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 Shirley (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 Shirley. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.
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 south 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.
Shirley is located in Van Buren 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 Van Buren County: Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Searcy & Stone.
Below are the counties that are near Shirley. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Shirley:
- Van Buren County (The home county of Shirley)
- The following are listed by their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Fairfield Bay
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Eglantine
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Eglantine is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eglantine
- Chalk ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Chalk is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalk
- Clinton
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Green Tree
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Green Tree is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Tree
- Choctaw
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Choctaw is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Choctaw
- Morganton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Morganton is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morganton
- Dennard
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Bee Branch
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Bee Branch is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee Branch
- Crabtree
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Crabtree is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crabtree
- Rumley
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Rumley is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rumley
- Formosa
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Formosa is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Formosa
- Baxter County
- Big Flat
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Cleburne County
- The following are listed by their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Edgemont
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Higden
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Greers Ferry
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Shiloh ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Shiloh is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiloh
- Prim
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Miller ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Miller is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miller
- Pearson
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Pearson is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearson
- Quitman
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Heber Springs
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Heber Springs is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heber Springs
- Population from the 2020 Census: 6,906 people
- Former name for Heber Springs:
- Sugar Loaf
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Heber Springs <1>
- Drasco
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Drasco is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drasco
- Tumbling Shoals
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Ida
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Conway County
- The following are listed by their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Austin
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Center Ridge
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Cleveland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Middleton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Middleton is located in Conway County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleton
- Springfield
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Faulkner County
- The following are listed by their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Guy
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Guy is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guy
- Population from the 2020 Census: 792 people
- Enders
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Enders is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enders
- Twin Groves
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Twin Groves is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin Groves
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Centerville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Centerville is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Greenbrier
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Mount Vernon
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Mount Vernon is located in Faulkner County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Vernon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
- Izard County
- Guion
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Guion is located in Izard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guion
- Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
- Pope County
- Tilly
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Tilly is located in Pope County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilly
- Searcy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Leslie
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Watts
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Watts is located in Searcy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watts
- Baker
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Baker is located in Searcy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker
- Marshall
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Harriet
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Lone Pine
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Lone Pine is located in Searcy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Pine
- Cozahome
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Cozahome is located in Searcy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cozahome
- Stone County
- The following are listed by their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Fox
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Fox is located in Stone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fox
- Timbo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Alco
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Alco is located in Stone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alco
- Onia
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Onia is located in Stone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onia
- Mountain View
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Fifty-Six
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Pleasant Grove
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Pleasant Grove is located in Stone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Grove
- Marcella
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Marcella is located in Stone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marcella
- White County
- The following are listed by their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Rose Bud
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Pangburn
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Shirley, see our County-by-County Page for Shirley.
Cemeteries Near Shirley ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shirley.
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 Shirley - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Shirley covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Settlement Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Bradford Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Collins Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Eglantine Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Davis Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Lute Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Woodland Memorial Park
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Pee Dee Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Rushing Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Copper Springs Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Holly Mtn. Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Johnson Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (227 more) ...
- Higden McLehaney Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higden McLehaney Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Higden McLehaney Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<2> to the southwest of Higden.
- The Higden McLehaney Cemetery has also been known as:
- McLehaney Higden Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2163555 <3>
- Mountain View Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Hunter - Hill Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
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 Shirley in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Shirley.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Shirley, with the one closest to Shirley listed first.
- Settlement ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Settlement is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Settlement
- Eglantine
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Eglantine is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eglantine
- Rushing
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Rushing is located in Stone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushing
- Clinton
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Chalk ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Chalk is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalk
- Choctaw
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Choctaw is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Choctaw
- Morganton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Morganton is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morganton
- Shiloh ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Shiloh is located in Cleburne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiloh
- Bee Branch
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Bee Branch is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee Branch
- Dennard
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Timbo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Oak Flat ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Flat is located in Van Buren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Flat
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Alco
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Alco is located in Stone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alco
- Scotland
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Quitman
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Shirley. See our List of 1890's Communities around Shirley.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Shirley ...
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 Shirley.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Shirley. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Shirley and those printed in the larger area surrounding Shirley.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<2> of Shirley.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Shirley:
- Websites specific to Arkansas
- Pages specific to Van Buren County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Baxter County
- Cleburne County
- Conway County
- Faulkner County
- Izard County
- Pope County
- Searcy County
- Stone County
- White 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 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Shirley) 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 Shirley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |