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 Briar (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 Briar. 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 Counties ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived: their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Briar is located in Ripley County.
To see how the shape of Missouri's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Ripley County: Clay (AR), Randolph (AR), Butler, Carter & Oregon.
Below are the counties that are near Briar. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Briar:
- Ripley County (The home county of Briar)
- The following are listed by their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Ponder
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Ponder is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ponder
- Bennett
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Bennett is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bennett
- Doniphan
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Gatewood
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Gatewood is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gatewood
- Bardley
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Bardley is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bardley
- Current View
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Current View is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Current View
- Oxly
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Oxly is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxly
- Gamburg
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Gamburg is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gamburg
- Fairdealing
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Fairdealing is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairdealing
- Naylor
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Naylor is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naylor
- Population from the 2020 Census: 585 people
- Butler County
- The following are listed by their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Neelyville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Harviell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Carter County
- The following are listed by their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Grandin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Grandin is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 231 people
- Chicopee
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Chicopee is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicopee
- Ellsinore
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Fremont
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Fremont is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fremont
- Van Buren
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Oregon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Calm
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Calm is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calm
- Myrtle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Myrtle is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtle
- Garfield
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Garfield is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
- Couch
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Alton
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Woodside
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Woodside is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodside
- Jeff
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jeff is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeff
- Corona
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Corona is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corona
- Clay County (AR)
- The following are listed by their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Current View
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Current View is located in Clay County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Current View
- Success
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Success is located in Clay County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Success
- Population from the 2020 Census: 132 people
- Datto
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Datto is located in Clay County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Datto
- Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
- Corning
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Moark
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Moark is located in Clay County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moark
- Knobel
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Knobel is located in Clay County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knobel
- Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
- Peach Orchard
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Peach Orchard is located in Clay County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peach Orchard
- Population from the 2020 Census: 123 people
- Randolph County (AR)
- The following are listed by their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Supply
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Supply is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Supply
- Warm Springs
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Warm Springs is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warm Springs
- Middlebrook
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Middlebrook is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlebrook
- Elm Store
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Elm Store is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Store
- Maynard
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Maynard is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maynard
- Population from the 2020 Census: 379 people
- Antioch
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Antioch is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antioch
- Hamil
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Hamil is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamil
- Ingram
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Ingram is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ingram
- Ingram has also been known as:
- Gooberhull
- Spikes
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Spikes is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spikes
- Spring Creek
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Spring Creek is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Creek
- Dalton
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Dalton is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dalton
- Attica
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Attica is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attica
- Sharp County (AR)
- Wirth
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Wirth is located in Sharp County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wirth
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Briar, see our County-by-County Page for Briar.
Cemeteries Near Briar ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Briar.
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 Briar - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Briar covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Little Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Shirley Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Kennon Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Wilson Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Rosson Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Old Ponder Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Ponder Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Chestnut Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Bennett Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Riley Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Union Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Plunk Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (275 more) ...
- Price Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Gartman Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Worley Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
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.<2>
While we didn't find Briar in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Briar.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Briar, with the one closest to Briar listed first.
- Ponder
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Ponder is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ponder
- Bennett
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Bennett is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bennett
- Gatewood
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Gatewood is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gatewood
- Doniphan
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Tucker
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Tucker is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tucker
- Poynor
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Poynor is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poynor
- Pleasant Grove
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Pleasant Grove is also located in Ripley County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Grove
- Supply
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Supply is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Supply
- Barren ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Barren was located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barren
- Warm Springs
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Warm Springs is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warm Springs
- Griswold
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Griswold is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswold
- Middlebrook
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Middlebrook is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlebrook
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Billmore
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Billmore is located in Oregon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Billmore
- Elm Store
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Elm Store is located in Randolph County (AR)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Store
- Grandin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Grandin is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 231 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Briar. See our List of 1890's Communities around Briar.
Newspapers Published in Briar ...
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 38 newspapers that have been published in the area around Briar.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Briar, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Briar.
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 Briar:
- Websites specific to Missouri
- Pages specific to Ripley County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Butler County
- Carter County
- Oregon County
- Clay County
- Randolph County
- Sharp County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Missouri
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> | 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 Briar, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Briar) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |