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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

So far, we found very little information about Black River. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>

We've added Black River to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Black River, please Contact Us.

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 Black River (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 Black River. 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 Black River ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Black River: Black Riv.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Black River. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Black River.

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 Parishes/Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring parishes/counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home parish. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next parish to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the parish to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring parishes/counties instead of the parish in which they lived:  their home parish contained property and probate records; the parish to the west contained birth and death records; the parish to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring parishes/counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Although our information shows that the community of Black River is historic, it would have been located within present day Concordia Parish.

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

The following parishes adjoin and form the boundaries of Concordia Parish: Avoyelles, Catahoula, Pointe Coupee, Tensas, West Feliciana, Adams (MS) & Wilkinson (MS).

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

  • Concordia Parish     (The home parish of Black River)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black River, with the one closest to Black River listed first.
    • Wildsville
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Chevey Chase
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Chevey Chase is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chevey Chase
    • Athlone
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Athlone is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athlone
    • Dunbarton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Dunbarton is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbarton
    • West Ferriday
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • West Ferriday is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Ferriday
    • Monterey
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Monterey is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monterey
    • Ferriday
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Armagh
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Armagh is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armagh
    • Ridgecrest
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Ridgecrest is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgecrest
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 585 people
    • Sycamore
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Sycamore is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore
    • Clayton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Vidalia
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • Avoyelles Parish
    • North Point
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • North Point is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Point
  • Caldwell Parish
    • Fredericksburg ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Fredericksburg is located in Caldwell Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredericksburg
  • Catahoula Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black River, with the one closest to Black River listed first.
    • Trinity
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Trinity is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trinity
    • Jonesville
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Utility
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Utility is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utility
    • Harrisonburg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Parhams
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Parhams is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parhams
    • Rhinehart
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Aimwell
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Greenville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Greenville is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
    • Sicily Island
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Sicily Island is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sicily Island
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 438 people
    • Wildwood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Wildwood is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood
    • Enterprise
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Enterprise is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enterprise
    • Rosefield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Rosefield is located in Catahoula Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosefield
  • Franklin Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black River, with the one closest to Black River listed first.
    • Extension
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Extension is located in Franklin Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Extension
    • Elam
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Elam is located in Franklin Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elam
    • Wisner
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Jigger
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Fort Necessity
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Gilbert
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • La Salle Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black River, with the one closest to Black River listed first.
    • Sharp Town
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Sharp Town is located in La Salle Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharp Town
    • Jena
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jena is located in La Salle Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jena
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,430 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jena <2>
    • Midway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Midway is located in La Salle Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
    • Summerville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Summerville is located in La Salle Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summerville
    • Trout
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Rapides Parish
  • Tensas Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black River, with the one closest to Black River listed first.
    • Highland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Highland is located in Tensas Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland
    • Waterproof
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Adams County (MS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black River, with the one closest to Black River listed first.
    • Carthage
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Carthage is located in Adams County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carthage
    • Cloverdale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Cloverdale is located in Adams County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
    • Natchez
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Natchez is located in Adams County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Natchez
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,362 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Natchez <2>
    • Washington
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Washington is located in Adams County (MS)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Black River, see our Parish-by-Parish Page for Black River.

Cemeteries Near Black River ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Black River.

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 Black River - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Trinity Community Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Trinity Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Wilkerson Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • St. Mary Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Griffin Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Omega Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Wilson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Calhoun Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • McFarlen Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Athlone Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Elmly Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Moss Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (209 more) ...
    • Moss Grove Plantation Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Young Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Old Mt. Olive Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 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.

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

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

  • Trinity
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Trinity is located in Catahoula Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trinity
  • Jonesville
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Chevey Chase
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Chevey Chase is located in Concordia Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chevey Chase
  • Utility
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Utility is located in Catahoula Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utility
  • Security
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Security is located in Catahoula Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Security
  • Lismore
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Lismore is located in Concordia Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lismore
  • Frogmore
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Frogmore is located in Concordia Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frogmore
  • Glade
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Glade is located in Catahoula Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glade
  • Parhams
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Parhams is located in Catahoula Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parhams
  • Harrisonburg
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Manifest
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Manifest is located in Catahoula Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manifest
  • Lavacco
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Lavacco is located in Catahoula Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lavacco
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Turtle Lake ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Turtle Lake is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turtle Lake
    • Rhinehart
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Eva
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Eva is located in Concordia Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eva

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

Newspapers Published in Black River ...

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 110 newspapers that have been published in the area around Black River.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Black River, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Black River.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Black River:

Footnotes ...

<1>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 Black River, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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- Black River) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.