RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Kentucky >> Leslie County >> Hyden >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Hyden (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 Hyden. 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 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.

Hyden is located in Leslie County and is the County Seat.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Leslie County: Bell, Clay, Harlan & Perry.

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

  • Leslie County     (The home county of Hyden)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Wendover
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Thousandsticks
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Thousandsticks is located in Leslie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thousandsticks
    • Wooton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Smilax
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Smilax is located in Leslie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smilax
    • Hoskinston
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Hoskinston is located in Leslie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoskinston
    • Stinnett
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Stinnett is located in Leslie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stinnett
    • Confluence
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Confluence is located in Leslie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Confluence
    • Sizerock
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Asher
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Cutshin
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Essie
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Essie is located in Leslie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Essie
    • Bear Branch
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Bear Branch is located in Leslie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bear Branch
    • Chappell
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Bell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Beverly
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Stoney Fork
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Stoney Fork is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoney Fork
    • Rella
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Sims Fork
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Callaway
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Arjay
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Kettle Island
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Kettle Island is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kettle Island
    • Miracle
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Miracle is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miracle
    • Jenson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Breathitt County
  • Clay County
  • Harlan County
  • Knott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Sassafras
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Fisty
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Emmalena
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Carrie
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Littcarr
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Littcarr is located in Knott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littcarr
    • Tina
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Redfox
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Hindman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Vest
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Leburn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Pine Top
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Garner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Garner is located in Knott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garner
    • Pippa Passes
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Pippa Passes is located in Knott County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pippa Passes
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 606 people
  • Knox County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Scalf
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Scalf is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scalf
    • Walker
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Walker is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
    • Woollum
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Woollum is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woollum
    • Dewitt
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Dewitt is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewitt
    • Hinkle
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Hinkle is located in Knox County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinkle
    • Crane Nest
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Girdler
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Laurel County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Bush
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Bush is located in Laurel County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bush
    • Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Marydell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Lee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Athol
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Lone
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Tallega
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Letcher County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Hallie
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Blackey
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Letcher
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Gordon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Gordon is located in Letcher County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
    • Roxana
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Roxana is located in Letcher County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxana
    • Jeremiah
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Linefork
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Flint
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Hot Spot
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Isom
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Isom is located in Letcher County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isom
    • Kings Creek
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Uz
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Colson
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Owsley County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Mistletoe
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Mistletoe is located in Owsley County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mistletoe
    • Sebastian
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Ricetown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Ricetown is located in Owsley County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ricetown
    • Southfork
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Island City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Island City is located in Owsley County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Island City
    • Lerose
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Lerose is located in Owsley County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lerose
    • Booneville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Pebworth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Travellers Rest
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Vincent
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Vincent is located in Owsley County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vincent
  • Perry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hyden, with the one closest to Hyden listed first.
    • Avawam
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Yerkes
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Busy
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Busy is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Busy
    • Krypton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Butterfly
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Saul
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Saul is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saul
    • Gays Creek
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Gays Creek is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gays Creek
    • Bonnyman
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Bonnyman is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnyman
    • Combs
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Combs is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Combs
    • Hazard
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Viper
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Viper is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viper
    • Chavies
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Buckhorn
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Lee County (VA)
    • Saint Charles
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Saint Charles is located in Lee County (VA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Charles
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people

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

Cemeteries Near Hyden ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hyden.

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 Hyden - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Hyden covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Lewis Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Begley Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Steele Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Hurricane Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Woods Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Woods Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Hardy Bottom Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Skeens Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Creech Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Davidson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Sizemore Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Raccoon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (448 more) ...
    • Dixon Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Woods Keen Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Couch Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Hyden had a population of 80 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Hyden had a population of 323 people.

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

  • Hoskinston
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Hoskinston is located in Leslie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoskinston
  • Confluence
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Confluence is located in Leslie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Confluence
  • Cutshin
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Big Creek
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Spring Creek
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Spring Creek is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Creek
  • Gays Creek
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Gays Creek is located in Perry County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gays Creek
  • Hazard
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Viper
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Viper is located in Perry County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viper
  • Chavies
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Helton
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Helton is located in Leslie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helton
  • Crockettsville
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Crockettsville is located in Breathitt County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crockettsville
  • Sassafras
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Dwarf
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Ned
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Ned is located in Breathitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ned
    • Goose Rock
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Goose Rock is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goose Rock

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Hyden ...

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 Hyden.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Hyden. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Hyden and those printed in the larger area surrounding Hyden.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 11 miles [17.7 km]<2> of Hyden.

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 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 Hyden:

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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Hyden) 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 Hyden, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.