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 Jay (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 Jay. 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 hospitals and 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.
Jay is located in Greene 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 Greene County: Clay, Craighead, Lawrence, Randolph & Dunklin (MO).
Below are the counties that are near Jay. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Jay:
- Greene County (The home county of Jay)
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Marmaduke
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Lafe
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Lafe is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lafe
- Population from the 2020 Census: 458 people
- Bard
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Bard is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bard
- Oak Grove Heights
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Grove Heights is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove Heights
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,095 people
- Stonewall
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Stonewall is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonewall
- Paragould
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Beech Grove
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Beech Grove is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Grove
- Crowley
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Crowley is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crowley
- Pine Knot
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Pine Knot is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Knot
- Finch
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Finch is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finch
- Walcott
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Walcott is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walcott
- Delaplaine
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Delaplaine is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaplaine
- Population from the 2020 Census: 116 people
- Clay County
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Rector
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Greenway
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Greenway is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenway
- Population from the 2020 Census: 188 people
- Bell City
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Bell City is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell City
- McDougal
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- McDougal is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDougal
- Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people
- Nimmons
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Nimmons is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nimmons
- Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
- Piggott
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Knobel
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Knobel is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knobel
- Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
- Pollard
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Peach Orchard
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Peach Orchard is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peach Orchard
- Population from the 2020 Census: 123 people
- Corning
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Francis
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Moark
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Moark is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moark
- Craighead County
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Red Onion
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Red Onion is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Onion
- Monette
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Lake View
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Lake View is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake View
- Brookland
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Black Oak
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Black Oak is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Oak
- Population from the 2020 Census: 259 people
- Lake City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Philadelphia
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Philadelphia is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
- Mississippi County
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Arkmo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Arkmo is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arkmo
- Rington
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Rington is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rington
- Leachville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Manila
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Stark City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Stark City is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stark City
- Gosnell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Gosnell is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gosnell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,066 people
- Dell
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Dell is located in Mississippi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 184 people
- Randolph County
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Reyno
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Reyno is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reyno
- Population from the 2020 Census: 391 people
- Former names for Reyno:
- Cherokee Bay
- Esselwood
- Needmore
- O'Kean
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- O'Kean is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for O'Kean
- Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
- Biggers
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Biggers is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggers
- Population from the 2020 Census: 342 people
- Serene
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Serene is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Serene
- Peru
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Peru is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
- Skaggs
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Skaggs is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skaggs
- Butler County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Fagus
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Fagus is located in Butler County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fagus
- Neelyville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Oglesville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Oglesville is located in Butler County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oglesville
- Qulin
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Qulin is located in Butler County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Qulin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 459 people
- Dunklin County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Cardwell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Arbyrd
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Arbyrd is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arbyrd
- Population from the 2020 Census: 458 people
- Senath
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Senath is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Senath
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,596 people
- Cockrum
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Cockrum is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cockrum
- Red Onion
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Red Onion is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Onion
- Caruth
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Caruth is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caruth
- Arkmo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Arkmo is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arkmo
- Cotton Plant
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Cotton Plant is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cotton Plant
- Kennett
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Hornersville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Hornersville is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hornersville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 586 people
- Rington
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Rington is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rington
- Rives
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Rives is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rives
- Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
- New Madrid County (MO)
- Gideon
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Pemiscot County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Gobler
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Gobler is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gobler
- Bragg City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Bragg City is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bragg City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
- Mid City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Mid City is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mid City
- Peach Orchard
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Peach Orchard is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peach Orchard
- Deering
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Deering is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deering
- Steele
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Braggadocio
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Braggadocio is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braggadocio
- Holland
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Holland is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 193 people
- Pascola
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Pascola is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pascola
- Population from the 2020 Census: 93 people
- Homestown
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Homestown is located in Pemiscot County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homestown
- Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
- Ripley County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Naylor
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Naylor is located in Ripley County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naylor
- Population from the 2020 Census: 585 people
- Current View
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Current View is located in Ripley County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Current View
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Jay, see our County-by-County Page for Jay.
Cemeteries Near Jay ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Jay.
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 Jay - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Jay covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Harveys Chapel Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Cudd Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Pleasant Grove Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Hartsoe Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Hartsoe Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Purcel Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Mound Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Reddick Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Woodland Heights Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Wright Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Old Liberty Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Leonard Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Continue List (237 more) ...
- Rock Springs Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Salem Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Marys Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 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.<3>
While we didn't find Jay in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Jay.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Jay, with the one closest to Jay listed first.
- Marmaduke
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Rector
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Halliday
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Halliday is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halliday
- Boydsville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Boydsville is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boydsville
- Gainesville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Gainesville is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gainesville
- Bard
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Bard is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bard
- Greenway
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Greenway is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenway
- Population from the 2020 Census: 188 people
- Crockett
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Crockett is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crockett
- Stonewall
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Stonewall is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonewall
- Senath
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Senath is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Senath
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,596 people
- Paragould
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Cockrum
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Cockrum is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cockrum
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Nesbit
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Nesbit is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nesbit
- Caruth
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Caruth is located in Dunklin County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caruth
- Piggott
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Jay. See our List of 1890's Communities around Jay.
Newspapers Published in Jay ...
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 54 newspapers that have been published in the area around Jay.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Jay, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Jay.
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 websites either 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 Jay:
- Websites specific to Arkansas
- Pages specific to Greene County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Clay County
- Craighead County
- Mississippi County
- Randolph County
- Butler County
- Dunklin County
- New Madrid County
- Pemiscot County
- Ripley 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 Jay, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Jay) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |