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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 Union (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 Union. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

Union is located in Union County and is the County Seat.

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 Union County: Cherokee, Chester, Fairfield, Laurens, Newberry, Spartanburg & York.

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

  • Union County     (The home county of Union)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Buffalo
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Bonham
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bonham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonham
      • Bonham is located in Union County
    • Bishop Town ‑ Historic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bishop Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop Town
      • Bishop Town is located in Union County
    • Bailey Town ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bailey Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bailey Town
      • Bailey Town is located in Union County
    • Jonesville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Red Town ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Town
      • Red Town is located in Union County
    • Colerain
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colerain have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colerain
      • Colerain is located in Union County
    • Lockhart
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Carlisle
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Sartor Town
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sartor Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sartor Town
      • Sartor Town is located in Union County
    • Tuckertown
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuckertown
      • Tuckertown is located in Union County
  • Cherokee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Gaffney
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • East Gaffney
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Gaffney have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Gaffney
      • East Gaffney is located in Cherokee County
    • Macedonia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macedonia
      • Macedonia is located in Cherokee County
    • Kings Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Blacksburg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Chester County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Cabal
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cabal
      • Cabal is located in Chester County
    • Gayle Mill
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gayle Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gayle Mill
      • Gayle Mill is located in Chester County
    • Lowrys
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lowrys have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lowrys
      • Lowrys is located in Chester County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Chester
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Eureka Mill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka Mill
      • Eureka Mill is located in Chester County
    • Cornwell
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornwell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornwell
      • Cornwell is located in Chester County
    • Blackstock
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Smith
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith
      • Smith is located in Chester County
  • Fairfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Blair
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Woodward
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodward have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodward
      • Woodward is located in Fairfield County
  • Laurens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Renno
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renno
      • Renno is located in Laurens County
    • Tylersville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tylersville
      • Tylersville is located in Laurens County
    • Clinton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Joanna
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Kinards
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Laurens
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Gray Court
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Lisbon ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lisbon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
      • Lisbon is located in Laurens County
  • Newberry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Whitmire
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Glymphville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glymphville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glymphville
      • Glymphville is located in Newberry County
    • Newberry
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Smyrna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Spartanburg County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Pacolet
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pacolet
      • Pacolet is located in Spartanburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,604 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pacolet <1>
    • Cross Anchor
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Central Pacolet
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central Pacolet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Pacolet
      • Central Pacolet is located in Spartanburg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
    • Pacolet Mills
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Pauline
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • White Stone
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Camp Croft
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Croft
      • Camp Croft is located in Spartanburg County
    • Glendale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Enoree
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Clifton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Converse
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Roebuck
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Moore
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Union, with the one closest to Union listed first.
    • Hopewell
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hopewell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopewell
      • Hopewell is located in York County
    • Blairsville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blairsville
      • Blairsville is located in York County
    • Hickory Grove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Sharon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • McConnells
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Smyrna
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • York
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Union ...

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 19 newspapers that have been published in the area around Union.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Union. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Union and those printed in the larger area surrounding Union.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 18 miles [29 km]<3> of Union.

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 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 Union:

Cemeteries Near Union ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Union.

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

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

  • Grace Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grace Cemetery
  • Forest Lawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Lawn Cemetery
  • Rosemont Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rosemont Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rosemont Cemetery
  • Union Memorial Gardens
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Memorial Gardens
  • Humphries Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Humphries Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Humphries Cemetery
  • Palmer Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Palmer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Palmer Cemetery
  • Swink - Little Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swink - Little Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swink - Little Cemetery
  • Sanders Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sanders Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sanders Cemetery
  • Upper Fairforest Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Upper Fairforest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Upper Fairforest Cemetery
  • Sardis Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sardis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sardis Cemetery
  • Hebron Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hebron Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hebron Cemetery
  • Maple Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (361 more) ...
    • Sunset Memorial Gardens
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunset Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunset Memorial Gardens
    • McBride Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McBride Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McBride Cemetery
    • Rice Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rice Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rice 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 Union had a population of 1,609 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Union had a population of 7,535 people.

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

  • Bonham
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bonham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonham
    • Bonham is located in Union County
  • Meador ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meador have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meador
    • Meador is located in Union County
  • Jonesville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Santuc
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Santuc have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santuc
    • Santuc is located in Union County
  • Kelton
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kelton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelton
    • Kelton is located in Union County
  • Sedalia
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sedalia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sedalia
    • Sedalia is located in Union County
  • West Springs
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Springs
    • West Springs is located in Union County
  • Colerain
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colerain have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colerain
    • Colerain is located in Union County
  • Cross Keys
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cross Keys have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cross Keys
    • Cross Keys is located in Union County
  • Ada ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ada have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ada
    • Ada is located in Union County
  • Delta
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delta
    • Delta is located in Union County
  • Carlisle
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Dutchman
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dutchman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dutchman
      • Dutchman is located in Spartanburg County
    • Goshen Hill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goshen Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen Hill
      • Goshen Hill is located in Union County
    • Wilksburg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilksburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilksburg
      • Wilksburg is located in Chester County

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

The official website for Union: www.cityofunion.net/

The official website for Union County: www.countyofunion.com/

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 'straight-line' (or 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- Union) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Union. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.7153, Longitude: -81.6238    
<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 Union, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024