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 Goodwill (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 Goodwill. 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.
Goodwill is located in Webster 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 Webster Parish: Columbia (AR), Lafayette (AR), Bienville, Bossier & Claiborne.
Below are the parishes/counties that are near Goodwill. For each of these parishes/counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Goodwill:
- Webster Parish (The home parish of Goodwill)
- The following are listed by their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- Doyline
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Dixie Inn
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Dixie Inn is located in Webster Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixie Inn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 266 people
- Minden
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Sibley
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Yellow Pine
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Yellow Pine is located in Webster Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yellow Pine
- Dubberly
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Buckhorn ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Buckhorn is located in Webster Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckhorn
- Heflin
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Cotton Valley
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Sarepta
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Shongaloo
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Cullen
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Bienville Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- Armistead
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Armistead is located in Bienville Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armistead
- Taylor
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Ringgold
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Jamestown
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Gibsland
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Mount Lebanon
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Mount Lebanon is located in Bienville Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Lebanon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
- Sparta
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Sparta is located in Bienville Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sparta
- Bryceland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Bryceland is located in Bienville Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryceland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
- Castor
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Arcadia
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Alberta
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Alberta is located in Bienville Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alberta
- Bossier Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- Princeton
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Haughton
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Fillmore
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Fillmore is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fillmore
- Bellevue
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Bellevue is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellevue
- Eastwood
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Eastwood is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastwood
- Bodcau
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Bodcau is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bodcau
- Espanita Village
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Espanita Village is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Espanita Village
- Red Chute
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Red Chute is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Chute
- Ivan
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Ivan is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivan
- Parkland Village
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Parkland Village is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkland Village
- Elm Grove
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Bossier City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Caddo Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- Shreveport
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Normandy Village
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Normandy Village is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normandy Village
- Ellerbe Woods
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Ellerbe Woods is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellerbe Woods
- Chateau Village
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Chateau Village is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chateau Village
- Belcher
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Silver Pine Village
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Silver Pine Village is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Pine Village
- Summer Grove
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Summer Grove is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summer Grove
- Longwood Village
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Longwood Village is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longwood Village
- South Towne Heights
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- South Towne Heights is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Towne Heights
- Blanchard
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Western Hills Village
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Edgewood Village
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Edgewood Village is located in Caddo Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgewood Village
- Claiborne Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- Holly Springs
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Holly Springs is located in Claiborne Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holly Springs
- Darley
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Darley is located in Claiborne Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Darley
- Blackburn
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Blackburn is located in Claiborne Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackburn
- Athens
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Dykesville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Dykesville is located in Claiborne Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dykesville
- Homer
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Arizona
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Arizona is located in Claiborne Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arizona
- De Soto Parish
- Frierson
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Red River Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- East Point
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- East Point is located in Red River Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Point
- Hall Summit
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Westdale
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Westdale is located in Red River Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westdale
- Columbia County (AR)
- Welcome
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Welcome is located in Columbia County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welcome
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Goodwill, see our Parish-by-Parish Page for Goodwill.
Cemeteries Near Goodwill ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Goodwill.
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 Goodwill - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Goodwill covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- St. James Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Allen Town Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Raine Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Vanorsdale Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Jim Davis Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Richardson Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Crowe Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Walker Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Antioch Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Ratcliff Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Baten Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Growing Valley Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Continue List (228 more) ...
- Fillmore Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Keene Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Knottingham Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
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>
While we didn't find Goodwill in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Goodwill.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Goodwill, with the one closest to Goodwill listed first.
- Doyline
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Haughton
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Dorcheat
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Dorcheat is located in Webster Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorcheat
- Bellevue
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Bellevue is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellevue
- Sibley
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Minden
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Bodcau
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Bodcau is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bodcau
- Buckhorn ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Buckhorn is located in Webster Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckhorn
- Dubberly
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Midway
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Midway is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
- Curtis
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Curtis is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curtis
- Armistead
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Armistead is located in Bienville Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armistead
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Ivan
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Ivan is located in Bossier Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivan
- Cotton Valley
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Bossier City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Goodwill. See our List of 1890's Communities around Goodwill.
Newspapers Published in Goodwill ...
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 74 newspapers that have been published in the area around Goodwill.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Goodwill, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Goodwill.
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 either 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 Goodwill:
- Websites specific to Louisiana
- Pages specific to Webster Parish
- Genealogy information for nearby parishes
- Bienville Parish
- Bossier Parish
- Caddo Parish
- Claiborne Parish
- De Soto Parish
- Red River Parish
- Columbia County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Louisiana
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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Goodwill) 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 Goodwill, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |