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 Big Bend (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 Big Bend. 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 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.

Big Bend is located in Bent County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Bent County: Baca, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero & Prowers.

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

• Bent County     (The home county of Big Bend)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Big Bend, with the one closest to Big Bend listed first.
  • McClave
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McClave have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McClave
    • McClave is located in Bent County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McClave <2>
  • Hasty
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hasty
    • Hasty is located in Bent County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hasty <2>
  • Caddoa ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Caddoa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caddoa
    • Caddoa is located in Bent County
  • Hilton
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton
    • Hilton is located in Bent County
  • Fort Lyon
    (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Lyon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lyon
    • Fort Lyon is located in Bent County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fort Lyon <2>
  • Las Animas
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Las Animas
    • Las Animas is located in Bent County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,128 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Las Animas <2>
• Kiowa County
  • The following are listed by their distance from Big Bend, with the one closest to Big Bend listed first.
  • Eads
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eads
    • Eads is located in Kiowa County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 632 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eads <2>
  • Chivington
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chivington
    • Chivington is located in Kiowa County
  • Water Valley
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Water Valley came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<4>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Water Valley
    • Water Valley is located in Kiowa County
  • Galatea
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Galatea. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galatea
    • Galatea is located in Kiowa County
  • Haswell
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Haswell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haswell
    • Haswell is located in Kiowa County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Haswell <2>
  • Sheridan Lake
    (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sheridan Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheridan Lake
    • Sheridan Lake is located in Kiowa County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 88 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sheridan Lake <2>
• Prowers County
  • The following are listed by their distance from Big Bend, with the one closest to Big Bend listed first.
  • Wiley
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wiley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiley
    • Wiley is located in Prowers County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wiley <2>
  • Kornman
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kornman
    • Kornman is located in Prowers County
  • Lamar
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamar
    • Lamar is located in Prowers County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,641 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lamar <2>
  • Grote
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grote
    • Grote is located in Prowers County
  • Granada
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granada
    • Granada is located in Prowers County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 509 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Granada <2>
  • Hartman
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartman
    • Hartman is located in Prowers County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 76 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hartman <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Big Bend ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Bend.

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

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

• Wiley Cemetery
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wiley Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wiley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• The Home Cemetery
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Home Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Crawford Cemetery
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crawford Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crawford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Riverside Cemetery
  (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverside Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Hight Cemetery
  (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hight Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hight Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Fairmount Cemetery
  (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairmount Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #57268 <5>
• Mt. Olive Cemetery
  (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olive Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Union Valley Cemetery
  (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Valley Cemetery
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the Union Valley Cemetery is located outside and to the south of Hasty.
  • The Union Valley Cemetery has also been known as:
  • Hasty Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #57593 <5>
• Little Kansas Cemetery
  (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Kansas Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Kansas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Eads Cemetery
  (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eads Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eads Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Eads Pioneer Cemetery
  (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eads Pioneer Cemetery
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the Eads Pioneer Cemetery is located outside and to the south of Eads.
  • The Eads Pioneer Cemetery has also been known as:
  • Eads Old Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2307806 <5>
• Chivington Cemetery
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chivington Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chivington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Continue List   (14 more) ...
  • Indian Rock Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Indian Rock Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Indian Rock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • France Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the France Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the France Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ft. Lyon National Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Lyon National Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Lyon National 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.<6>

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

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

• Prowers
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prowers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prowers
  • Prowers is located in Bent County
• Lamar
  (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamar
  • Lamar is located in Prowers County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,641 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lamar <2>
• Caddoa ‑ Historic
  (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Caddoa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caddoa
  • Caddoa is located in Bent County
• Hilton
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton
  • Hilton is located in Bent County
• Carlton
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carlton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlton
  • Carlton is located in Prowers County
• Chivington
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chivington
  • Chivington is located in Kiowa County
• Eads
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eads
  • Eads is located in Kiowa County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 632 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eads <2>
• Brandon
  (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brandon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandon
  • Brandon is located in Kiowa County
• Water Valley
  (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Water Valley came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<4>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Water Valley
  • Water Valley is located in Kiowa County
• Granada
  (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granada
  • Granada is located in Prowers County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 509 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Granada <2>
• Galatea
  (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Galatea. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galatea
  • Galatea is located in Kiowa County
• Las Animas
  (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Las Animas
  • Las Animas is located in Bent County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,128 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Las Animas <2>
• Haswell
  (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Haswell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haswell
  • Haswell is located in Kiowa County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Haswell <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Big Bend ...

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 22 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Bend.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Big Bend, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<7>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Big Bend.

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 Big Bend:

• Websites specific to Colorado
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Website for the //www.colorado.gov/archives/

• Pages specific to Bent County
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Genealogy information for nearby counties
  • Kiowa County
    • Jump to Cyndi's List
    • Jump to Family Search
    • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Prowers County
    • Jump to Cyndi's List
    • Jump to Family Search
    • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Cemetery Information and Directories for Colorado
  • Cemetery Junction: Cemeteries of Colorado
  • Cyndi's List
  • Cemeteries of Colorado
  • Cemeteries of Bent County
  • FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Colorado
  • Find-A-Grave: Home Page
  • Interment.net
  • Cemeteries of Colorado
  • Cemeteries of Bent County

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for State of Colorado: https://www.colorado.gov/