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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 West Hattiesburg (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 West Hattiesburg. 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 West Hattiesburg ...

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.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for West Hattiesburg: W. Hattiesburg

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.

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 and doctors 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.

West Hattiesburg is located in Lamar 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 Lamar County: Covington, Forrest, Jefferson Davis, Marion & Pearl River.

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

  • Lamar County     (The home county of West Hattiesburg)
    • The following are listed by their distance from West Hattiesburg, with the one closest to West Hattiesburg listed first.
    • Sumrall
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Purvis
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Purvis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Purvis
      • Purvis is located in Lamar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,398 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Purvis <1>
    • Wells Town
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wells Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells Town
      • Wells Town is located in Lamar County
    • Lumberton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lumberton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lumberton
      • Lumberton is located in Lamar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,242 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lumberton <1>
  • Covington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from West Hattiesburg, with the one closest to West Hattiesburg listed first.
    • Lux
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lux
      • Lux is located in Covington County
    • Seminary
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seminary have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seminary
      • Seminary is located in Covington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 284 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Seminary <1>
    • Kola
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kola
      • Kola is located in Covington County
    • Williamsburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
      • Williamsburg is located in Covington County
    • Collins
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Collins have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collins
      • Collins is located in Covington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,417 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Collins <1>
    • Hot Coffee
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hot Coffee
      • Hot Coffee is located in Covington County
  • Forrest County
    • The following are listed by their distance from West Hattiesburg, with the one closest to West Hattiesburg listed first.
    • Hattiesburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Petal
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petal
      • Petal is located in Forrest County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,692 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Petal <1>
    • Goodluck
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodluck
      • Goodluck is located in Forrest County
    • McLaurin
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McLaurin
      • McLaurin is located in Forrest County
    • Carnes
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carnes
      • Carnes is located in Forrest County
  • Jefferson Davis County
    • Bassfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bassfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassfield
      • Bassfield is located in Jefferson Davis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
  • Jones County
    • The following are listed by their distance from West Hattiesburg, with the one closest to West Hattiesburg listed first.
    • Ellisville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Ovett
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ovett
      • Ovett is located in Jones County
    • Antioch
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antioch
      • Antioch is located in Jones County
    • Laurel
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Soso
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Soso
      • Soso is located in Jones County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 396 people
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from West Hattiesburg, with the one closest to West Hattiesburg listed first.
    • Pinebur
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinebur
      • Pinebur is located in Marion County
    • Columbia
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Expose
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Expose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Expose
      • Expose is located in Marion County
  • Perry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from West Hattiesburg, with the one closest to West Hattiesburg listed first.
    • New Augusta
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Augusta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Augusta
      • New Augusta is located in Perry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 593 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Augusta <1>
    • Wingate
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wingate
      • Wingate is located in Perry County
    • Richton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Beaumont
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaumont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaumont
      • Beaumont is located in Perry County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 894 people

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

Newspapers Published in West Hattiesburg ...

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 36 newspapers that have been published in the area around West Hattiesburg.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of West Hattiesburg, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for West Hattiesburg.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with 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 West Hattiesburg:

Cemeteries Near West Hattiesburg ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of West Hattiesburg.

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

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

  • Magnolia Memorial Gardens
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Magnolia Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Magnolia Memorial Gardens
  • Forest Memorial Park
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Memorial Park
  • Hartfield Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hartfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hartfield Cemetery
  • Richburg Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Richburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Richburg Cemetery
  • Highland Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Cemetery
  • B'nai Israel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the B'nai Israel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the B'nai Israel Cemetery
  • Old Eaton Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Eaton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Eaton Cemetery
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
  • Richburg Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Richburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Richburg Cemetery
  • Pine Ridge Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Ridge Cemetery
  • Bennett Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bennett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bennett Cemetery
  • Jones Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jones Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jones Cemetery
  • Continue List   (419 more) ...
    • Grantham Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grantham Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grantham Cemetery
    • Oaklawn Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oaklawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oaklawn Cemetery
    • Roseland Park Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roseland Park Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roseland Park 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>

While we didn't find West Hattiesburg in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of West Hattiesburg.

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

  • Hattiesburg
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Eastabuchie
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eastabuchie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastabuchie
    • Eastabuchie is located in Forrest County
  • Moselle
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moselle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moselle
    • Moselle is located in Jones County
  • Moscos
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moscos have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscos
    • Moscos is located in Covington County
  • Ellisville
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Williamsburg
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
    • Williamsburg is located in Covington County
  • Ora
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ora have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ora
    • Ora is located in Covington County
  • Columbia
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Hillsdale
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillsdale
    • Hillsdale is located in Pearl River County
  • Spring Cottage
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Cottage have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Cottage
    • Spring Cottage is located in Marion County
  • Orvisburg
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orvisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orvisburg
    • Orvisburg is located in Pearl River County
  • Laurel
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)

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

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

The official website for Lamar County: www.lamarcounty.com/

The official website for State of Mississippi: https://www.ms.gov/

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 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.
<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 drawn from Point A (ie- West Hattiesburg) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in West Hattiesburg. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.3191, Longitude: -89.3751       In this case, the coordinates for West Hattiesburg 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 West Hattiesburg, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024