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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 Watkins (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 Watkins. 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 hospitals and doctors 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.

Watkins is located in Tulsa 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 Tulsa County: Creek, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Rogers, Wagoner & Washington.

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

  • Tulsa County     (The home county of Watkins)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Jenks
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Glenpool
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Bixby
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Oakhurst
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Garden City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Garden City is located in Tulsa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
    • Liberty
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Liberty is located in Tulsa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 219 people
    • Kengle
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Kengle is located in Tulsa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kengle
    • Prattville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Prattville is located in Tulsa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prattville
    • Leonard
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Tulsa
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Tulsa is located in Tulsa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tulsa
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 403,166 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tulsa <1>
    • Broken Arrow
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Sand Springs
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Creek County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Kiefer
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Sapulpa
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Mounds
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Kellyville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Mannford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Slick
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Bristow
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Lawrence Creek
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Lawrence Creek is located in Creek County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawrence Creek
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
    • Pulaski ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Pulaski is located in Creek County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pulaski
    • Silver City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Silver City is located in Creek County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver City
    • Depew
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Muskogee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Haskell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jamesville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jamesville is located in Muskogee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamesville
    • Boynton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Taft
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Taft is located in Muskogee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taft
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 236 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Taft <1>
  • Okfuskee County
    • Okfuskee
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Okfuskee is located in Okfuskee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Okfuskee
  • Okmulgee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Winchester
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Winchester is located in Okmulgee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winchester
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 514 people
    • Beggs
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Beggs is located in Okmulgee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beggs
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,229 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Beggs <1>
    • Preston
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Okmulgee
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Morris
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Osage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Pulare ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Pulare is located in Osage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pulare
    • Prue
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Skiatook
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Wild Horse
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Wild Horse is located in Osage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wild Horse
  • Pawnee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Leroy
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Leroy is located in Pawnee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leroy
    • Shady Grove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Shady Grove is located in Pawnee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Grove
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 2 people
    • Mule Barn
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Mule Barn is located in Pawnee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mule Barn
    • Westport
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Westport is located in Pawnee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westport
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 309 people
    • Oak Grove
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Oak Grove is located in Pawnee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 18 people
    • Terlton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Rogers County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Catoosa
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Valley Park
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Valley Park is located in Rogers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Park
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
    • Inola
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Gregory
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Gregory is located in Rogers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gregory
    • Limestone
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Limestone is located in Rogers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
    • Verdigris
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Verdigris is located in Rogers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdigris
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,724 people
  • Wagoner County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins, with the one closest to Watkins listed first.
    • Stonebluff
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Stonebluff is located in Wagoner County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonebluff
    • New Tulsa
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • New Tulsa is located in Wagoner County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Tulsa
    • Coweta
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Fair Oaks
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Fair Oaks is located in Wagoner County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Oaks
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 100 people
    • Stones Corner
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Stones Corner is located in Wagoner County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stones Corner
    • Choska ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Choska is located in Wagoner County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Choska
      • Choska has also been known as:
      • Chooska Bottoms
      • Choska Bottoms
    • Redbird
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Porter
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Clarksville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Clarksville is located in Wagoner County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarksville

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

Cemeteries Near Watkins ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Watkins.

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 Watkins - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

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

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

  • Leroy
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Leroy is located in Pawnee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leroy
  • Morris
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Wild Horse
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Wild Horse is located in Osage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wild Horse

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

Newspapers Published in Watkins ...

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 129 newspapers that have been published in the area around Watkins.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Watkins, 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 Watkins.

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 Watkins:

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 Watkins, 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- Watkins) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.