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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 Abilene (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 Abilene. 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.

A Few Details for Abilene ...

While it's still very early in our research, we found that:

  • The city of Abilene was established in 1881.
  • It was incorporated in 1881.

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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Abilene is primarily located in Taylor County and is the County Seat. A portion of Abilene extends into Jones County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Taylor County: Callahan, Coleman, Fisher, Jones, Nolan, Runnels & Shackelford.

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

  • Taylor County     (The home county of Abilene)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Abilene, with the one closest to Abilene listed first.
    • Impact
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Impact have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Impact
      • Impact is located in Taylor County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
    • Hamby
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamby
      • Hamby is located in Taylor County
    • Tye
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tye have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tye
      • Tye is located in Taylor County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,341 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tye <2>
    • Potosi
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Potosi have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potosi
      • Potosi is located in Taylor County
    • Buffalo Gap
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo Gap
      • Buffalo Gap is located in Taylor County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
    • Mount Pleasant
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Pleasant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
      • Mount Pleasant is located in Taylor County
    • Tuscola
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tuscola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuscola
      • Tuscola is located in Taylor County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 735 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tuscola <2>
    • Merkel
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Ovalo
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ovalo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ovalo
      • Ovalo is located in Taylor County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ovalo <2>
    • Lawn
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Trent
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Callahan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Abilene, with the one closest to Abilene listed first.
    • Eula
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eula
      • Eula is located in Callahan County
    • Clyde
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clyde have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clyde
      • Clyde is located in Callahan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,881 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clyde <2>
    • Denton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denton
      • Denton is located in Callahan County
      • Denton has also been known as:
      • Denton Valley
    • Baird
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baird
      • Baird is located in Callahan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,496 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baird <2>
    • Belle Plain ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belle Plain have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Plain
      • Belle Plain is located in Callahan County
    • Rowden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowden
      • Rowden is located in Callahan County
  • Coleman County
    • Goldsboro
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goldsboro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goldsboro
      • Goldsboro is located in Coleman County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Goldsboro <2>
  • Jones County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Abilene, with the one closest to Abilene listed first.
    • Hawley
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hawley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawley
      • Hawley is located in Jones County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 625 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hawley <2>
    • Fort Phantom Hill ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Phantom Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Phantom Hill
      • Fort Phantom Hill is located in Jones County
    • Stith
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stith
      • Stith is located in Jones County
    • Funston
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Funston
      • Funston is located in Jones County
    • Anson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anson
      • Anson is located in Jones County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,275 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Anson <2>
    • Lueders
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lueders have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lueders
      • Lueders is located in Jones County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 333 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lueders <2>
    • Avoca
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Radium
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radium
      • Radium is located in Jones County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Abilene ...

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 60 newspapers that have been published in the area around Abilene.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Abilene. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Abilene and those printed in the larger area surrounding Abilene.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Abilene.

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 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 Abilene:

Cemeteries Near Abilene ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Abilene.

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

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

  • Cedar Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Hill Cemetery
  • Abilene State Hospital Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Abilene State Hospital Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Abilene State Hospital Cemetery
  • Elmwood Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elmwood Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elmwood Memorial Park
  • Little Elm Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Elm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Elm Cemetery
  • Old Colony Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Colony Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Colony Cemetery
  • Tye Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Iberis Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Potosi Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Potosi Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Potosi Cemetery
  • Hamby Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hamby Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hamby Cemetery
  • Round Mound Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Round Mound Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Round Mound Cemetery
  • Drummond Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Drummond Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Drummond Cemetery
  • Mid Way Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mid Way Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mid Way Cemetery
  • Continue List   (31 more) ...
    • Seaton Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Seaton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Seaton Cemetery
    • Hawley Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hawley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hawley Cemetery
    • Eula Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eula Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eula 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 Abilene had a population of 3,194 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Abilene had a population of 124,407 people.

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

  • Elmdale
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmdale
    • Elmdale is located in Taylor County
  • Buffalo Gap
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo Gap
    • Buffalo Gap is located in Taylor County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
  • Clyde
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clyde have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clyde
    • Clyde is located in Callahan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,881 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clyde <2>
  • Phantom Hill
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phantom Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phantom Hill
    • Phantom Hill is located in Jones County
  • Merkel
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Baird
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baird
    • Baird is located in Callahan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,496 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Baird <2>
  • Trent
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Guion
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guion have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guion
    • Guion is located in Taylor County
  • Belle Plain ‑ Historic
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belle Plain have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Plain
    • Belle Plain is located in Callahan County
  • Anson
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anson
    • Anson is located in Jones County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,275 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Anson <2>

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

The official website for Abilene: www.abilenetx.com/

The official website for Taylor County: www.taylorcountytexas.org/

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Abilene) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Abilene. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.4495, Longitude: -99.7330    
<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 Abilene, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024