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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 Westwood (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 Westwood. 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 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/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.

Westwood is located in Calcasieu 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 Calcasieu Parish: Beauregard, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Newton (TX) & Orange (TX).

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

  • Calcasieu Parish     (The home parish of Westwood)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westwood, with the one closest to Westwood listed first.
    • Dequincy
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Edgerly
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Edgerly is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerly
    • Starks
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Sulphur
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Westlake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Ararat
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Ararat is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ararat
    • Moss Bluff
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Vinton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Vinton is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,211 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vinton <1>
    • Carlyss
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Carlyss is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlyss
    • Lake Charles
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Prien
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Prien is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prien
    • Greinwich Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Greinwich Village is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greinwich Village
    • Iowa
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Iowa is located in Calcasieu Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,109 people
  • Allen Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westwood, with the one closest to Westwood listed first.
    • Reeves
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Indian Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Indian Village is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Village
    • Le Blanc
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Le Blanc is located in Allen Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Le Blanc
  • Beauregard Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westwood, with the one closest to Westwood listed first.
    • Helme
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Helme is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helme
    • Ragley
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Singer
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Newlin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Newlin is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newlin
    • Fayette ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Fayette is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayette
    • Longville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Merryville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • DeRidder
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Dry Creek
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Ludington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Ludington is located in Beauregard Parish
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ludington
  • Jasper County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westwood, with the one closest to Westwood listed first.
    • Bunker Hill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Bunker Hill is located in Jasper County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunker Hill
    • Call Junction
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Call Junction is located in Jasper County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Call Junction
    • Kirbyville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Buna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Newton County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westwood, with the one closest to Westwood listed first.
    • Deweyville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Bon Wier
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Hughes ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Hughes is located in Newton County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hughes
    • Bleakwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Bleakwood is located in Newton County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bleakwood
    • Call
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Orange County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westwood, with the one closest to Westwood listed first.
    • Lemonville ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Lemonville is located in Orange County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lemonville
    • Mauriceville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Orange
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Orange is located in Orange County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,832 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Orange <1>
    • Pinehurst
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Pinehurst is located in Orange County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinehurst
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,959 people
    • Texla
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Texla is located in Orange County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Texla

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

Cemeteries Near Westwood ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Westwood.

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

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

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

  • Perkins Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perkins Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Perkins Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southeast of Dequincy.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #68548 <2>
  • Rigmaiden Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Oretta Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Alston Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Stanley Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Hyatt Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Gillie Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Good Hope Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Archie Clark Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Archie Clark Cemetery
    • The Archie Clark Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Clark Cemetery
  • Carter Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Royer Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Babe Clark Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Babe Clark Cemetery
    • The Babe Clark Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Clark Cemetery
  • Continue List   (85 more) ...
    • Big Woods Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Smith Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • St. Mary Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)

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

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

  • Edgerly
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Edgerly is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerly
  • Westlake
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Vinton
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Vinton is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinton
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,211 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vinton <1>
  • Belgrade
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Belgrade is located in Newton County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belgrade
  • Lake Charles
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Chloe
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Chloe is located in Calcasieu Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chloe
  • Echo
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Echo is located in Orange County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo
  • Bleakwood
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Bleakwood is located in Newton County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bleakwood

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

Newspapers Published in Westwood ...

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 43 newspapers that have been published in the area around Westwood.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Westwood, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Westwood.

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 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 Westwood:

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 Westwood, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Westwood) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.