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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 Ringling (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 Ringling. 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.

Ringling is located in Jefferson County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Jefferson County: Carter, Cotton, Love, Stephens, Clay (TX) & Montague (TX).

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

  • Jefferson County     (The home county of Ringling)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ringling, with the one closest to Ringling listed first.
    • Cornish
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Cornish is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornish
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
    • Grady
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Grady is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grady
    • Petersburg
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Petersburg is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg
    • Oscar
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Addington
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Ryan
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Ryan is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ryan <1>
    • Sugden
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Sugden is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugden
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 41 people
    • Waurika
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Fleetwood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Fleetwood is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleetwood
    • Terral
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Hastings
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Carter County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ringling, with the one closest to Ringling listed first.
    • Healdton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Wilson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Oil City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Oil City is located in Carter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oil City
    • Clemscott
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Clemscott is located in Carter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clemscott
    • Pike City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Pike City is located in Carter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pike City
    • Fox
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Graham
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Pruitt City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Pruitt City is located in Carter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pruitt City
    • Milo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Lone Grove
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Countyline
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Ratliff City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Brock
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Brock is located in Carter County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brock
  • Garvin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ringling, with the one closest to Ringling listed first.
    • Pernell
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Hennepin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Satterwhite
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Satterwhite is located in Garvin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Satterwhite
    • Foster
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Love County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ringling, with the one closest to Ringling listed first.
    • Orr
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Orr is located in Love County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orr
    • Leon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Burneyville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jimtown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jimtown is located in Love County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jimtown
    • Overbrook
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
  • Murray County
    • Davis
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Stephens County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ringling, with the one closest to Ringling listed first.
    • Loco
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Loco is located in Stephens County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loco
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 118 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Loco <1>
    • Velma
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Comanche
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Meridian
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Meridian is located in Stephens County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meridian
    • Duncan
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Duncan is located in Stephens County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 22,259 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Duncan <1>
  • Montague County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ringling, with the one closest to Ringling listed first.
    • Rowland
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Rowland is located in Montague County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowland
    • Spanish Fort
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Spanish Fort is located in Montague County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spanish Fort
    • Hynds City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Hynds City is located in Montague County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hynds City
    • Illinois Bend
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Illinois Bend is located in Montague County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinois Bend
    • Bonita
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Bonita is located in Montague County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonita
    • Nocona
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Nocona is located in Montague County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nocona
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,016 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nocona <1>
    • Belcherville ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Belcherville is located in Montague County (TX)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belcherville

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

Cemeteries Near Ringling ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ringling.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Ringling - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Ringling covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Ringling Memorial Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Cornish Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Atlee Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Mt. Olive Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Dixie Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Reck Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Bomar Point Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Orr Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Grady Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Loco Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Hewitt Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewitt Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Hewitt Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the east of Wilson.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #98622 <2>
  • Crow Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (120 more) ...
    • Oil Springs Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Mountain Grove Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Keller Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)

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.<3>

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

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

  • Spanish Fort
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Spanish Fort is located in Montague County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spanish Fort
  • Woodford
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Woodford is located in Carter County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford
  • Illinois Bend
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Illinois Bend is located in Montague County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinois Bend
  • Nocona
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Nocona is located in Montague County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nocona
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,016 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nocona <1>
  • Bonita
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Bonita is located in Montague County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonita
  • Belcherville ‑ Historic
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Belcherville is located in Montague County (TX)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belcherville

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Ringling ...

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 80 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ringling.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Ringling. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Ringling and those printed in the larger area surrounding Ringling.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Ringling.

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 Ringling:

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 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.
<3>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 Ringling, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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- Ringling) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.