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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 Vinson (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 Vinson. 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 hospitals 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.

Vinson is located in Harmon 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 Harmon County: Beckham, Greer, Jackson, Childress (TX), Collingsworth (TX) & Hardeman (TX).

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

  • Harmon County     (The home county of Vinson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vinson, with the one closest to Vinson listed first.
    • Sandy
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sandy
      • From Vinson to Sandy
    • Arnett
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Hollis
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Gould
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • 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>
    • Louis ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Louis
      • From Vinson to Louis
  • Beckham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vinson, with the one closest to Vinson listed first.
    • Erick
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Delhi
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Texola
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Texola have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Texola
      • Texola is located in Beckham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 34 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Texola <2>
    • Carter
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Sayre
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sayre have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sayre
      • Sayre is located in Beckham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,435 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sayre <2>
    • Mayfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Greer County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vinson, with the one closest to Vinson listed first.
    • Reed
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Reed
      • From Vinson to Reed
    • Jester
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jester
      • From Vinson to Jester
    • Bloomington
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bloomington
      • From Vinson to Bloomington
    • Mangum
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Willow
      (22 miles [35.4 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>
    • Granite
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • 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>
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vinson, with the one closest to Vinson listed first.
    • Duke
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • East Duke
      (23 miles [37 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
    • Martha
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Victory
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Childress County (TX)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vinson, with the one closest to Vinson listed first.
    • Arlie
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • 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)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Arlie
      • From Vinson to Arlie
    • Loco ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • 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)
  • Wheeler County (TX)
    • Shamrock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shamrock have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shamrock
      • Shamrock is located in Wheeler County (TX)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,720 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shamrock <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Vinson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vinson.

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

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

  • Cave Creek Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cave Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cave Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hackberry Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hackberry Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hackberry Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Independence Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 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.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tea Cross Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • 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.
  • Wildcat Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.
  • Langford Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.
  • Reed Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • 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.
  • McKnight Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McKnight Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McKnight Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jester Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jester Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jester Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dodson Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dodson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dodson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bitter Creek Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bitter Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bitter Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • White Flat Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • 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.
  • Continue List   (49 more) ...
    • Plainview Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Plainview Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Plainview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Vannerson Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vannerson Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vannerson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Russell Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • 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.

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 Vinson in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Vinson.

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

  • Reed
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • 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
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Reed
    • From Vinson to Reed
  • Jester
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Jester
    • From Vinson to Jester
  • Bloomington
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Bloomington
    • From Vinson to Bloomington
  • Fresno
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • 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)
  • Arlie
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • 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)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Arlie
    • From Vinson to Arlie
  • Aberdeen
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aberdeen have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen
    • Aberdeen is located in Collingsworth County (TX)
  • Mangum
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • Wellington
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
  • Delhi
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Louis ‑ Historic
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • 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
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Louis
    • From Vinson to Louis
  • Duke
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Victory
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Martha
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Vinson ...

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 72 newspapers that have been published in the area around Vinson.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Vinson, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Vinson.

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 Vinson:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Vinson. 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 Vinson, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Vinson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Vinson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.9006, Longitude: -99.8596    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025