RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Texas >> Runnels County >> Bethel >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Texas

The Commemorative Quarter for Texas





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 Bethel (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 Bethel. 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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Bethel is located in Runnels County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Runnels County: Coke, Coleman, Concho, Nolan, Taylor & Tom Green.

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

  • Runnels County     (The home county of Bethel)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Ballinger
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Rowena
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Miles
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Miles have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miles
      • Miles is located in Runnels County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 894 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Miles <1>
    • Norton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norton
      • Norton is located in Runnels County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norton <1>
    • Winters
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winters have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winters
      • Winters is located in Runnels County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,469 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winters <1>
    • Maverick ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maverick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maverick
      • Maverick is located in Runnels County
    • Wingate
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Coke County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Tennyson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Bronte
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bronte have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bronte
      • Bronte is located in Coke County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 979 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bronte <1>
  • Coleman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Talpa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Voss
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Voss have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voss
      • Voss is located in Coleman County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Voss <1>
    • Glen Cove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glen Cove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Cove
      • Glen Cove is located in Coleman County
    • Valera
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valera have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valera
      • Valera is located in Coleman County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Valera <1>
    • Gouldbusk
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Novice
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Novice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Novice
      • Novice is located in Coleman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Novice <1>
    • Coleman
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Concho County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Paint Rock
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paint Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paint Rock
      • Paint Rock is located in Concho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 306 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Paint Rock <1>
    • Lowake
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Millersview
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Eola
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Eden
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden
      • Eden is located in Concho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,339 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eden <1>
  • McCulloch County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Doole ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doole have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doole
      • Doole is located in McCulloch County
    • Salt Gap ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salt Gap
      • Salt Gap is located in McCulloch County
  • Tom Green County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Mereta
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mereta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mereta
      • Mereta is located in Tom Green County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mereta <1>
    • Veribest
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Veribest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veribest
      • Veribest is located in Tom Green County
    • Orient
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orient have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orient
      • Orient is located in Tom Green County
    • Vancourt
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Bethel ...

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 25 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bethel.

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

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 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 Bethel:

Cemeteries Near Bethel ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bethel.

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

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

  • Hoffman Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hoffman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hoffman Cemetery
  • St. Boniface Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Protestant Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Old Runnels Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Runnels Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Runnels Cemetery
  • Paint Rock Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Paint Rock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Paint Rock Cemetery
  • Norwood Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwood Cemetery
  • Leaday Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leaday Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leaday Cemetery
  • Talpa Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Miles Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (31 more) ...
    • Lakeview Community Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeview Community Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeview Community Cemetery
    • Millersview Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Herring Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)

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

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

  • Ballinger
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Rowena
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Paint Rock
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paint Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paint Rock
    • Paint Rock is located in Concho County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 306 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Paint Rock <1>
  • Talpa
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Miles
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Miles have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miles
    • Miles is located in Runnels County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 894 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Miles <1>
  • Maverick ‑ Historic
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maverick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maverick
    • Maverick is located in Runnels County
  • Winters
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winters have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winters
    • Winters is located in Runnels County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,469 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winters <1>
  • Glen Cove
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glen Cove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Cove
    • Glen Cove is located in Coleman County
  • Valera
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valera have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valera
    • Valera is located in Coleman County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Valera <1>
  • Bronte
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bronte have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bronte
    • Bronte is located in Coke County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 979 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bronte <1>
  • Novice
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Novice have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Novice
    • Novice is located in Coleman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Novice <1>
  • Silver Valley
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Valley
    • Silver Valley is located in Coleman County

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

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

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.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 '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- Bethel) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bethel. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.6515, Longitude: -99.9087       In this case, the coordinates for Bethel 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 Bethel, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
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: 07 Apr 2024