Ferry
      • Crawfords Ferry is located in Hart County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 473 people
    • Flat Shoals
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Hartwell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Cooleys Ferry
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cooleys Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooleys Ferry
      • Cooleys Ferry is located in Hart County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 529 people
    • Dooleys Ferry
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dooleys Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dooleys Ferry
      • Dooleys Ferry is located in Hart County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 136 people
  • Madison County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Shiloh
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Harrison
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Madison Springs
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Madison Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madison Springs
      • Madison Springs is located in Madison County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 4,210 people
      • Former name for Madison Springs:
      • Alexanderville
  • Rabun County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Tallulah Falls
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tallulah Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tallulah Falls
      • Tallulah Falls is located in Rabun County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 172 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tallulah Falls <2>
    • Lakemont
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Wiley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wiley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiley
      • Wiley is located in Rabun County (GA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wiley <2>
    • Antioch
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Tiger
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Clayton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Mountain City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain City
      • Mountain City is located in Rabun County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,113 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mountain City <2>
    • Germany
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Germany. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Germany
      • Germany is located in Rabun County (GA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Germany
      • From Madison to Germany
    • Sky Valley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sky Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sky Valley
      • Sky Valley is located in Rabun County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sky Valley <2>
    • Dillard
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Stephens County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Madison, with the one closest to Madison listed first.
    • Jarrett
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jarrett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jarrett
      • Jarrett is located in Stephens County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 3,974 people
    • Toccoa
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Avalon
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avalon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avalon
      • Avalon is located in Stephens County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 226 people
    • Eastanollee
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Toccoa Falls
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toccoa Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toccoa Falls
      • Toccoa Falls is located in Stephens County (GA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toccoa Falls <2>
    • Carnes Creek
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carnes Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carnes Creek
      • Carnes Creek is located in Stephens County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 601 people
    • Martin
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • White County (GA)
  • Jackson County (NC)
  • Macon County (NC)

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

Cemeteries Near Madison ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Madison.

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

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

  • Stewart Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stewart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stewart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Duke Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Duke Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Duke Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Providence Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Providence Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Providence Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Walton Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Poole Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Poole Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Poole Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Liberty Baptist Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Freeman Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Freeman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Freeman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tugalo Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tugalo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tugalo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rust Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rust Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rust Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Toxoway Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Toxoway Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Toxoway Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • New Promised Land Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Promised Land Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Promised Land Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rock Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rock Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rock Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (420 more) ...
    • Fair Play Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fair Play Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fair Play Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Mt. Tabor Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Tabor Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Tabor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Chauga Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chauga Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chauga Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<6>

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

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

  • Harbin ‑ Historic
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harbin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbin
    • Harbin is located in Oconee County
  • Westminster
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Retreat
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Retreat have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Retreat
    • Retreat is located in Oconee County
  • Battle Creek
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Longcreek
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Martin
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Oakway
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oakway. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakway
    • Oakway is located in Oconee County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Oakway
    • From Madison to Oakway
  • Richland
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Tugaloo
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tugaloo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tugaloo
    • Tugaloo is located in Habersham County (GA)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Tugaloo
    • From Madison to Tugaloo
  • Tallulah Falls
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tallulah Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tallulah Falls
    • Tallulah Falls is located in Rabun County (GA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 172 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tallulah Falls <2>
  • West Union
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Walhalla
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Turnerville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Turnerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turnerville
      • Turnerville is located in Habersham County (GA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Turnerville <2>
    • Red Hill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill
      • Red Hill is located in Franklin County (GA)
    • Salubrity ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Salubrity have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salubrity
      • Salubrity is located in Franklin County (GA)

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

Newspapers Published in Madison ...

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 18 newspapers that have been published in the area around Madison.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Madison, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Madison.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Madison:

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

The official website for Oconee County: www.oconeesc.com/

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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Madison) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Madison. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.6316, Longitude: -83.2088    
<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 Madison, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 30 Mar 2025