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 Dess (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 Dess. 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/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 southwest 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 south.
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 south 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.
Dess is located in Sabine Parish.
To see how the shape of Louisiana's parishes have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following parishes adjoin and form the boundaries of Sabine Parish: De Soto, Natchitoches, Vernon, Newton (TX), Sabine (TX) & Shelby (TX).
Below are the parishes/counties that are near Dess. For each of these parishes/counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Dess:
- Sabine Parish (The home parish of Dess)
- The following are listed by their distance from Dess, with the one closest to Dess listed first.
- Negreet
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Negreet. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Negreet
- Negreet is located in Sabine Parish
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Negreet <2>
- Florien
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Florien have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florien
- Florien is located in Sabine Parish
- Population from the 2020 Census: 594 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Florien <2>
- Fisher
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Many
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Corleyville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Corleyville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corleyville
- Corleyville is located in Sabine Parish
- Toro
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Toro. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toro
- Toro is located in Sabine Parish
- Zwolle
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Bayou Scie
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bayou Scie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Scie
- Bayou Scie is located in Sabine Parish
- Rock ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock
- Rock is located in Sabine Parish
- Belmont
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belmont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belmont
- Belmont is located in Sabine Parish
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Belmont <2>
- Noble
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Noble have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Noble
- Noble is located in Sabine Parish
- Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Noble <2>
- Hamlin ‑ Historic
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlin have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
- Hamlin is located in Sabine Parish
- De Soto Parish
- Pelican
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pelican have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelican
- Pelican is located in De Soto Parish
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pelican <2>
- Natchitoches Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Dess, with the one closest to Dess listed first.
- Vowells Mill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vowells Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vowells Mill
- Vowells Mill is located in Natchitoches Parish
- Bellwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bellwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
- Bellwood is located in Natchitoches Parish
- Robeline
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Marthaville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Victoria
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Victoria. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victoria
- Victoria is located in Natchitoches Parish
- Provencal
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Flora
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flora have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flora
- Flora is located in Natchitoches Parish
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Flora <2>
- Vernon Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Dess, with the one closest to Dess listed first.
- Hornbeck
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hornbeck have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hornbeck
- Hornbeck is located in Vernon Parish
- Population from the 2020 Census: 436 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hornbeck <2>
- Anacoco
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Kurthwood
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kurthwood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kurthwood
- Kurthwood is located in Vernon Parish
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kurthwood <2>
- Alco
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alco
- Alco is located in Vernon Parish
- Fertitta Park
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fertitta Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fertitta Park
- Fertitta Park is located in Vernon Parish
- Leesville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Westwood Village
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westwood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood Village
- Westwood Village is located in Vernon Parish
- New Llano
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Billy Goat Hill
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Billy Goat Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Billy Goat Hill
- Billy Goat Hill is located in Vernon Parish
- Slagle
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Slagle have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slagle
- Slagle is located in Vernon Parish
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Slagle <2>
- Savage Fork
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Savage Fork. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savage Fork
- Savage Fork is located in Vernon Parish
- Elmwood
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elmwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmwood
- Elmwood is located in Vernon Parish
- Newton County (TX)
- The following are listed by their distance from Dess, with the one closest to Dess listed first.
- Toledo
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Toledo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toledo
- Toledo is located in Newton County (TX)
- South Toledo Bend
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Toledo Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Toledo Bend
- South Toledo Bend is located in Newton County (TX)
- Sabine County (TX)
- The following are listed by their distance from Dess, with the one closest to Dess listed first.
- Milam
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milam have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milam
- Milam is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milam <2>
- Mason
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason
- Mason is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Fairmount
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
- Fairmount is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Hemphill
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hemphill have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemphill
- Hemphill is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,211 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hemphill <2>
- Geneva
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Rosevine
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosevine
- Rosevine is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Pineland
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bronson
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bronson have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bronson
- Bronson is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bronson <2>
- San Augustine County (TX)
- Rebecca
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rebecca
- Rebecca is located in San Augustine County (TX)
- Shelby County (TX)
- Huxley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huxley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huxley
- Huxley is located in Shelby County (TX)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 376 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Dess, see our Parish-by-Parish Page for Dess.
Cemeteries Near Dess ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dess.
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 Dess covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Dess, with the one closest to Dess listed first.
- Antioch Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Redland Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Caney Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Caney Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Caney Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Randolph Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Randolph Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Randolph Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Carroll Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Carroll Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Carroll Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pilgrim Rest Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pilgrim Rest Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pilgrim Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Lewing Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lewing Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lewing Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Miller Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Miller Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Miller Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Lukes Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Lukes Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Lukes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Anderson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Anderson Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Anderson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Roberts Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roberts Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roberts Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Victoria Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Victoria Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Victoria Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (207 more) ...
- Self Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Self Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Self Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pine Knot Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Knot Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Pine Knot Cemetery is located less than 2 miles<5> to the southwest of Fisher.
- The Pine Knot Cemetery has also been known as:
- Shady Grove Church of God Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2151638 <4>
- McComic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McComic Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McComic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 Dess in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Dess.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Dess, with the one closest to Dess listed first.
- Negreet
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Negreet. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Negreet
- Negreet is located in Sabine Parish
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Negreet <2>
- Columbus ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Columbus have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbus
- Columbus is located in Sabine Parish
- Many
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Toro
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Toro. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toro
- Toro is located in Sabine Parish
- Corleyville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Corleyville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corleyville
- Corleyville is located in Sabine Parish
- Vowells Mill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vowells Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vowells Mill
- Vowells Mill is located in Natchitoches Parish
- Bayou Scie
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bayou Scie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Scie
- Bayou Scie is located in Sabine Parish
- Anacoco
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Toledo
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Toledo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toledo
- Toledo is located in Newton County (TX)
- Milam
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milam have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milam
- Milam is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milam <2>
- Hemphill
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hemphill have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemphill
- Hemphill is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,211 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hemphill <2>
- Fairmount
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
- Fairmount is located in Sabine County (TX)
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Bellwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bellwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
- Bellwood is located in Natchitoches Parish
- Kisatchie
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kisatchie have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kisatchie
- Kisatchie is located in Natchitoches Parish
- Robeline
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Dess. See our List of 1890's Communities around Dess.
Newspapers Published in Dess ...
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 20 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dess.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Dess, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Dess.
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 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 Dess:
- Websites specific to Louisiana
- Pages specific to Sabine Parish
- Genealogy information for nearby parishes
- De Soto Parish
- Natchitoches Parish
- Vernon Parish
- Newton County
- Sabine County
- San Augustine County
- Shelby County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Louisiana
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Dess. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Louisiana: https://www.louisiana.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace. |
<2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<3> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
<4> | 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. |
<5> | 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- Dess) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Dess. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.4388, Longitude: -93.5305 In this case, the coordinates for Dess have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
<6> | 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 Dess, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |