RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Oklahoma >> Greer County >> Russell >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Oklahoma

The Commemorative Quarter for Oklahoma





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 Russell (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 Russell. 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 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.

Russell is located in Greer 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 Greer County: Beckham, Harmon, Jackson & Kiowa.

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

  • Greer County     (The home county of Russell)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Reed
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Reed. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reed
      • Reed is located in Greer County
    • Mangum
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Bloomington
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bloomington. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomington
      • Bloomington is located in Greer County
    • Jester
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jester. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jester
      • Jester is located in Greer County
    • Granite
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Granite have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granite
      • Granite is located in Greer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,956 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Granite <2>
    • Willow
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow
      • Willow is located in Greer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 136 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Willow <2>
  • Beckham County
    • Delhi
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
      • Delhi is located in Beckham County
  • Harmon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Gould
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gould have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould
      • Gould is located in Harmon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 124 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gould <2>
    • Vinson
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Louis ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louis
      • Louis is located in Harmon County
    • Hollis
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Arnett
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnett
      • Arnett is located in Harmon County
    • Sandy
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sandy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy
      • Sandy is located in Harmon County
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Duke
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • East Duke
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Duke have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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
    • Victory
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victory
      • Victory is located in Jackson County
    • Martha
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Blair
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blair have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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>
    • Eldorado
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Olustee
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Altus
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altus
      • Altus is located in Jackson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,162 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Altus <2>
    • Friendship
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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
    • Elmer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmer have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Humphreys
      • Humphreys is located in Jackson County
    • Hess
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hess. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hess
      • Hess is located in Jackson County
  • Kiowa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Lugert ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lugert
      • Lugert is located in Kiowa County
    • Lone Wolf
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Childress County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Arlie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arlie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlie
      • Arlie is located in Childress County (TX)
    • Loco ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loco have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loco
      • Loco is located in Childress County (TX)
  • Collingsworth County (TX)
    • Dodson
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dodson
      • Dodson is located in Collingsworth County (TX)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dodson <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Russell ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Russell.

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

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

  • Russell Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Russell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Russell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Langford Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Langford Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Langford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wildcat Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wildcat Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wildcat Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rock Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rock Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ladessa Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ladessa Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ladessa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • White Flat Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the White Flat Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the White Flat Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gould Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gould Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gould Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cottonwood Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cottonwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cottonwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Reed Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Reed Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Reed Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Duke Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Duke Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Duke Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Liberty Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Guffin Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Guffin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Guffin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (57 more) ...
    • Riverside Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverside Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Tea Cross Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tea Cross Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tea Cross Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Roselawn Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roselawn Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roselawn 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.<4>

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

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

  • Reed
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Reed. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reed
    • Reed is located in Greer County
  • Duke
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Mangum
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Louis ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louis
    • Louis is located in Harmon County
  • Victory
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victory
    • Victory is located in Jackson County
  • Martha
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Bloomington
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bloomington. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomington
    • Bloomington is located in Greer County
  • Jester
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jester. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jester
    • Jester is located in Greer County
  • Eldorado
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
  • Altus
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altus
    • Altus is located in Jackson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,162 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Altus <2>
  • Arlie
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arlie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlie
    • Arlie is located in Childress County (TX)
  • Fresno
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fresno have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fresno
    • Fresno is located in Collingsworth County (TX)
  • Delhi
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
    • Delhi is located in Beckham County

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

Newspapers Published in Russell ...

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 70 newspapers that have been published in the area around Russell.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Russell, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Russell.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Russell:

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

The official website for State of Oklahoma: https://www.ok.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>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 Russell, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Russell) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Russell. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.7681, Longitude: -99.6673       In this case, the coordinates for Russell have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025