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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 Hess (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 Hess. 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.

Hess is located in Jackson County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Jackson County: Greer, Harmon, Kiowa, Tillman, Hardeman (TX) & Wilbarger (TX).

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

  • Jackson County     (The home county of Hess)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hess, with the one closest to Hess listed first.
    • Elmer
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmer
      • Elmer is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 88 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elmer <2>
    • Humphreys
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Olustee
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Altus
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Headrick
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Friendship
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship
      • Friendship is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 22 people
    • Victory
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Martha
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Duke
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • East Duke
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Duke have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Duke
      • East Duke is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 383 people
    • Eldorado
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Blair
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blair have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blair
      • Blair is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 737 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blair <2>
  • Harmon County
    • Louis ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Louis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louis
      • Louis is located in Harmon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Louis
      • From Hess to Louis
  • Kiowa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hess, with the one closest to Hess listed first.
    • Snyder
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snyder have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snyder
      • Snyder is located in Kiowa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,281 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Snyder <2>
    • Mountain Park
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Park
      • Mountain Park is located in Kiowa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 384 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mountain Park <2>
    • Lugert ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lugert. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lugert
      • Lugert is located in Kiowa County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lugert
      • From Hess to Lugert
    • Roosevelt
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roosevelt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roosevelt
      • Roosevelt is located in Kiowa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 233 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roosevelt <2>
  • Tillman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hess, with the one closest to Hess listed first.
    • Tipton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Frederick
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Manitou
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manitou have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manitou
      • Manitou is located in Tillman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Manitou <2>
    • Davidson
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Davidson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davidson
      • Davidson is located in Tillman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Davidson <2>
    • Hollister
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Loveland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loveland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loveland
      • Loveland is located in Tillman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Loveland <2>
  • Foard County (TX)
  • Hardeman County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hess, with the one closest to Hess listed first.
    • Chillicothe
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Medicine Mound ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medicine Mound have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medicine Mound
      • Medicine Mound is located in Hardeman County (TX)
    • Quanah
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Wilbarger County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hess, with the one closest to Hess listed first.
    • Fargo
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Odell
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Odell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odell
      • Odell is located in Wilbarger County (TX)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Odell <2>
    • White City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
      • White City is located in Wilbarger County (TX)
    • Tolbert ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tolbert. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tolbert
      • Tolbert is located in Wilbarger County (TX)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tolbert
      • From Hess to Tolbert
    • Vernon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Oklaunion
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Elliott
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Lockett
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Harrold
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrold
      • Harrold is located in Wilbarger County (TX)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harrold <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Hess ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hess.

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

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

  • Hess Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hess Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hess Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Francis Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Francis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Francis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Elmer Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elmer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elmer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bell Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Tipton Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tipton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tipton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Olustee Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Olustee Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Olustee Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boggy Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boggy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boggy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Centerview Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Frazier Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Frazier Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Frazier Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Altus City Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Carmel Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Carmel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Carmel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fargo Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (53 more) ...

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 in 1895, Hess had a post office and no railroad service.

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

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

Newspapers Published in Hess ...

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 88 newspapers that have been published in the area around Hess.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Hess, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Hess.

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 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 Hess:

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

The official website for State of Oklahoma: https://www.ok.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>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.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Hess) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Hess. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.4645, Longitude: -99.2722       In this case, the coordinates for Hess 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 Hess, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025