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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 Benton (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 Benton. 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.

Benton is located in Yazoo County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Yazoo County: Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Madison, Sharkey & Warren.

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

  • Yazoo County     (The home county of Benton)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benton, with the one closest to Benton listed first.
    • Nod
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nod have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nod
      • Nod is located in Yazoo County
    • Yazoo City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yazoo City
      • Yazoo City is located in Yazoo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,673 people
      • Former names for Yazoo City:
      • Hannan's Bluff
      • Manchester
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yazoo City <2>
    • Jonestown
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jonestown
      • Jonestown is located in Yazoo County
    • Eden
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden
      • Eden is located in Yazoo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
    • Vaughan
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vaughan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vaughan
      • Vaughan is located in Yazoo County
    • Anding
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anding
      • Anding is located in Yazoo County
    • Oil City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oil City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oil City
      • Oil City is located in Yazoo County
    • Crump
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crump have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crump
      • Crump is located in Yazoo County
    • Bentonia
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bentonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bentonia
      • Bentonia is located in Yazoo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 410 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bentonia <2>
    • Satartia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Satartia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Satartia
      • Satartia is located in Yazoo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • Kearney
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kearney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kearney
      • Kearney is located in Yazoo County
  • Attala County
    • Newport
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newport
      • Newport is located in Attala County
  • Hinds County
    • Brownsville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownsville
      • Brownsville is located in Hinds County
  • Holmes County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benton, with the one closest to Benton listed first.
    • Coxburg
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coxburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coxburg
      • Coxburg is located in Holmes County
    • Bee Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee Lake
      • Bee Lake is located in Holmes County
      • Bee Lake has also been known as:
      • Bee Lake Plantation
    • Tolarville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tolarville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tolarville
      • Tolarville is located in Holmes County
    • Pickens
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Richland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
      • Richland is located in Holmes County
    • Good Hope
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Good Hope have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good Hope
      • Good Hope is located in Holmes County
    • Mileston
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mileston
      • Mileston is located in Holmes County
    • Jones Crossing
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jones Crossing
      • Jones Crossing is located in Holmes County
    • Goodman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goodman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodman
      • Goodman is located in Holmes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,152 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Goodman <2>
    • Gwin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gwin
      • Gwin is located in Holmes County
    • Lexington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Tchula
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tchula
      • Tchula is located in Holmes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,905 people
    • Wyatt
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wyatt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyatt
      • Wyatt is located in Holmes County
  • Humphreys County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benton, with the one closest to Benton listed first.
    • Lake City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
      • Lake City is located in Humphreys County
    • Louise
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louise have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louise
      • Louise is located in Humphreys County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
    • Silver City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver City
      • Silver City is located in Humphreys County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 279 people
    • Belzoni
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Gooden Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gooden Lake
      • Gooden Lake is located in Humphreys County
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benton, with the one closest to Benton listed first.
    • Sharpsburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sharpsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharpsburg
      • Sharpsburg is located in Madison County
    • Kearney Park
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kearney Park
      • Kearney Park is located in Madison County
    • Davis
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Davis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis
      • Davis is located in Madison County
    • Mill Town
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mill Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Town
      • Mill Town is located in Madison County
    • Flora
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flora have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flora
      • Flora is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,866 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Flora <2>
    • Canton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Maris Town
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maris Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maris Town
      • Maris Town is located in Madison County
    • Mannsdale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mannsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mannsdale
      • Mannsdale is located in Madison County
    • Sharon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon
      • Sharon is located in Madison County
    • Adelle
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adelle
      • Adelle is located in Madison County
    • Madison
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Madisonville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madisonville
      • Madisonville is located in Madison County
    • Ridgeland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Sharkey County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benton, with the one closest to Benton listed first.
    • Auter
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Auter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auter
      • Auter is located in Sharkey County
    • Richey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richey
      • Richey is located in Sharkey County
  • Warren County
    • Russellville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Russellville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russellville
      • Russellville is located in Warren County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Benton ...

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 48 newspapers that have been published in the area around Benton.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Benton. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Benton and those printed in the larger area surrounding Benton.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 23 miles [37 km]<3> of Benton.

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 websites either 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 Benton:

Cemeteries Near Benton ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Benton.

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 Benton covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Pickett Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pickett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pickett Cemetery
  • Luce Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Luce Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Luce Cemetery
  • Coopers Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coopers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coopers Cemetery
  • Smith's Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith's Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith's Cemetery
  • Hicks Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hicks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hicks Cemetery
  • Crossroads Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Old Temple Love Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • St. James Church of God In Christ Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Midway UMC Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Bethany Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Hardshell Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hardshell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hardshell Cemetery
  • Bull Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bull Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bull Cemetery
  • Continue List   (286 more) ...
    • Mt. Zion Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Zion Cemetery
    • Tranquil Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Ellison Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ellison Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ellison Cemetery

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Benton had a population of 251 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Hilton ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hilton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton
    • Hilton is located in Yazoo County
  • Evans
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans
    • Evans is located in Yazoo County
  • Pearce ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pearce have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearce
    • Pearce is located in Yazoo County
  • Myrleville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrleville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrleville
    • Myrleville is located in Yazoo County
  • Free Run
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Free Run have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Free Run
    • Free Run is located in Yazoo County
  • Yazoo City
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yazoo City
    • Yazoo City is located in Yazoo County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,673 people
    • Former names for Yazoo City:
    • Hannan's Bluff
    • Manchester
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yazoo City <2>
  • Deasonville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deasonville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deasonville
    • Deasonville is located in Yazoo County
  • Fordyke
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fordyke have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fordyke
    • Fordyke is located in Yazoo County
  • Zeiglerville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Zeiglerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zeiglerville
    • Zeiglerville is located in Holmes County
  • Eden
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden
    • Eden is located in Yazoo County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
  • Anding
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anding
    • Anding is located in Yazoo County
  • Vaughan
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vaughan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vaughan
    • Vaughan is located in Yazoo County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Dover ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dover have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
      • Dover is located in Yazoo County
    • Coxburg
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coxburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coxburg
      • Coxburg is located in Holmes County
    • Valley
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley
      • Valley is located in Yazoo County

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

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

The official website for State of Mississippi: https://www.ms.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 from Point A (ie- Benton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Benton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.8265, Longitude: -90.2595       In this case, the coordinates for Benton have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Benton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024