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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 Sampusand (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 Sampusand. 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 northeast corner of their home parish. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals 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 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, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

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

Sampusand is located in Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish: Bienville, De Soto, Grant, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, Vernon & Winn.

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

  • Natchitoches Parish     (The home parish of Sampusand)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sampusand, with the one closest to Sampusand listed first.
    • Cloutierville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Derry
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Derry is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Derry
    • Gorum
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Marco
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Marco is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marco
    • Melrose
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Flora
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Natchez
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Bellwood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Bellwood is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
    • Provencal
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Natchitoches
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Victoria
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Victoria is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victoria
    • Vowells Mill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Vowells Mill is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vowells Mill
    • Clarence
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
  • Grant Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sampusand, with the one closest to Sampusand listed first.
    • Colfax
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Montgomery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Fairmount
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Fairmount is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
    • Dry Prong
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Bentley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Stay
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Stay is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stay
    • Black Creek ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Black Creek is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Creek
    • Creola
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • 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
    • Pollock
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Antonia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Antonia is located in Grant Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antonia
  • Rapides Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sampusand, with the one closest to Sampusand listed first.
    • Flatwoods
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Lena
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Mora
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Rock
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Rock is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock
    • Zimmerman
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Zimmerman is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zimmerman
    • Boyce
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Hot Wells
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Hot Wells is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hot Wells
    • Hemphill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Hemphill is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemphill
    • Gardner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Sieper
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Otis
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Weil
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Weil is located in Rapides Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weil
    • Hineston
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
  • Sabine Parish
    • Corleyville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Corleyville is located in Sabine Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corleyville
  • Vernon Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sampusand, with the one closest to Sampusand listed first.
    • Alco
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Alco is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alco
    • Simpson
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Kurthwood
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Hicks
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Hicks is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hicks
    • Lacamp
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Walnut Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Walnut Hill is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Hill
    • Leander
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Leander is located in Vernon Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leander
    • Slagle
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Anacoco
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Hornbeck
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Winn Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sampusand, with the one closest to Sampusand listed first.
    • Saint Maurice
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Atlanta
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Couley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Couley is located in Winn Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Couley
    • Whitford
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Whitford is located in Winn Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitford

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

Cemeteries Near Sampusand ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sampusand.

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

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

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

  • Emanuel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Botton Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Bay Spring Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Gorum Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Simon Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Calvert Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Flatwoods Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Marce Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Carnahan Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Campbell Creek Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Watkin Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Russell Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (178 more) ...
    • Schorn Brook Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Hill Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Knight Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)

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

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

  • Chopin
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Chopin is located in Natchitoches Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chopin
  • Derry
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Derry is located in Natchitoches Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Derry
  • Cloutierville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Gorum
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mora
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Melrose
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Lena
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Cypress
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Cypress is located in Natchitoches Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cypress
  • Colfax
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Montgomery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Bermuda
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Bermuda is located in Natchitoches Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bermuda
  • Fairmount
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Fairmount is located in Grant Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Boyce
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Kisatchie
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Kisatchie is located in Natchitoches Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kisatchie
    • Mount Zion
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Mount Zion is located in Winn Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Zion

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

Newspapers Published in Sampusand ...

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 Sampusand.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sampusand, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sampusand.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Sampusand:

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 '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- Sampusand) 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 Sampusand, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.