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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 Columbia (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 Columbia. 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 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.

Columbia is located in Maury County and is the County Seat.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Maury County: Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Marshall & Williamson.

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

  • Maury County     (The home county of Columbia)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Graymere Manor
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graymere Manor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graymere Manor
      • Graymere Manor is located in Maury County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 1,222 people
    • Ben ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ben have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ben
      • Ben is located in Maury County
    • Armour Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Armour Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armour Village
      • Armour Village is located in Maury County
    • Ashwood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ashwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashwood
      • Ashwood is located in Maury County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ashwood
      • From Columbia to Ashwood
    • Zion
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Carters Creek
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Mowd ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mowd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mowd
      • Mowd is located in Maury County
    • New Hope
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Hope have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Hope
      • New Hope is located in Maury County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 1,070 people
    • Philadelphia
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Philadelphia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
      • Philadelphia is located in Maury County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 683 people
    • Leftwich
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leftwich. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leftwich
      • Leftwich is located in Maury County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leftwich
      • From Columbia to Leftwich
    • Jameson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Broadview
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Culleoka
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Bedford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Palmetto
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palmetto have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmetto
      • Palmetto is located in Bedford County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 661 people
    • Unionville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Whitaker
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Anchor Mill ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Longview
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Davidson County
    • Linton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Linton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linton
      • Linton is located in Davidson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Linton
      • From Columbia to Linton
  • Dickson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Spencers Mill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Abiff
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Abiff. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abiff
      • Abiff is located in Dickson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Abiff
      • From Columbia to Abiff
  • Giles County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Lynnville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Bufords
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bufords. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bufords
      • Bufords is located in Giles County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bufords
      • From Columbia to Bufords
    • Olivet
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Olivet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olivet
      • Olivet is located in Giles County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 1,350 people
    • Trigg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trigg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trigg
      • Trigg is located in Giles County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 851 people
    • Wales
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wales. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wales
      • Wales is located in Giles County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 2,031 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wales
      • From Columbia to Wales
    • Weakley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Powell Chapel
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powell Chapel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell Chapel
      • Powell Chapel is located in Giles County
    • Bodenham
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bodenham. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bodenham
      • Bodenham is located in Giles County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bodenham
      • From Columbia to Bodenham
    • Gordon
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gordon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
      • Gordon is located in Giles County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 1,192 people
    • Pulaski
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Aymett Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aymett Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aymett Town
      • Aymett Town is located in Giles County
    • Bradshaw ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bradshaw. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradshaw
      • Bradshaw is located in Giles County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bradshaw
      • From Columbia to Bradshaw
    • Frankewing
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Hickman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Duck River
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Primm Springs
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Littlelot
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Tottys Bend
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Graytown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graytown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graytown
      • Graytown is located in Hickman County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 1,528 people
    • Swan Bluff
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Swan Bluff. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swan Bluff
      • Swan Bluff is located in Hickman County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Swan Bluff
      • From Columbia to Swan Bluff
    • Bon Aqua Junction
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bon Aqua Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bon Aqua Junction
      • Bon Aqua Junction is located in Hickman County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 1,230 people
    • Centerville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Wrigley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wrigley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrigley
      • Wrigley is located in Hickman County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 281 people
    • Aetna
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Lyles
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyles have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyles
      • Lyles is located in Hickman County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 734 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyles <3>
    • Graham
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Graham. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graham
      • Graham is located in Hickman County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Graham
      • From Columbia to Graham
    • Nunnelly
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Lawrence County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Webber City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Webber City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webber City
      • Webber City is located in Lawrence County
    • Ethridge
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ethridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ethridge
      • Ethridge is located in Lawrence County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 485 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ethridge <3>
    • Henryville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Flatwoods
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Park Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • New Prospect
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Prospect have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Prospect
      • New Prospect is located in Lawrence County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 6,880 people
    • Lawrenceburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Lewis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Kimmins
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kimmins. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimmins
      • Kimmins is located in Lewis County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kimmins
      • From Columbia to Kimmins
    • Hohenwald
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Lincoln County
  • Marshall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbia, with the one closest to Columbia listed first.
    • Berlin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • South Berlin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Caney Spring
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Globe
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Verona
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Verona. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verona
      • Verona is located in Marshall County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Verona
      • From Columbia to Verona
    • Lewisburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Cochran
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cochran. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cochran
      • Cochran is located in Marshall County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cochran
      • From Columbia to Cochran
    • Chapel Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Holts Corner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Cornersville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • New Town
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Town
      • New Town is located in Marshall County
    • Oak Hill
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Hill
      • Oak Hill is located in Marshall County
    • Orrs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orrs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orrs
      • Orrs is located in Marshall County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 123 people
  • Rutherford County
  • Williamson County

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

Cemeteries Near Columbia ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Columbia.

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

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

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Columbia had a population of 5,370 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Columbia had a population of 41,826 people.

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

  • Godwin
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Godwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Godwin
    • Godwin is located in Maury County
  • Ben ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ben have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ben
    • Ben is located in Maury County
  • Ashwood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ashwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashwood
    • Ashwood is located in Maury County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Ashwood
    • From Columbia to Ashwood
  • Bigbyville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bigbyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigbyville
    • Bigbyville is located in Maury County
  • Hill
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill
    • Hill is located in Maury County
  • Mowd ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mowd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mowd
    • Mowd is located in Maury County
  • Carters Creek
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Canaan
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canaan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canaan
    • Canaan is located in Maury County
  • Lasea
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lasea have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lasea
    • Lasea is located in Maury County
  • Broadview
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Culleoka
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Pleasant Grove
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Grove
    • Pleasant Grove is located in Maury County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Leftwich
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leftwich. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leftwich
      • Leftwich is located in Maury County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leftwich
      • From Columbia to Leftwich
    • Kedron
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kedron have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kedron
      • Kedron is located in Maury County
    • Santa Fe
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Columbia ...

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 45 newspapers that have been published in the area around Columbia.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Columbia. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Columbia and those printed in the larger area surrounding Columbia.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 10 miles [16.1 km]<5> of Columbia.

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 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 Columbia:

The official website for Columbia: www.columbiatn.com/

The official website for State of Tennessee: https://www.tn.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Columbia) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Columbia. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 35.6150, Longitude: -87.0356    
<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 Columbia, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025