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 Brightstar (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 Brightstar. 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/Parishes ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties/parishes.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals 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/parishes 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/parishes, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Brightstar is located in Miller County.
To see how the shape of Arkansas' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Miller County: Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River, Bossier (LA), Caddo (LA), Bowie (TX) & Cass (TX).
Below are the counties/parishes that are near Brightstar. For each of these counties/parishes, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Brightstar:
- Miller County (The home county of Brightstar)
- The following are listed by their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Doddridge
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Capps City
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Capps City is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Capps City
- Fouke
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Roberts ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Roberts is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts
- Genoa
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Genoa is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa
- Rondo
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Rondo is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rondo
- Texarkana
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Garland
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Garland is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 235 people
- Columbia County
- The following are listed by their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Taylor
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Welcome
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Welcome is located in Columbia County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welcome
- Lafayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Gin City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Gin City is located in Lafayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gin City
- Walnut Hill
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Walnut Hill is located in Lafayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Hill
- Bradley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Kress City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Kress City is located in Lafayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kress City
- Lewisville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- McKamie
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- McKamie is located in Lafayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McKamie
- Old Town
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Old Town is located in Lafayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Town
- Bossier Parish (LA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Plain Dealing
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Alden Bridge
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Alden Bridge is located in Bossier Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alden Bridge
- Caddo Parish (LA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Zylks
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Zylks is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zylks
- Frog Level ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Frog Level is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frog Level
- Rodessa
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Ida
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Ida is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ida
- Population from the 2020 Census: 208 people
- Missionary
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Missionary is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missionary
- Garfield ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Garfield is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
- Vivian
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Hosston
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Black Bayou ‑ Historic
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Black Bayou is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Bayou
- Gilliam
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Oil City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Belcher
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Bowie County (TX)
- The following are listed by their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Sulphur
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Sulphur is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sulphur
- Wake Village
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Redwater
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Nash
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Nash is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nash
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,781 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nash <1>
- Texarkana
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Maud
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Maud is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maud
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,063 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maud <1>
- Red Lick
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Red Lick is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Lick
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,025 people
- Leary
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Leary is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leary
- Population from the 2020 Census: 502 people
- Victory City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Victory City is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victory City
- Carbondale
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Carbondale is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbondale
- Hooks
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Cass County (TX)
- The following are listed by their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Bloomburg
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Queen City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Atlanta
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Springdale
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Springdale is located in Cass County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
- Huffins
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Huffins is located in Cass County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huffins
- Domino
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Domino is located in Cass County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Domino
- Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
- McLeod
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Bivins
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Kildare
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Douglassville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Linden
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Red Hill
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Red Hill is located in Cass County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill
- Harrison County (TX)
- Uncertain
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Marion County (TX)
- Lodi
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Brightstar, see our County-by-County Page for Brightstar.
Cemeteries Near Brightstar ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brightstar.
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.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Brightstar - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Brightstar covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- New Hope Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Sulphur Fork Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Salem Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Salem Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 4 miles [6.4 km]<2> to the east of Atlanta (TX).
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #6664 <3>
- Brown Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- New Hope Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Beech Creek Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Walters Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Slaughter Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slaughter Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Slaughter Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located less than 2 miles<2> to the north of Rodessa (LA).
- The Slaughter Cemetery has also been known as:
- Rodessa Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #68985 <3>
- Antioch Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Queen City Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Blanton Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Pine Crest Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Continue List (145 more) ...
- Josey Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Good Exchange Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Fouke Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
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.<4>
While we didn't find Brightstar in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Brightstar.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Brightstar, with the one closest to Brightstar listed first.
- Era ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Era is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Era
- Frog Level ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Frog Level is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frog Level
- Boggy
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Boggy is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boggy
- Queen City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Lanark
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Lanark is located in Cass County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanark
- Atlanta
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Huffins
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Huffins is located in Cass County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huffins
- Missionary
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Missionary is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missionary
- Fouke
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Springdale
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Springdale is located in Cass County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
- Bivins
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Roberts ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Roberts is located in Miller County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Garfield ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Garfield is located in Caddo Parish (LA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
- Sulphur
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Sulphur is located in Bowie County (TX)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sulphur
- Walnut Hill
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Walnut Hill is located in Lafayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Hill
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Brightstar. See our List of 1890's Communities around Brightstar.
Newspapers Published in Brightstar ...
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 18 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brightstar.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Brightstar, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Brightstar.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Brightstar:
- Websites specific to Arkansas
- Pages specific to Miller County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Columbia County
- Lafayette County
- Bossier Parish
- Caddo Parish
- Bowie County
- Cass County
- Harrison County
- Marion County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Arkansas
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> | 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- Brightstar) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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 Brightstar, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |