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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 Red Star (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 Red Star. 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 Red Star ...

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 occur.

Another variation: Restar.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Red Star. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Red Star.

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 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.

Red Star is located in Lexington County.

To see how the shape of South Carolina's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Lexington County: Aiken, Calhoun, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland & Saluda.

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

  • Lexington County     (The home county of Red Star)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Lake Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Lake Village is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Village
    • Ella
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Ella is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ella
    • Clubhouse Crossroads
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Clubhouse Crossroads is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clubhouse Crossroads
    • Fredonia
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Fredonia is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
    • Summit
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Summit is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 486 people
    • Leesville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Gilbert
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Batesburg - Leesville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Batesburg - Leesville is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesburg - Leesville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,402 people
    • Batesburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Chapin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Chapin is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,664 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chapin <1>
    • Lexington
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Red Bank
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Red Bank is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Bank
    • Irmo
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Irmo is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irmo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,734 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irmo <1>
  • Aiken County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Monetta
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Seivern
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Seivern is located in Aiken County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seivern
    • Camp Rawls
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Camp Rawls is located in Aiken County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Rawls
    • Wagener
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Perry
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Eureka
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Eureka is located in Aiken County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
  • Edgefield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Johnston
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Trenton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Fairfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Jenkinsville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Rock Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Rock Hill is located in Fairfield County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Hill
    • Monticello
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Monticello is located in Fairfield County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monticello
    • Blair
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Rion
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Lancaster County
  • Laurens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Anglers Haven
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Anglers Haven is located in Laurens County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anglers Haven
    • Kinards
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Newberry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Slighs
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Slighs is located in Newberry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slighs
    • Stoney Hill
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Stoney Hill is located in Newberry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoney Hill
    • Little Mountain
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Prosperity
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Pomaria
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Peak
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Peak is located in Newberry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peak
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 65 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Peak <1>
    • Union
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Union is located in Newberry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
    • Newberry
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Silverstreet
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Sondleys ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Sondleys is located in Newberry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sondleys
    • Helena
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Helena is located in Newberry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helena
    • Old Town Ferry
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Old Town Ferry is located in Newberry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Town Ferry
    • Smyrna
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Richland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Lake Murray of Richland
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • White Rock
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Ballentine
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Dutch Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Dutch Village is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dutch Village
    • Saint Andrews
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Saint Andrews is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Andrews
    • Cedar Creek
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Cedar Creek is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Creek
    • Columbia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Belmont
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Hollywood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Hollywood is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollywood
    • Arthurtown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Arthurtown is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arthurtown
    • Brickyard Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Brickyard Village is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brickyard Village
    • Forest Acres
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Forest Acres is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Acres
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,269 people
    • Valencia Heights
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Valencia Heights is located in Richland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valencia Heights
  • Saluda County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Red Star, with the one closest to Red Star listed first.
    • Hickory Grove
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Hickory Grove is located in Saluda County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Grove
    • Ridge Spring
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Saluda
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Ward
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Red Star ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Red Star.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Red Star - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Red Star covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Old Lexington Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Old Salem Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Derrick Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Lightner - Christian Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Sease Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Mt. Hebron Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Etheredge Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mitchell Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Fullmer Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Banks Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Hendrix Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Macedonia Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (333 more) ...
    • Wise Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Butler Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Barr Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)

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.<2>

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

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

  • Ella
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Ella is located in Lexington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ella
  • Fredonia
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Fredonia is located in Lexington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
  • Summit
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Summit is located in Lexington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 486 people
  • Leesville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Batesburg
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Chapin
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Chapin is located in Lexington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapin
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,664 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chapin <1>
  • Slighs
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Slighs is located in Newberry County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slighs
  • Little Mountain
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Prosperity
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Samaria
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Samaria is located in Lexington County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Samaria
  • White Rock
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Monetta
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Ballentine
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Ridge Spring
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Irmo
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Irmo is located in Lexington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irmo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,734 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irmo <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Red Star ...

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 44 newspapers that have been published in the area around Red Star.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Red Star, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Red Star.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Red Star:

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>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 Red Star, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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 from Point A (ie- Red Star) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.