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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 Mena (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 Mena. 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 and hospitals 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.

Mena is located in Polk County and is the County Seat.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Polk County: Howard, Montgomery, Scott, Sevier, Le Flore (OK) & McCurtain (OK).

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

  • Polk County     (The home county of Mena)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mena, with the one closest to Mena listed first.
    • Dallas
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Potter Junction
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Potter
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Board Camp
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Board Camp have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Board Camp
      • Board Camp is located in Polk County
    • Rich Mountain
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Hatfield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Mountain Fork
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Cove
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Vandervoort
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vandervoort have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandervoort
      • Vandervoort is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
    • Big Fork
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Hatton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Wickes
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wickes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wickes
      • Wickes is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 741 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wickes <3>
    • Bog Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Calhoun County
  • Howard County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mena, with the one closest to Mena listed first.
    • Athens
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Umpire
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Umpire have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Umpire
      • Umpire is located in Howard County
    • Galena
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Galena. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galena
      • Galena is located in Howard County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Galena
      • From Mena to Galena
    • Euclid
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Euclid. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Euclid
      • Euclid is located in Howard County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Euclid
      • From Mena to Euclid
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mena, with the one closest to Mena listed first.
    • Cox Spring
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Oden
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Pencil Bluff
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pencil Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pencil Bluff
      • Pencil Bluff is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pencil Bluff <3>
    • Whitetown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Pike County
  • Scott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mena, with the one closest to Mena listed first.
    • Gate ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gate have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gate
      • Gate is located in Scott County
    • Y City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Y City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Y City
      • Y City is located in Scott County
    • Boles
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Winfield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Parks
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Bates
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bates have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bates
      • Bates is located in Scott County
    • Waldron
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Cardiff
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cardiff. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardiff
      • Cardiff is located in Scott County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cardiff
      • From Mena to Cardiff
  • Sevier County
    • Gillham
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Le Flore County (OK)
  • McCurtain County (OK)

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

Cemeteries Near Mena ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mena.

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

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

  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pinecrest Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pinecrest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pinecrest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Dallas Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Corinth Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Corinth Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Corinth Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Owens Chapel Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • McKinney Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McKinney Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McKinney Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Nunley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nunley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nunley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Foster Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Foster Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Foster Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gann Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Concord Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Concord Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Concord Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Gillian Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Gillian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Gillian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (153 more) ...
    • Liberty Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Foran Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Foran Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Foran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Rocky Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rocky Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rocky Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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>

While we didn't find Mena in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Mena.

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

  • Dallas
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Potter
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Ink
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ink have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ink
    • Ink is located in Polk County
  • Rocky
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rocky have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky
    • Rocky is located in Polk County
  • Board Camp
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Board Camp have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Board Camp
    • Board Camp is located in Polk County
  • Gate ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gate have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gate
    • Gate is located in Scott County
  • Rich Mountain
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Mountain Fork
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Cove
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Blansett
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blansett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blansett
    • Blansett is located in Scott County
  • Hartley
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartley
    • Hartley is located in Polk County
  • Big Fork
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Black Fork
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Black Fork have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Fork
      • Black Fork is located in Scott County
    • Boles
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Brawley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brawley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brawley
      • Brawley is located in Scott County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Mena ...

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 31 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mena.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Mena. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Mena and those printed in the larger area surrounding Mena.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<6> of Mena.

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 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 Mena:

The official website for Mena: www.cityofmena.org/

The official website for State of Arkansas: https://portal.arkansas.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>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Mena, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Mena) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Mena. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.5848, Longitude: -94.2397    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025