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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 Ridge Spring (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 Ridge Spring. 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 Ridge Spring ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Ridge Spring: Ridge Spg. (or less commonly used: Ridge Spng. or Ridge Sprng.)

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 northwest 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 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.

Ridge Spring is located in Saluda 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 Saluda County: Aiken, Edgefield, Greenwood, Lexington & Newberry.

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

  • Saluda County     (The home county of Ridge Spring)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ridge Spring, with the one closest to Ridge Spring listed first.
    • Ward
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Saluda
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Hickory Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Grove
      • Hickory Grove is located in Saluda County
  • Aiken County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ridge Spring, with the one closest to Ridge Spring listed first.
    • Monetta
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Camp Rawls
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Rawls
      • Camp Rawls is located in Aiken County
    • Seivern
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seivern
      • Seivern is located in Aiken County
    • Vaucluse
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Aiken
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Springdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
      • Springdale is located in Aiken County
    • Nicholson Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nicholson Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicholson Village
      • Nicholson Village is located in Aiken County
    • Roseland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roseland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseland
      • Roseland is located in Aiken County
    • Warrenville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Kitchings Mill
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kitchings Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kitchings Mill
      • Kitchings Mill is located in Aiken County
      • Kitchings Mill has also been known as:
      • Kinchens Mill
    • Wagener
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Graniteville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Edgefield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ridge Spring, with the one closest to Ridge Spring listed first.
    • Johnston
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Trenton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Edgefield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Murphys Estates
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murphys Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murphys Estates
      • Murphys Estates is located in Edgefield County
    • Colliers
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colliers
      • Colliers is located in Edgefield County
  • Greenwood County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ridge Spring, with the one closest to Ridge Spring listed first.
    • Ninety Six
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Springdale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
      • Springdale is located in Greenwood County
  • Laurens County
    • Anglers Haven
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anglers Haven
      • Anglers Haven is located in Laurens County
  • Lexington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ridge Spring, with the one closest to Ridge Spring listed first.
    • Batesburg
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Batesburg - Leesville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Batesburg - Leesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesburg - Leesville
      • Batesburg - Leesville is located in Lexington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,402 people
    • Leesville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Summit
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Summit have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
      • Summit is located in Lexington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 486 people
    • Gilbert
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Clubhouse Crossroads
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clubhouse Crossroads
      • Clubhouse Crossroads is located in Lexington County
    • Lake Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Village
      • Lake Village is located in Lexington County
    • Pelion
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Red Bank
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Bank have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Bank
      • Red Bank is located in Lexington County
    • Lexington
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Chapin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapin
      • Chapin is located in Lexington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,664 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chapin <1>
    • Oak Grove
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
      • Oak Grove is located in Lexington County
  • McCormick County
    • Liberty Hill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Hill
      • Liberty Hill is located in McCormick County
  • Newberry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ridge Spring, with the one closest to Ridge Spring listed first.
    • Old Town Ferry
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Old Town Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Town Ferry
      • Old Town Ferry is located in Newberry County
    • Silverstreet
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Chappells
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Prosperity
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Slighs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slighs
      • Slighs is located in Newberry County
    • Little Mountain
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Newberry
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Smyrna
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Union
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
      • Union is located in Newberry County
  • Richland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ridge Spring, with the one closest to Ridge Spring listed first.
    • Lake Murray of Richland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • White Rock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Richmond County (GA)
    • National Hills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for National Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for National Hills
      • National Hills is located in Richmond County (GA)

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

Newspapers Published in Ridge Spring ...

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 57 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ridge Spring.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ridge Spring, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ridge Spring.

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 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 Ridge Spring:

Cemeteries Near Ridge Spring ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ridge Spring.

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

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

  • Ridge Spring Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Jones Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jones Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jones Cemetery
  • Flat Rock Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Flat Rock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Flat Rock Cemetery
  • Watson Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Watson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Watson Cemetery
  • Mill Town Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mill Town Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mill Town Cemetery
  • Raiford Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Raiford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Raiford Cemetery
  • Rutland Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rutland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rutland Cemetery
  • Asbill Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Asbill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Asbill Cemetery
  • Watson Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Watson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Watson Cemetery
  • Holstein Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holstein Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holstein Cemetery
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
  • Burton Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Burton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Burton Cemetery
  • Continue List   (273 more) ...
    • Thraikill Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thraikill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thraikill Cemetery
    • Asbill Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Asbill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Asbill Cemetery
    • Morris Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morris 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Ridge Spring had a population of 390 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Ridge Spring had a population of 738 people.

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

  • Monetta
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Batesburg
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Johnston
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Leesville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Samaria
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Samaria have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Samaria
    • Samaria is located in Lexington County
  • Trenton
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Eureka
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eureka have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
    • Eureka is located in Aiken County
  • Fredonia
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
    • Fredonia is located in Lexington County
  • Milledgeville ‑ Historic
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milledgeville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milledgeville
    • Milledgeville is located in Aiken County
  • Summit
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Summit have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
    • Summit is located in Lexington County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 486 people
  • Croft
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Croft have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croft
    • Croft is located in Aiken County
  • Seivern
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seivern
    • Seivern is located in Aiken County
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Meeting Street
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meeting Street have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meeting Street
      • Meeting Street is located in Edgefield County
    • Vaucluse
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Aiken
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)

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

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

The official website for Saluda County: www.saludacounty.sc.gov/

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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Ridge Spring) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ridge Spring. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.8454, Longitude: -81.6619    
<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 Ridge Spring, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024