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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 Dixie (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 Dixie. 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 northeast corner of their home parish. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next parish to the east. 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 east 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.

Dixie is located in Vernon 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 Vernon Parish: Allen, Beauregard, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine & Newton (TX).

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

  • Vernon Parish     (The home parish of Dixie)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Leesville
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Fertitta Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Fertitta Park is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fertitta Park
    • New Llano
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Westwood Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Westwood Village is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood Village
    • Billy Goat Hill
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Billy Goat Hill is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Billy Goat Hill
    • Fort Polk North
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Fort Polk North is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Polk North
    • Elmwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Elmwood is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmwood
    • Pickering
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Pickering is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pickering
    • Fort Polk
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Savage Fork
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Savage Fork is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savage Fork
    • Slagle
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Anacoco
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Pinewood
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Pinewood is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinewood
  • Allen Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Reids
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Reids is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reids
    • Grant
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Beauregard Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Ikes
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Ikes is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ikes
    • Ludington
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Ludington is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ludington
    • DeRidder
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Sugartown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Merryville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Natchitoches Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Bellwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Bellwood is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
    • Gorum
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Vowells Mill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Vowells Mill is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vowells Mill
  • Rapides Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Mora
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Sieper
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Flatwoods
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Hemphill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Hemphill is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemphill
    • Hineston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Sabine Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Rock ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Rock is located in Sabine Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock
    • Toro
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Toro is located in Sabine Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toro
    • Florien
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Corleyville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Corleyville is located in Sabine Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corleyville
    • Fisher
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Negreet
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Newton County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Toledo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Toledo is located in Newton County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toledo
    • South Toledo Bend
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • South Toledo Bend is located in Newton County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Toledo Bend
    • Burkeville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Wiergate
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Shanklerville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Shanklerville is located in Newton County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shanklerville
  • Sabine County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dixie, with the one closest to Dixie listed first.
    • Fairmount
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Fairmount is located in Sabine County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
    • Mason
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Mason is located in Sabine County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason

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

Cemeteries Near Dixie ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dixie.

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

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

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

  • Gill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Smart Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Leesville Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Anacoco Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Smart Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Pine Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Shady Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Cemetery #1
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Kay Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Wilson Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Cooper Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (140 more) ...
    • Franklin Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Self Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Smith Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)

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 Dixie in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Dixie.

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

  • Leesville
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Elmwood
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Elmwood is located in Vernon Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmwood
  • Caney
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Caney is located in Vernon Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caney
  • Anacoco
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Walnut Hill
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Walnut Hill is located in Vernon Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Hill
  • Hicks
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Hicks is located in Vernon Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hicks
  • Simpson
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Toledo
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Toledo is located in Newton County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toledo
  • Toro
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Toro is located in Sabine Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toro
  • Kisatchie
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Kisatchie is located in Natchitoches Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kisatchie
  • Cora
    (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Cora is located in Vernon Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cora
  • Burkeville
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Corleyville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Corleyville is located in Sabine Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corleyville
    • Mora
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Dido
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Dido is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dido

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

Newspapers Published in Dixie ...

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 6 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dixie.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Dixie, there are papers which were published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Dixie.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we 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 Dixie:

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 Dixie, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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- Dixie) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.