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 Waynesville (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 Waynesville. 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.
Name Variations for Waynesville ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
In past government published Postal Guides, Waynesville was referred to as Waynesville Courthouse.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Waynesville. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Waynesville.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
For more information about how community names might have been affected by the Board of Geographic Names (BGN), see our page about Placename Rules.
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 doctors and 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.
Waynesville is located in Pulaski County and is the County Seat.
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 Pulaski County: Camden, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Phelps & Texas.
Below are the counties that are near Waynesville. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Waynesville:
- Pulaski County (The home county of Waynesville)
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Saint Robert
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Laquey
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Laquey is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laquey
- Devils Elbow
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Swedeborg
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Swedeborg is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swedeborg
- Crocker
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Bloodland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Bloodland is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloodland
- Richland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Dixon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Hawkeye
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hawkeye is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkeye
- Camden County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Stoutland
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Montreal
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Decaturville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Decaturville is located in Camden County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decaturville
- Linn Creek
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Dent County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Lecoma
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Lecoma is located in Dent County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lecoma
- Lenox
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Lenox is located in Dent County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenox
- Lake Spring
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Lake Spring is located in Dent County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Spring
- Laclede County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Winnipeg
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Winnipeg is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winnipeg
- Abo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Abo is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abo
- Falcon
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Sleeper
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Sleeper is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sleeper
- Oakland
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Oakland is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
- Lynchburg
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Lynchburg is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynchburg
- Competition
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Competition is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Competition
- Lebanon
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Evergreen
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Evergreen is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen
- Population from the 2020 Census: 28 people
- Evergreen has also been known as:
- Evergreen village
- Twin Bridges
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Twin Bridges is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin Bridges
- Eldridge
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Brush Creek
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Brush Creek is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brush Creek
- Maries County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Brinktown
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Brinktown is located in Maries County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brinktown
- Vienna
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Miller County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Iberia
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Brumley
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Ulman
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Kaiser
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Elizabeth
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Phelps County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Jerome
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Jerome is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerome
- Arlington
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Arlington is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
- Duke
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Duke is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duke
- Newburg
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Newburg is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 432 people
- Doolittle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Doolittle is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doolittle
- Population from the 2020 Census: 595 people
- Edgar Springs
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Beulah
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Beulah is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulah
- Rolla
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Texas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Plato
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Roby
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Roby is located in Texas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roby
- Hazelton ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Hazelton is located in Texas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelton
- Sherrill
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Sherrill is located in Texas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherrill
- Success
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Licking
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Wright County
- The following are listed by their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Jerktail ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jerktail is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerktail
- Astoria
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Astoria is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Astoria
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Waynesville, see our County-by-County Page for Waynesville.
Cemeteries Near Waynesville ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Waynesville.
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 Waynesville - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Waynesville covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Stories Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Bradford Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Rayle Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Tower Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Bartlett Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Cedar Hill Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Dodds Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Turpin Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Collie Hollow Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Morgan Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Laughlin Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Gospel Ridge Union Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Continue List (242 more) ...
- Parsons Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Lipscomb Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Brake Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Waynesville had a population of 220 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Waynesville had a population of 5,308 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Waynesville, with the one closest to Waynesville listed first.
- Swedeborg
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Swedeborg is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swedeborg
- Crocker
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Richland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Cookville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Cookville is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cookville
- Spring Creek
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Spring Creek is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Creek
- Clementine
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Clementine is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clementine
- Hancock
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Hancock is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
- Big Piney
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Big Piney is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Piney
- Franks
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Franks is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franks
- Dixon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Jerome
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Jerome is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerome
- Glaize ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Glaize is located in Camden County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glaize
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Abo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Abo is located in Laclede County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abo
- Arlington
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Arlington is located in Phelps County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
- Hawkeye
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hawkeye is located in Pulaski County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkeye
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Waynesville. See our List of 1890's Communities around Waynesville.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Waynesville ...
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 32 newspapers that have been published in the area around Waynesville.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Waynesville. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Waynesville and those printed in the larger area surrounding Waynesville.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<3> of Waynesville.
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 Waynesville:
- Websites specific to Missouri
- Pages specific to Pulaski County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Camden County
- Dent County
- Laclede County
- Maries County
- Miller County
- Phelps County
- Texas County
- Wright 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 Waynesville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Waynesville) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |