Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Defiance. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Defiance to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Defiance, please Contact Us.
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 Defiance (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 Defiance. 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 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 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.
Although our information shows that the community of Defiance is historic, it would have been located within present day White 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 White County: Cleburne, Faulkner, Independence, Jackson, Lonoke, Prairie & Woodruff.
Below are the counties that are near Defiance. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Defiance:
- White County (The home county of Defiance)
- The following are listed by their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Walker
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Walker is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Garner
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Griffithville
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Griffithville is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griffithville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
- McRae
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- McRae is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McRae
- Population from the 2020 Census: 671 people
- Higginson
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Higginson is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higginson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 743 people
- Beebe
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Searcy
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Kensett
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- West Point
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- West Point is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Point
- Population from the 2020 Census: 176 people
- Judsonia
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Center Hill
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Center Hill is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Hill
- Floyd
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Floyd is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Floyd
- Cleburne County
- The following are listed by their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Rainbow Island
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Rainbow Island is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rainbow Island
- Yuba
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Yuba is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yuba
- Wilburn
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Wilburn is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilburn
- Faulkner County
- The following are listed by their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Mount Vernon
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Mount Vernon is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Vernon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
- Otto
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Otto is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otto
- Vilonia
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Enola
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Enola is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enola
- Population from the 2020 Census: 354 people
- Beryl
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Beryl is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beryl
- Lonoke County
- The following are listed by their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Ward
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Grove is located in Lonoke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
- Austin
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Austin is located in Lonoke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Austin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,504 people
- Cabot
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Parnell
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Parnell is located in Lonoke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parnell
- Carlisle
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- McCreanor
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- McCreanor is located in Lonoke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCreanor
- Sisemore
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Sisemore is located in Lonoke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sisemore
- Lonoke
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Bayou Meto
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Bayou Meto is located in Lonoke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Meto
- Prairie County
- The following are listed by their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Hickory Plains
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Hickory Plains is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Plains
- Des Arc
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Sand Hill
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Sand Hill is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Hill
- Little Dixie
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Little Dixie is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Dixie
- Screeton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Screeton is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Screeton
- Cuneo ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Cuneo is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuneo
- Hazen
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Biscoe
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Biscoe is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biscoe
- Brasfield
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Brasfield is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brasfield
- De Valls Bluff
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Fredonia
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Fredonia is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 343 people
- Tollville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Tollville is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tollville
- Pulaski County
- The following are listed by their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Jacksonville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Gravel Ridge
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Woodruff County
- The following are listed by their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Gregory
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Gregory is located in Woodruff County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gregory
- Flynn ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Flynn is located in Woodruff County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flynn
- Augusta
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Howell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Howell is located in Woodruff County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howell
- Colona
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Colona is located in Woodruff County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colona
- Cotton Plant
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Patterson
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Patterson is located in Woodruff County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 388 people
- Riverside
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Riverside is located in Woodruff County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Defiance, see our County-by-County Page for Defiance.
Cemeteries Near Defiance ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Defiance.
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 Defiance - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Defiance covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Cheek Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Walker Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Liberty Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Goodman Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Dogwood Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Dogwood Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Bryles Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Pleasant Ridge Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Belcher Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Weir Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Bass Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Powell Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (200 more) ...
- Johnson Chapel Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Ford Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Griffin Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
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.
While we didn't find Defiance in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Defiance.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Defiance, with the one closest to Defiance listed first.
- Walker
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Walker is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Garner
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Egbert ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Egbert is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egbert
- McRae
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- McRae is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McRae
- Population from the 2020 Census: 671 people
- Higginson
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Higginson is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higginson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 743 people
- Beebe
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Hickory Plains
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Hickory Plains is located in Prairie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Plains
- Searcy
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- West Point
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- West Point is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Point
- Population from the 2020 Census: 176 people
- Kensett
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Butlerville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Butlerville is located in Lonoke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butlerville
- Antioch
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Antioch is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antioch
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Judsonia
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Ward
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Floyd
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Floyd is located in White County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Floyd
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Defiance. See our List of 1890's Communities around Defiance.
Newspapers Published in Defiance ...
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 55 newspapers that have been published in the area around Defiance.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Defiance, there are papers which were published within 18 miles [29 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Defiance.
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 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 Defiance:
- Websites specific to Arkansas
- Pages specific to White County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cleburne County
- Faulkner County
- Lonoke County
- Prairie County
- Pulaski County
- Woodruff County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Arkansas
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 Defiance, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <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 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> | 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- Defiance) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |