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 Otwell (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 Otwell. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Otwell is located in Craighead 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 Craighead County: Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett & Dunklin (MO).
Below are the counties that are near Otwell. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Otwell:
- Craighead County (The home county of Otwell)
- The following are listed by their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Obear ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Obear is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Obear
- Cash
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Cash is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cash
- Population from the 2020 Census: 359 people
- Jonesboro
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Egypt
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Bono
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Philadelphia
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Philadelphia is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
- Bay
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- 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>
- Brookland
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Lake City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Lake View
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Lake View is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake View
- Black Oak
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Black Oak is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Oak
- Population from the 2020 Census: 259 people
- Caraway
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Cross County
- The following are listed by their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Bay Village
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Bay Village is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Village
- Cherry Valley
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Hickory Ridge
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Hickory Ridge is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Ridge
- Population from the 2020 Census: 233 people
- Vanndale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Vanndale is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vanndale
- Twist
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Twist is located in Cross County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twist
- Greene County
- The following are listed by their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Finch
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Finch is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finch
- Walcott
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Walcott is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walcott
- Light
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Light is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Light
- Pine Knot
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Pine Knot is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Knot
- Crowley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Crowley is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crowley
- Paragould
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Independence County
- Cord
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Cord is located in Independence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cord
- Jackson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Grubbs
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Grubbs is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grubbs
- Population from the 2020 Census: 353 people
- Swifton
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Swifton is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swifton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 733 people
- Amagon
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Amagon is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amagon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 90 people
- Balch
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Balch is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balch
- Airport Village
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Airport Village is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airport Village
- Tuckerman
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Algoa
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Algoa is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Algoa
- Remmel
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Remmel is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remmel
- Centerville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Centerville is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Kenyon
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Kenyon is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kenyon
- Campbell Station
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Campbell Station is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbell Station
- Population from the 2020 Census: 228 people
- Diaz
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Diaz is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diaz
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,208 people
- Lawrence County
- The following are listed by their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Sedgwick
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Alicia
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Alicia is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alicia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
- Minturn
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Minturn is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minturn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
- Hoxie
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Walnut Ridge
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- College City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- College City is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for College City
- Estimated population in 2016: 506 people
- Portia
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Saffell
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Saffell is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saffell
- Powhatan
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Black Rock
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Lynn
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Poinsett County
- The following are listed by their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Weiner
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Weiner is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weiner
- Population from the 2020 Census: 662 people
- Greenfield
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Greenfield is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Waldenburg
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Harrisburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Trumann
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Fisher
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Fisher is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fisher
- Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
- Hatchie Coon
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Hatchie Coon is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatchie Coon
- Marked Tree
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Rivervale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Rivervale is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rivervale
- Lepanto
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Alto
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Alto is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alto
- Black Oak
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Black Oak is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Oak
- Randolph County
- O'Kean
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- O'Kean is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for O'Kean
- Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Otwell, see our County-by-County Page for Otwell.
Cemeteries Near Otwell ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Otwell.
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 Otwell - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Otwell covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Otwell Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otwell Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Otwell Cemetery is located 11 miles [17.7 km]<2> to the southwest of Jonesboro.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #55553 <3>
- Gibson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Walker Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Walker Cemetery is located 6 miles [9.7 km]<2> to the northeast of Grubbs.
- McDaniel Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Kelly Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bishop Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Mt. Pisgah Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Pine Hill Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Johnson Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Wilson Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Houston Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- White Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Continue List (224 more) ...
- Jonesboro Memorial Park
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Holy Cross Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Mt. Sinai Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 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 Otwell in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Otwell.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Otwell, with the one closest to Otwell listed first.
- Obear ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Obear is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Obear
- McDaniel
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- McDaniel is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDaniel
- Cash
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Cash is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cash
- Population from the 2020 Census: 359 people
- Weiner
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Weiner is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weiner
- Population from the 2020 Census: 662 people
- Ridge
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Ridge is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridge
- Greenfield
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Greenfield is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Buffalolick ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Buffalolick is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalolick
- Jonesboro
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Egypt
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Nettleton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Nettleton is located in Craighead County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nettleton
- Bono
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Harrisburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Grubbs
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Grubbs is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grubbs
- Population from the 2020 Census: 353 people
- Bay
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- 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>
- Fisher
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Fisher is located in Poinsett County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fisher
- Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Otwell. See our List of 1890's Communities around Otwell.
Newspapers Published in Otwell ...
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 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around Otwell.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Otwell, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Otwell.
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 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 Otwell:
- Websites specific to Arkansas
- Pages specific to Craighead County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cross County
- Greene County
- Independence County
- Jackson County
- Lawrence County
- Poinsett County
- Randolph 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Otwell) 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 Otwell, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |