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 Helm (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 Helm. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.
Helm is located in Washington 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 Washington County: Chicot (AR), Bolivar, Humphreys, Issaquena, Sharkey & Sunflower.
Below are the counties that are near Helm. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Helm:
- Washington County (The home county of Helm)
- The following are listed by their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- Napanee
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Napanee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Napanee
- Napanee is located in Washington County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Napanee
- From Helm to Napanee
- Dunleith
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dunleith. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunleith
- Dunleith is located in Washington County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Dunleith
- From Helm to Dunleith
- Leland
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Stoneville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Metcalfe
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Metcalfe have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metcalfe
- Metcalfe is located in Washington County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 935 people
- Wilmot
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wilmot. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmot
- Wilmot is located in Washington County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Wilmot
- From Helm to Wilmot
- Greenville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Arcola
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arcola have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcola
- Arcola is located in Washington County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 315 people
- Forrest City ‑ Historic
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forrest City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forrest City
- Forrest City is located in Washington County
- Hollandale
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hollandale have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollandale
- Hollandale is located in Washington County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,242 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hollandale <2>
- Avon
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Overby
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Overby. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Overby
- Overby is located in Washington County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Overby
- From Helm to Overby
- James
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for James. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for James
- James is located in Washington County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to James
- From Helm to James
- Bolivar County
- The following are listed by their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- Choctaw
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Shaw
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shaw have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaw
- Shaw is located in Bolivar County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,655 people
- Longshot
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Grapeland
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Grapeland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grapeland
- Grapeland is located in Bolivar County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Grapeland
- From Helm to Grapeland
- Benoit
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benoit have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benoit
- Benoit is located in Bolivar County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 419 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Benoit <2>
- Dahomy
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dahomy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dahomy
- Dahomy is located in Bolivar County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Dahomy
- From Helm to Dahomy
- Lamont
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Boyle
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Lake Vista
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Vista have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Vista
- Lake Vista is located in Bolivar County
- Scott
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Cleveland
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cleveland have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleveland
- Cleveland is located in Bolivar County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 10,846 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cleveland <2>
- Mound Landing
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Mound City
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Hinds County
- Delta City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delta City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delta City
- Delta City is located in Hinds County
- Humphreys County
- The following are listed by their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- Isola
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Jaketown
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Gooden Lake
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Belzoni
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Leflore County
- The following are listed by their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- McNutt
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McNutt. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNutt
- McNutt is located in Leflore County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to McNutt
- From Helm to McNutt
- Itta Bena
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Morgan City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morgan City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan City
- Morgan City is located in Leflore County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 236 people
- Schlater
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Sharkey County
- Panther Burn
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Sunflower County
- The following are listed by their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- Heathman
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Heathman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heathman
- Heathman is located in Sunflower County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Heathman
- From Helm to Heathman
- Faisonia
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Faisonia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faisonia
- Faisonia is located in Sunflower County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Faisonia
- From Helm to Faisonia
- Indianola
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Roundaway
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Baird
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Baird. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baird
- Baird is located in Sunflower County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Baird
- From Helm to Baird
- New Town
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Town
- New Town is located in Sunflower County
- Sunflower
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Inverness
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Halstead
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Halstead. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halstead
- Halstead is located in Sunflower County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Halstead
- From Helm to Halstead
- White City
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
- White City is located in Sunflower County
- Moorhead
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Doddsville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doddsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doddsville
- Doddsville is located in Sunflower County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
- Quiver ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quiver have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quiver
- Quiver is located in Sunflower County
- Chicot County (AR)
- Lake Village
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Village
- Lake Village is located in Chicot County (AR)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,151 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Village <2>
- Desha County (AR)
- The following are listed by their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- Arkansas City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arkansas City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arkansas City
- Arkansas City is located in Desha County (AR)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
- Napoleon ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Napoleon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Napoleon
- Napoleon is located in Desha County (AR)
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Napoleon
- From Helm to Napoleon
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Helm, see our County-by-County Page for Helm.
Cemeteries Near Helm ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Helm.
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 Helm covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- Helm Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Helm Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Helm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Heads Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Heads Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Heads Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Union Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Charity Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Charity Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Charity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Brown Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brown Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brown Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mt. Calvary Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Stoneville - Leland Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stoneville - Leland Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stoneville - Leland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jake Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jake Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jake Cemetery #2
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jake Cemetery #2
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jake Cemetery #2 have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jones Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jones Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jones Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hopkins Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hopkins Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hopkins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hinds Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Continue List (160 more) ...
- Shaw Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Christian Life Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Christian Life Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Christian Life Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Evening Star Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evening Star Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evening Star Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
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.<6>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Helm had a population of 62 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Helm, with the one closest to Helm listed first.
- Choctaw
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Elizabeth
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elizabeth have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabeth
- Elizabeth is located in Washington County
- Holly Ridge
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holly Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holly Ridge
- Holly Ridge is located in Sunflower County
- Stoneville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Leland
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Heathman
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Heathman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heathman
- Heathman is located in Sunflower County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Heathman
- From Helm to Heathman
- Shaw
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shaw have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaw
- Shaw is located in Bolivar County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,655 people
- Magenta
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Magenta have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magenta
- Magenta is located in Washington County
- Burdette
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burdette have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burdette
- Burdette is located in Washington County
- Indianola
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Faisonia
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Faisonia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faisonia
- Faisonia is located in Sunflower County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Faisonia
- From Helm to Faisonia
- O'Reilly
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for O'Reilly have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for O'Reilly
- O'Reilly is located in Bolivar County
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Greenville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Dahomy
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dahomy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dahomy
- Dahomy is located in Bolivar County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Dahomy
- From Helm to Dahomy
- Benoit
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benoit have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benoit
- Benoit is located in Bolivar County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 419 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Benoit <2>
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Helm. See our List of 1890's Communities around Helm.
Newspapers Published in Helm ...
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 35 newspapers that have been published in the area around Helm.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Helm, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Helm.
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 Helm:
- Websites specific to Mississippi
- Pages specific to Washington County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bolivar County
- Hinds County
- Humphreys County
- Leflore County
- Sharkey County
- Sunflower County
- Chicot County
- Desha County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Mississippi
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Helm. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Mississippi: https://www.ms.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace. |
<2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<3> | 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. |
<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 drawn from Point A (ie- Helm) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Helm. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.5009, Longitude: -90.8348 In this case, the coordinates for Helm have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
<5> | 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. |
<6> | 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 Helm, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |