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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 Clearwater (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 Clearwater. 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 Parishes ...

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

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home parish. During their lives, most doctors 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 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, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

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

Clearwater is located in Evangeline 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 Evangeline Parish: Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Jefferson Davis, Rapides & Saint Landry.

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

  • Evangeline Parish     (The home parish of Clearwater)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clearwater, with the one closest to Clearwater listed first.
    • Turkey Creek
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Bayou Chicot
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Bayou Chicot is located in Evangeline Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Chicot
    • Saint Landry
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Pine Prairie
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Reddell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Ville Platte
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Mamou
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Mamou is located in Evangeline Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mamou
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,077 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mamou <1>
    • Chataignier
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Allen Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clearwater, with the one closest to Clearwater listed first.
    • Pawnee
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Pawnee is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pawnee
    • Oakdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Mab
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Mab is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mab
    • Bond
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Bond is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bond
    • Ward
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Ward is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ward
    • Elizabeth
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Canton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Canton is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canton
    • Marionville ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Marionville is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marionville
  • Avoyelles Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clearwater, with the one closest to Clearwater listed first.
    • Eola
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Eola is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola
    • Bunkie
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Bunkie is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunkie
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,826 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bunkie <1>
    • Milburn
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Milburn is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milburn
    • Gold Dust
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Gold Dust is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gold Dust
    • Egg Bend
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Egg Bend is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Bend
    • Hessmer
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Enterprise
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Enterprise is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enterprise
    • Evergreen
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Cottonport
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Mansura
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Center Point
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Effie
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Grant Parish
    • Creola
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Creola is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creola
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
      • Creola has also been known as:
      • Creola village
  • Rapides Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clearwater, with the one closest to Clearwater listed first.
    • Loyd
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Loyd is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
    • Cheneyville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Lecompte
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Forest Hill
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Longleaf
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • McNary
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • McNary is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNary
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
    • Glenmora
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Echo
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Woodworth
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Whittington
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Whittington is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whittington
    • Moreland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Moreland is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moreland
    • Ruby
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Saint Landry Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clearwater, with the one closest to Clearwater listed first.
    • Morrow
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Boretta
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Boretta is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boretta
    • Bayou Jack
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Bayou Jack is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Jack
    • Rosa
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Rosa is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosa
    • Lebeau
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Vernon Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clearwater, with the one closest to Clearwater listed first.
    • Leander
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Leander is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leander
    • Dido
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Dido is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dido

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

Cemeteries Near Clearwater ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Clearwater.

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

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

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

  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Duplissey Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Meeker Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Wells Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Griffin Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Pisgah Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Mathews Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Lecompte Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Stafford Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Paul Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Linzay Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Ballard Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (204 more) ...
    • Johnson Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Christians Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Spring Hill Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)

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.<2>

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

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

  • Loyd
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Loyd is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
  • Cheneyville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Lecompte
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Haas
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Haas is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haas
  • Lamourie
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Lamourie is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamourie
  • Eola
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Eola is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola
  • Bunkie
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Bunkie is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunkie
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,826 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bunkie <1>
  • Poland
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Poland is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poland
  • Moreland
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Moreland is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moreland
  • Egg Bend
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Egg Bend is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Bend
  • Barbreck
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Barbreck is located in Saint Landry Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barbreck
  • Melder
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Evergreen
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Elmer
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Whiteville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Whiteville is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whiteville

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

Newspapers Published in Clearwater ...

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 36 newspapers that have been published in the area around Clearwater.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Clearwater, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Clearwater.

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 helpful 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 Clearwater:

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>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 Clearwater, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Clearwater) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.