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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 Pawleys Island (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 Pawleys Island. 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 Pawleys Island ...

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 Pawleys Island: Pawleys Is. (in Canada, 'Isld.' is the more common abbreviation.)
  • While the name of this town is Pawleys Island, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Pawleys Island may originally have been Pawley's Island.

    Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Pawleys Island might be written as Pawley Island.

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

Pawleys Island is located in Georgetown 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 Georgetown County: Berkeley, Horry, Marion & Williamsburg.

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

  • Georgetown County     (The home county of Pawleys Island)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pawleys Island, with the one closest to Pawleys Island listed first.
    • Litchfield Beach
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jackson
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
      • Jackson is located in Georgetown County
    • Inlet Oaks Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Inlet Oaks Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inlet Oaks Village
      • Inlet Oaks Village is located in Georgetown County
    • Murrells Inlet
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Campfield
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campfield
      • Campfield is located in Georgetown County
    • Steele Town
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Steele Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele Town
      • Steele Town is located in Georgetown County
    • Georgetown
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Allentown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allentown
      • Allentown is located in Georgetown County
    • Carters Crossroads
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carters Crossroads
      • Carters Crossroads is located in Georgetown County
    • Willie Towne
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willie Towne have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willie Towne
      • Willie Towne is located in Georgetown County
    • Sampit
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sampit have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sampit
      • Sampit is located in Georgetown County
    • Andrews
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Charleston County
    • McClellanville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Horry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pawleys Island, with the one closest to Pawleys Island listed first.
    • Garden City Beach
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Garden City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Windjammer Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Windjammer Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windjammer Village
      • Windjammer Village is located in Horry County
    • Oceanside Village
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oceanside Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oceanside Village
      • Oceanside Village is located in Horry County
    • Surfside Beach
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Bucksport
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bucksport have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bucksport
      • Bucksport is located in Horry County
    • Socastee
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Forestbrook
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Myrtle Beach
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Brownway
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownway
      • Brownway is located in Horry County
    • Conway
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Cochran Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cochran Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cochran Town
      • Cochran Town is located in Horry County
    • Arcadian Shores
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Williamsburg County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pawleys Island, with the one closest to Pawleys Island listed first.
    • Rome
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rome have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rome
      • Rome is located in Williamsburg County
    • Snow Town
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snow Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Town
      • Snow Town is located in Williamsburg County
    • Nesmith
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Hemingway
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Stuckey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stuckey have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stuckey
      • Stuckey is located in Williamsburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 217 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Pawleys Island ...

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 39 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pawleys Island.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Pawleys Island. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Pawleys Island and those printed in the larger area surrounding Pawleys Island.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 10 miles [16.1 km]<4> of Pawleys Island.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Pawleys Island:

Cemeteries Near Pawleys Island ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pawleys Island.

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

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

  • All Saints Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the All Saints Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the All Saints Cemetery
  • Baptist Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baptist Cemetery
  • Belin Memorial Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Jewish Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jewish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jewish Cemetery
  • Prince George Winyah Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prince George Winyah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prince George Winyah Cemetery
  • Pennyroyal Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pennyroyal Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pennyroyal Cemetery
  • Mt. Sinai Baptist Church Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Yauhannah Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Yauhannah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Yauhannah Cemetery
  • Hucks Field Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hucks Field Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hucks Field Cemetery
  • Wilson Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilson Cemetery
  • Morning Glory Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Buck Graveyard
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Buck Graveyard have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Buck Graveyard
  • Continue List   (37 more) ...
    • Mt. Zion Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Zion Cemetery
    • Ocean Woods Memorial Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Ocean Woods Memorial Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Myrtle Beach.
      • The Ocean Woods Memorial Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Ocean Woods Memorial Park
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ocean Woods Memorial Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #70906 <5>
    • Bethel Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery

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 Pawleys Island in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Pawleys Island.

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

  • Waverly Mills
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waverly Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waverly Mills
    • Waverly Mills is located in Georgetown County
  • Georgetown
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Plantersville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plantersville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plantersville
    • Plantersville is located in Georgetown County
  • Graves
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graves have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graves
    • Graves is located in Georgetown County
  • Yauhannah
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yauhannah have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yauhannah
    • Yauhannah is located in Georgetown County
  • Bucksport
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bucksport have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bucksport
    • Bucksport is located in Horry County
  • Port Harrelson ‑ Historic
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Port Harrelson have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Harrelson
    • Port Harrelson is located in Horry County
  • Choppee
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Choppee have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Choppee
    • Choppee is located in Georgetown County
  • Petersfield
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petersfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersfield
    • Petersfield is located in Georgetown County
  • Socastee
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Sampit
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sampit have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sampit
    • Sampit is located in Georgetown County
  • Bucksville
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bucksville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bucksville
    • Bucksville is located in Horry County
  • Continue List   (11 more) ...
    • Rhems
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rhems have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rhems
      • Rhems is located in Georgetown County
    • Bethel
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bethel have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethel
      • Bethel is located in Georgetown County
    • Toddville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toddville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toddville
      • Toddville is located in Horry County

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

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

The official website for Georgetown County: www.georgetowncountysc.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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>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- Pawleys Island) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pawleys Island. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.4324, Longitude: -79.1218    
<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 Pawleys Island, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024