RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of South Carolina >> Hampton County >> Speaks Mill >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
South Carolina

The Commemorative Quarter for South Carolina





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 Speaks Mill (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 Speaks Mill. 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 Speaks Mill ...

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 Speaks Mill: Speaks Ml. (or less commonly used: Speaks Mll.)
  • While the name of this community is Speaks Mill, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Speaks Mill may originally have been Speak's Mill.

    Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Speaks Mill might be written as Speak Mill.

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 northeast 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 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 east 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.

Speaks Mill is located in Hampton 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 Hampton County: Effingham (GA), Screven (GA), Allendale, Bamberg, Beaufort, Colleton & Jasper.

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

  • Hampton County     (The home county of Speaks Mill)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Estill
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Hampton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Varnville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Luray
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Furman
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Gifford
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Scotia
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Pond Town
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pond Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pond Town
      • Pond Town is located in Hampton County
    • Brunson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Crocketville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Barkerville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barkerville
      • Barkerville is located in Hampton County
      • Barkerville has also been known as:
      • Haywardville
    • Early Branch
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Garnett
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Allendale County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Fairfax
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Sycamore
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Allendale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Ulmer
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Martin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Bamberg County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Ehrhardt
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Olar
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olar
      • Olar is located in Bamberg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 228 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Olar <2>
  • Barnwell County
    • Kline
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Beaufort County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Yemassee
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Sheldon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Lobeco
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Seabrook
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Dale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Laurel Bay
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel Bay
      • Laurel Bay is located in Beaufort County
  • Colleton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Islandton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Sniders Crossroads
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sniders Crossroads
      • Sniders Crossroads is located in Colleton County
    • Ashton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
      • Ashton is located in Colleton County
    • Lodge
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Ruffin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Williams
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Walterboro
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Smoaks
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Green Pond
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Ritter
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ritter have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ritter
      • Ritter is located in Colleton County
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Pineland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Tillman
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Ridgeland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Effingham County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Two Sisters Ferry
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Two Sisters Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Two Sisters Ferry
      • Two Sisters Ferry is located in Effingham County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 3,063 people
    • Clyo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Haddonville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Haddonville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haddonville
      • Haddonville is located in Effingham County (GA)
      • Estimated population in 2019: 965 people
    • Egypt
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egypt
      • Egypt is located in Effingham County (GA)
    • Springfield
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Screven County (GA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Speaks Mill, with the one closest to Speaks Mill listed first.
    • Newington
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newington have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newington
      • Newington is located in Screven County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 264 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Newington <2>
    • Oliver
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oliver have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oliver
      • Oliver is located in Screven County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 228 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oliver <2>
    • Captolo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Captolo have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Captolo
      • Captolo is located in Screven County (GA)
    • Sylvania
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvania
      • Sylvania is located in Screven County (GA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,450 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sylvania <2>
    • Hiltonia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Speaks Mill ...

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 17 newspapers that have been published in the area around Speaks Mill.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Speaks Mill, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Speaks Mill.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Speaks Mill:

Cemeteries Near Speaks Mill ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Speaks Mill.

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

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

  • Ginn Family Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Nixville Baptist Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Crapse Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Live Oak Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • DeLoach Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Thames Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Winn Wynn Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Sand Hill Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Peeples Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (173 more) ...
    • Varnville Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Hampton Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Browning Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Browning Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Browning 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>

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

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

  • Estill
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Horsegall
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horsegall have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horsegall
    • Horsegall is located in Hampton County
  • Almeda
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Almeda have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Almeda
    • Almeda is located in Hampton County
  • Varnville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Hampton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Luray
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Stafford
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stafford have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stafford
    • Stafford is located in Hampton County
  • Scotia
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Cummings
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cummings have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cummings
    • Cummings is located in Hampton County
  • Gifford
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Peeples ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peeples have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peeples
    • Peeples is located in Hampton County
  • Brunson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Crocketville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Shirley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shirley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
      • Shirley is located in Hampton County
    • Garnett
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)

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

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

The official website for Hampton County: www.hamptoncountysc.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- Speaks Mill) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Speaks Mill. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.7729, Longitude: -81.1434       In this case, the coordinates for Speaks Mill have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Speaks Mill, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024