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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 Hessmer (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 Hessmer. 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 southeast corner of their home parish. During their lives, most doctors were in the next parish to the east. 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 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 south 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.

Hessmer is located in Avoyelles 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 Avoyelles Parish: Catahoula, Concordia, Evangeline, La Salle, Pointe Coupee, Rapides & Saint Landry.

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

  • Avoyelles Parish     (The home parish of Hessmer)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hessmer, with the one closest to Hessmer listed first.
    • Mansura
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Marksville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Enterprise
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Enterprise is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enterprise
    • Egg Bend
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Egg Bend is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Bend
    • Cottonport
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Evergreen
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Bunkie
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • 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>
    • Moreauville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Hickory
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Hickory is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory
    • Moncla
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Moncla is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moncla
    • Plaucheville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Effie
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Eola
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Eola is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola
  • Concordia Parish
  • Evangeline Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hessmer, with the one closest to Hessmer listed first.
    • Saint Landry
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Bayou Chicot
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Bayou Chicot is located in Evangeline Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Chicot
    • Turkey Creek
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Pine Prairie
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Ville Platte
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
  • Pointe Coupee Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hessmer, with the one closest to Hessmer listed first.
    • Legonier
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Legonier is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Legonier
    • Lettsworth
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Smithland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Smithland is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithland
    • Innis
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Williamsport
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Williamsport is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsport
    • Batchelor
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Rapides Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hessmer, with the one closest to Hessmer listed first.
    • Echo
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Cheneyville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Ruby
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Whittington
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Whittington is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whittington
    • Loyd
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Loyd is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
    • Lecompte
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Kolin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Moreland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Moreland is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moreland
    • Deville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Forest Hill
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Woodworth
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Anandale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Anandale is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anandale
    • Libuse
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Saint Landry Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hessmer, with the one closest to Hessmer listed first.
    • Morrow
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Bayou Jack
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Bayou Jack is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Jack
    • Boretta
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Boretta is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boretta
    • Rosa
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Rosa is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosa
    • Lebeau
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Immaculata
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Immaculata is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Immaculata
    • Palmetto
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Elba
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Elba is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elba
    • Washington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)

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

Cemeteries Near Hessmer ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hessmer.

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

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

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

  • Old Island Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Jersalem Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • St. John Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Hatfield Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Baibry Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Tunica - Biloxi Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Wadill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Kalone Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Belledeau Baptist Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Cushman Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (182 more) ...
    • Booneville Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • St. Anthony Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • St. Marys Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 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.<3>

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

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

  • Mansura
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Marksville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Cottonport
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Egg Bend
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Egg Bend is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Bend
  • Bunkie
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • 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>
  • Evergreen
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Moreauville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Cheneyville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Haas
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Haas is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haas
  • Eola
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Eola is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola
  • Hamburg
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Poland
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Poland is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poland
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Bordelonville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Loyd
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Loyd is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
    • Morrow
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)

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

Newspapers Published in Hessmer ...

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 26 newspapers that have been published in the area around Hessmer.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Hessmer, there are papers which were published within 16 miles [25.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Hessmer.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Hessmer:

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>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.
<3>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 Hessmer, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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- Hessmer) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.