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 Harrisburg (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 Harrisburg. 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 doctors 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.
Harrisburg is located in Poinsett County and is the County Seat.
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 Poinsett County: Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Jackson & Mississippi.
Below are the counties that are near Harrisburg. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Harrisburg:
- Poinsett County (The home county of Harrisburg)
- The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Greenfield
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Greenfield is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Weiner
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Weiner is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weiner
- Population from the 2020 Census: 662 people
- Waldenburg
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Hatchie Coon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Hatchie Coon is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatchie Coon
- Trumann
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Fisher
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Fisher is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fisher
- Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
- Marked Tree
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Black Oak
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Black Oak is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Oak
- Alto
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Alto is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alto
- Tyronza
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Lepanto
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Rivervale
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Rivervale is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rivervale
- Craighead County
- The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Obear ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Obear is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Obear
- Bay
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Bay is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,816 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bay <1>
- Jonesboro
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Cash
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Cash is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cash
- Population from the 2020 Census: 359 people
- Philadelphia
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Philadelphia is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
- Lake City
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Bono
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Egypt
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Brookland
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Caraway
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Black Oak
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Black Oak is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Oak
- Population from the 2020 Census: 259 people
- Lake View
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Lake View is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake View
- Crittenden County
- The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Poindexter
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Poindexter is located in Crittenden County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poindexter
- Earle
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Heafer
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Heafer is located in Crittenden County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heafer
- Gilmore
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Gilmore is located in Crittenden County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilmore
- Population from the 2020 Census: 244 people
- Turrell
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Cross County
- The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Bay Village
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Bay Village is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Village
- Cherry Valley
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Vanndale
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Vanndale is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vanndale
- Twist
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Twist is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twist
- Hickory Ridge
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Hickory Ridge is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Ridge
- Population from the 2020 Census: 233 people
- Levesque
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Levesque is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levesque
- Parkin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Wynne
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Balch
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Balch is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balch
- Grubbs
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Grubbs is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grubbs
- Population from the 2020 Census: 353 people
- Amagon
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Amagon is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amagon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 90 people
- Algoa
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Algoa is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Algoa
- Beedeville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Beedeville is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beedeville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 97 people
- Remmel
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Remmel is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remmel
- Gourd Neck
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Gourd Neck is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gourd Neck
- Airport Village
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Airport Village is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airport Village
- Auvergne
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Auvergne is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auvergne
- Swifton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Swifton is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swifton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 733 people
- Tuckerman
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Shoffner
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Shoffner is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shoffner
- Weldon
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Weldon is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weldon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 68 people
- Lawrence County
- The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Sedgwick
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Alicia
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Alicia is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alicia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
- Mississippi County
- The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Whitton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Whitton is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitton
- Birdsong
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Birdsong is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birdsong
- Population from the 2020 Census: 41 people
- Denwood
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Denwood is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denwood
- West Ridge
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- West Ridge is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Ridge
- Dyess
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Etowah
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Etowah is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etowah
- Population from the 2020 Census: 312 people
- Frenchmans Bayou
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Frenchmans Bayou is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenchmans Bayou
- Saint Francis County
- Colt
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Colt is located in Saint Francis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colt
- Population from the 2020 Census: 331 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colt <1>
- Woodruff County
- Morton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Morton is located in Woodruff County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morton
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Harrisburg, see our County-by-County Page for Harrisburg.
Cemeteries Near Harrisburg ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Harrisburg.
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 Harrisburg - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Harrisburg covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Harris Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Hays Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Harrisburg Memorial Park
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Spencer Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Stancell Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Bethel Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Newsom Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Holly Springs Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Bolivar Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Farm Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Wilson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Tyer Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Continue List (181 more) ...
- Willis Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Houston Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Stark Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
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.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Harrisburg had a population of 482 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Harrisburg had a population of 2,289 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
- Whitehall
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Whitehall is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitehall
- Greenfield
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Greenfield is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Buffalolick ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Buffalolick is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalolick
- Bay Village
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Bay Village is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Village
- McDaniel
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- McDaniel is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDaniel
- Weiner
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Weiner is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weiner
- Population from the 2020 Census: 662 people
- Cherry Valley
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Obear ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Obear is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Obear
- Ridge
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Ridge is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridge
- Hatchie Coon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Hatchie Coon is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatchie Coon
- Fisher
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Fisher is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fisher
- Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
- Bay
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Bay is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,816 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bay <1>
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Vanndale
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Vanndale is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vanndale
- Marked Tree
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Hickory Ridge
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Hickory Ridge is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Ridge
- Population from the 2020 Census: 233 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Harrisburg. See our List of 1890's Communities around Harrisburg.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Harrisburg ...
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 34 newspapers that have been published in the area around Harrisburg.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Harrisburg. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Harrisburg and those printed in the larger area surrounding Harrisburg.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<4> of Harrisburg.
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 Harrisburg:
- Websites specific to Arkansas
- Pages specific to Poinsett County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Craighead County
- Crittenden County
- Cross County
- Jackson County
- Lawrence County
- Mississippi County
- Saint Francis County
- Woodruff 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> | 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. |
| <3> | 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 Harrisburg, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Harrisburg) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |