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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 Pencil Bluff (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 Pencil Bluff. 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.

Name Variations for Pencil Bluff ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Pencil Bluff: Pencil Blf. (or less commonly used: Pencil Bluf.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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.

Pencil Bluff is located in Montgomery County.

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 Montgomery County: Clark, Garland, Howard, Pike, Polk, Scott & Yell.

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

  • Montgomery County     (The home county of Pencil Bluff)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pencil Bluff, with the one closest to Pencil Bluff listed first.
    • Whitetown
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitetown
      • Whitetown is located in Montgomery County
    • Oden
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oden
      • Oden is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 215 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oden <1>
    • Sims
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sims
      • Sims is located in Montgomery County
    • Mount Ida
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Ida have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Ida
      • Mount Ida is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,005 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Ida <1>
    • Washita
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washita
      • Washita is located in Montgomery County
    • Black Springs
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Black Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Springs
      • Black Springs is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
    • Norman
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norman
      • Norman is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 363 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norman <1>
    • Story
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Cox Spring
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cox Spring
      • Cox Spring is located in Montgomery County
    • Ophir
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ophir have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ophir
      • Ophir is located in Montgomery County
    • Fannie
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fannie
      • Fannie is located in Montgomery County
    • Manfred
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manfred have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manfred
      • Manfred is located in Montgomery County
  • Calhoun County
    • Unco
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Unco
      • Unco is located in Calhoun County
  • Clark County
    • Amity
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amity have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amity
      • Amity is located in Clark County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 674 people
  • Garland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pencil Bluff, with the one closest to Pencil Bluff listed first.
    • Meyers
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meyers
      • Meyers is located in Garland County
    • Pearcy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pearcy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearcy
      • Pearcy is located in Garland County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pearcy <1>
    • Royal
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Royal have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Royal
      • Royal is located in Garland County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Royal <1>
  • Hot Spring County
    • Bonnerdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bonnerdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnerdale
      • Bonnerdale is located in Hot Spring County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bonnerdale <1>
  • Howard County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pencil Bluff, with the one closest to Pencil Bluff listed first.
    • Athens
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Umpire
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Umpire have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Umpire
      • Umpire is located in Howard County
  • Pike County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pencil Bluff, with the one closest to Pencil Bluff listed first.
    • Langley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Lodi
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodi
      • Lodi is located in Pike County
    • Salem
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem
      • Salem is located in Pike County
    • Glenwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Kirby
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Daisy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Daisy
      • Daisy is located in Pike County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
    • Star of the West ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star of the West
      • Star of the West is located in Pike County
    • Caney Valley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caney Valley
      • Caney Valley is located in Pike County
    • Newhope
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newhope
      • Newhope is located in Pike County
    • Grandfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandfield
      • Grandfield is located in Pike County
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pencil Bluff, with the one closest to Pencil Bluff listed first.
    • Big Fork
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Fork
      • Big Fork is located in Polk County
    • Board Camp
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Board Camp have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Board Camp
      • Board Camp is located in Polk County
    • Dallas
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dallas
      • Dallas is located in Polk County
    • Mena
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Scott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pencil Bluff, with the one closest to Pencil Bluff listed first.
    • Little Texas
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Texas
      • Little Texas is located in Scott County
    • Harvey
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harvey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvey
      • Harvey is located in Scott County
    • Parks
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parks
      • Parks is located in Scott County
    • Boles
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Y City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Y City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Y City
      • Y City is located in Scott County
    • Cardiff
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cardiff have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardiff
      • Cardiff is located in Scott County
    • Waldron
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Winfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winfield
      • Winfield is located in Scott County
  • Yell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pencil Bluff, with the one closest to Pencil Bluff listed first.
    • Gravelly
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gravelly
      • Gravelly is located in Yell County
    • Aly
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aly
      • Aly is located in Yell County
    • Bluffton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
      • Bluffton is located in Yell County
    • Waltreak
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waltreak
      • Waltreak is located in Yell County
    • Briggsville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Briggsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briggsville
      • Briggsville is located in Yell County
    • Wing
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wing
      • Wing is located in Yell County
    • Rover
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rover have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rover
      • Rover is located in Yell County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rover <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Pencil Bluff ...

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 44 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pencil Bluff.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pencil Bluff, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pencil Bluff.

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 Pencil Bluff:

Cemeteries Near Pencil Bluff ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pencil Bluff.

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

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

  • Oak Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
  • Pencil Bluff Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pencil Bluff Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pencil Bluff Cemetery
  • Forbes Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forbes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forbes Cemetery
  • Mullenix Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mullenix Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mullenix Cemetery
  • Macedonia Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Macedonia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Macedonia Cemetery
  • Grenade Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grenade Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grenade Cemetery
  • Oden Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oden Cemetery
  • Mt. Olive Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olive Cemetery
  • Amason Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Amason Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Amason Cemetery
  • Amerson Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Amerson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Amerson Cemetery
  • Lone Valley Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Brewer Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brewer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brewer Cemetery
  • Continue List   (202 more) ...
    • Rocky Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rocky Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rocky Cemetery
    • Barber Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Barber Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barber Cemetery
    • Brushy Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brushy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brushy Cemetery

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 Pencil Bluff in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Pencil Bluff.

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

  • Oden
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oden
    • Oden is located in Montgomery County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 215 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oden <1>
  • Sims
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sims
    • Sims is located in Montgomery County
  • Mount Ida
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Ida have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Ida
    • Mount Ida is located in Montgomery County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,005 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Ida <1>
  • Black Springs
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Black Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Springs
    • Black Springs is located in Montgomery County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
  • Washita
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washita
    • Washita is located in Montgomery County
  • Buck Knob
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buck Knob have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Knob
    • Buck Knob is located in Scott County
  • Story
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Cedar Creek
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Creek
    • Cedar Creek is located in Scott County
  • Ophir
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ophir have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ophir
    • Ophir is located in Montgomery County
  • Chula
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chula have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chula
    • Chula is located in Yell County
  • Big Fork
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Fork
    • Big Fork is located in Polk County
  • Manfred
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manfred have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manfred
    • Manfred is located in Montgomery County
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Plata
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plata have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plata
      • Plata is located in Montgomery County
    • Nebraska ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nebraska have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nebraska
      • Nebraska is located in Scott County
    • Caddo Gap
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caddo Gap have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caddo Gap
      • Caddo Gap is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caddo Gap <1>

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Pencil Bluff. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Arkansas: https://portal.arkansas.gov/

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 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.
<3>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- Pencil Bluff) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pencil Bluff. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.6298, Longitude: -93.7344       In this case, the coordinates for Pencil Bluff have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Pencil Bluff, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024