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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

So far, we found very little information about Magda. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>

We've added Magda to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Magda, please Contact Us.

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 Magda (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 Magda. 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 southwest corner of their home parish. During their lives, most hospitals 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 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, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

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

Although our information shows that the community of Magda is historic, it would have been located within present day Rapides 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 Rapides Parish: Allen, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Grant, La Salle, Natchitoches & Vernon.

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

  • Rapides Parish     (The home parish of Magda)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Magda, with the one closest to Magda listed first.
    • Ruby
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Whittington
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Whittington is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whittington
    • Echo
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Lecompte
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Loyd
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Loyd is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
    • Cheneyville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Kolin
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Moreland
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Moreland is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moreland
    • Anandale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Anandale is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anandale
    • Woodworth
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Alexandria Junction
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Alexandria Junction is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexandria Junction
    • Alexandria
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Allen Parish
    • Pawnee
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Pawnee is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pawnee
  • Avoyelles Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Magda, with the one closest to Magda listed first.
    • Egg Bend
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Egg Bend is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Bend
    • Center Point
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Effie
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Moncla
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Moncla is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moncla
    • Hessmer
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Marksville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Vick
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Vick is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vick
    • North Point
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • North Point is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Point
    • Mansura
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Bunkie
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • 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 <2>
    • Enterprise
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Enterprise is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enterprise
    • Eola
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • 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 Magda, with the one closest to Magda listed first.
    • Saint Landry
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Turkey Creek
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Bayou Chicot
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Bayou Chicot is located in Evangeline Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Chicot
    • Pine Prairie
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
  • Grant Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Magda, with the one closest to Magda listed first.
    • Creola
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
    • Fishville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Fishville is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fishville
    • Stay
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Stay is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stay
    • Pollock
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Bentley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Antonia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Antonia is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antonia
  • Saint Landry Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Magda, with the one closest to Magda listed first.
    • Morrow
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Boretta
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Boretta is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boretta
    • Bayou Jack
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Bayou Jack is located in Saint Landry Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Jack

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

Cemeteries Near Magda ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Magda.

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

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

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

  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Pierce Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Wise Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Belledeau Baptist Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Kalone Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Wise Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Hays Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • St. John Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Wilmer Memorial Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Linzay Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Spring Hill Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Stafford Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (189 more) ...
    • Christians Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Old Island Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Peart Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 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.

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

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

  • Poland
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Poland is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poland
  • Egg Bend
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Egg Bend is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egg Bend
  • Lecompte
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Loyd
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Loyd is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
  • Lamourie
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Lamourie is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamourie
  • Cheneyville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Moreland
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Moreland is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moreland
  • Marksville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Haas
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Haas is located in Avoyelles Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haas
  • Bunkie
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • 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 <2>
  • Mansura
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Pineville
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Alexandria
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Eola
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Eola is located in Avoyelles Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola
    • Evergreen
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Magda ...

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 41 newspapers that have been published in the area around Magda.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Magda, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Magda.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Magda:

Footnotes ...

<1>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 Magda, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Magda) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.