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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 Topsy (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 Topsy. 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 northwest 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 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 west 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.

Topsy is located in Jefferson Davis Parish.

To see how the shape of Louisiana's parishes have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following parishes adjoin and form the boundaries of Jefferson Davis Parish: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline & Vermilion.

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

  • Jefferson Davis Parish     (The home parish of Topsy)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topsy, with the one closest to Topsy listed first.
    • Fenton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fenton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fenton
      • Fenton is located in Jefferson Davis Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 349 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fenton <2>
    • Lacassine
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lacassine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacassine
      • Lacassine is located in Jefferson Davis Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lacassine <2>
    • Welsh
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Welsh have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welsh
      • Welsh is located in Jefferson Davis Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,195 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Welsh <2>
    • Elton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elton
      • Elton is located in Jefferson Davis Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,134 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elton <2>
    • Roanoke
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roanoke have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roanoke
      • Roanoke is located in Jefferson Davis Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roanoke <2>
    • Jennings
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jennings
      • Jennings is located in Jefferson Davis Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,660 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jennings <2>
  • Allen Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topsy, with the one closest to Topsy listed first.
    • Indian Village
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Village
      • Indian Village is located in Allen Parish
    • Reeves
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reeves have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reeves
      • Reeves is located in Allen Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 243 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Reeves <2>
    • Le Blanc
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Le Blanc have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Le Blanc
      • Le Blanc is located in Allen Parish
    • Kinder
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kinder have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinder
      • Kinder is located in Allen Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,324 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kinder <2>
    • Coverdale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coverdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coverdale
      • Coverdale is located in Allen Parish
    • Lauderdale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lauderdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lauderdale
      • Lauderdale is located in Allen Parish
    • Mittie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mittie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mittie
      • Mittie is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mittie <2>
    • Oberlin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Tenmile
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tenmile have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenmile
      • Tenmile is located in Allen Parish
    • Grant
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grant
      • Grant is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grant <2>
  • Beauregard Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topsy, with the one closest to Topsy listed first.
    • Ragley
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ragley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ragley
      • Ragley is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ragley <2>
    • Longville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Longville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longville
      • Longville is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Longville <2>
    • Dry Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dry Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Creek
      • Dry Creek is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dry Creek <2>
    • Helme
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Helme have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helme
      • Helme is located in Beauregard Parish
    • Singer
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Singer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Singer
      • Singer is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Singer <2>
    • Newlin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newlin
      • Newlin is located in Beauregard Parish
    • Sugartown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sugartown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugartown
      • Sugartown is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sugartown <2>
  • Calcasieu Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Topsy, with the one closest to Topsy listed first.
    • Ararat
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ararat
      • Ararat is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Moss Bluff
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moss Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moss Bluff
      • Moss Bluff is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moss Bluff <2>
    • Iowa
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iowa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa
      • Iowa is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,109 people
    • Westlake
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westlake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westlake
      • Westlake is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,873 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westlake <2>
    • Lake Charles
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Greinwich Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greinwich Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greinwich Village
      • Greinwich Village is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Prien
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prien
      • Prien is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Sulphur
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • DeQuincy
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for DeQuincy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DeQuincy
      • DeQuincy is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,009 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for DeQuincy <2>
    • Bell City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bell City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell City
      • Bell City is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bell City <2>
    • Carlyss
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlyss
      • Carlyss is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Hayes
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hayes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayes
      • Hayes is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hayes <2>
    • Edgerly
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerly
      • Edgerly is located in Calcasieu Parish
  • Cameron Parish
    • Grand Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Lake
      • Grand Lake is located in Cameron Parish

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

Newspapers Published in Topsy ...

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 Topsy.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Topsy, 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 Topsy.

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 helpful 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 Topsy:

Cemeteries Near Topsy ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Topsy.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Creel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Creel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Creel Cemetery
  • Birdsnest Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Birdsnest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Birdsnest Cemetery
  • Lyles Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lyles Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lyles Cemetery
  • Herbert Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Herbert Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Herbert Cemetery
  • Kingrey Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kingrey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kingrey Cemetery
  • Nevils Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nevils Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nevils Cemetery
  • La France Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the La France Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the La France Cemetery
  • Nevil Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nevil Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nevil Cemetery
  • Magnolia Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Magnolia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Magnolia Cemetery
  • Ritchie Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ritchie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ritchie Cemetery
  • West Fork Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Fork Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Fork Cemetery
  • Gillie Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gillie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gillie Cemetery
  • Continue List   (76 more) ...
    • Goos Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Goos Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Goos Cemetery
    • Emanuel Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Emanuel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Emanuel Cemetery
    • Combre Memorial Park
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)

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.<5>

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

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

  • Chloe
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chloe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chloe
    • Chloe is located in Calcasieu Parish
  • Westlake
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westlake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westlake
    • Westlake is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,873 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westlake <2>
  • Iowa
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iowa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa
    • Iowa is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,109 people
  • Lake Charles
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • Edgerly
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerly
    • Edgerly is located in Calcasieu Parish
  • Grand Lake
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Lake
    • Grand Lake is located in Cameron Parish

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Topsy. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Louisiana: louisiana.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 drawn from Point A (ie- Topsy) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Topsy. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.4094, Longitude: -93.1224       In this case, the coordinates for Topsy have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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 Topsy, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024