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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 Thomas (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 Thomas. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

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 south 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.

Thomas is located in Custer 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 Custer County: Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Dewey, Roger Mills & Washita.

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

  • Custer County     (The home county of Thomas)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
    • Custer City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Weatherford
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weatherford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weatherford
      • Weatherford is located in Custer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,901 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weatherford <1>
    • Arapaho
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Clinton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Butler
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Butler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler
      • Butler is located in Custer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Butler <1>
  • Blaine County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
    • Eagle City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle City
      • Eagle City is located in Blaine County
    • Greenfield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
      • Greenfield is located in Blaine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenfield <1>
    • Watonga
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Canton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Cantonment ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cantonment. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantonment
      • Cantonment is located in Blaine County
    • Geary
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geary have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geary
      • Geary is located in Blaine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,272 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Geary <1>
    • Southard
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Hitchcock
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hitchcock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitchcock
      • Hitchcock is located in Blaine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 114 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hitchcock <1>
    • Longdale
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Caddo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
    • Hydro
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hydro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hydro
      • Hydro is located in Caddo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 937 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hydro <1>
    • Bridgeport
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeport
      • Bridgeport is located in Caddo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 110 people
    • Hinton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hinton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinton
      • Hinton is located in Caddo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,219 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hinton <1>
  • Dewey County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
    • Fay
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Oakwood
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Putnam
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Taloga
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Seiling
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Washita County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
    • Corn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corn
      • Corn is located in Washita County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 467 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Corn <1>
    • Colony
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colony
      • Colony is located in Washita County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colony <1>
    • Bessie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bessie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bessie
      • Bessie is located in Washita County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 173 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bessie <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Thomas ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Thomas.

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

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

  • Mound Valley Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mound Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mound Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mound Olive Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mound Olive Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mound Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beck Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beck Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beck Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Liberty Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forney Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forney Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forney Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Independence Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Independence Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Independence Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Masonic Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Masonic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Masonic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Whirlwind Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whirlwind Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whirlwind Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (115 more) ...
    • Mt. Hope Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Hope Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Mt. Hope Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<4> to the south of Fay.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #99005 <5>
    • Summit Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Summit Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Summit Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • IOOF Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the IOOF Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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>

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

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

  • Fay
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Weatherford
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weatherford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weatherford
    • Weatherford is located in Custer County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,901 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weatherford <1>
  • Arapaho
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Watonga
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • Taloga
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Cantonment ‑ Historic
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cantonment. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantonment
    • Cantonment is located in Blaine County
  • Geary
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geary have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geary
    • Geary is located in Blaine County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,272 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Geary <1>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Thomas ...

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 106 newspapers that have been published in the area around Thomas.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Thomas. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Thomas and those printed in the larger area surrounding Thomas.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4> of Thomas.

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 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 Thomas:

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

The official website for State of Oklahoma: https://www.ok.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>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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Thomas) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Thomas. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 35.7476, Longitude: -98.7494       In this case, the coordinates for Thomas 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 Thomas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025