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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 Big Springs (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 Big Springs. 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.

Name Variations for Big Springs ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Another variation: Bigsprings.

  • A typical abbreviation for Big Springs: Big Spgs. (or less commonly used: Big Spngs. or Big Sprngs.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 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.

Big Springs is located in Rusk 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 Rusk County: Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Nacogdoches, Panola, Shelby & Smith.

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

  • Rusk County     (The home county of Big Springs)
  • Cherokee County
  • Gregg County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Springs, with the one closest to Big Springs listed first.
    • Kilgore
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Danville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Rolling Meadows
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rolling Meadows have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rolling Meadows
      • Rolling Meadows is located in Gregg County
    • Elderville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Fredonia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Liberty City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Liberty City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty City
      • Liberty City is located in Gregg County
    • Lakeport
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakeport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeport
      • Lakeport is located in Gregg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 997 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lakeport <2>
    • Easton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Easton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
      • Easton is located in Gregg County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 525 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Easton <2>
  • Henderson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Springs, with the one closest to Big Springs listed first.
    • Berryville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Berryville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berryville
      • Berryville is located in Henderson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,066 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Berryville
      • From Big Springs to Berryville
    • Coffee City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Nacogdoches County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Springs, with the one closest to Big Springs listed first.
    • Sacul
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sacul have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sacul
      • Sacul is located in Nacogdoches County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sacul <2>
    • Dextra
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dextra. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dextra
      • Dextra is located in Nacogdoches County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dextra
      • From Big Springs to Dextra
    • Cushing
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cushing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushing
      • Cushing is located in Nacogdoches County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 614 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cushing <2>
    • Looneyville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Trawick
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Trawick. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trawick
      • Trawick is located in Nacogdoches County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Trawick
      • From Big Springs to Trawick
    • Nat
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Douglass
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Panola County
  • Smith County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Springs, with the one closest to Big Springs listed first.
    • Wright City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wright City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wright City
      • Wright City is located in Smith County
    • Sinclair City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sinclair City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair City
      • Sinclair City is located in Smith County
    • Arp
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Omen
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Whitehouse
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitehouse have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitehouse
      • Whitehouse is located in Smith County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,108 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitehouse <2>
    • Jamestown ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jamestown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
      • Jamestown is located in Smith County
      • Jamestown has also been known as:
      • Jimtown
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jamestown
      • From Big Springs to Jamestown
    • New Chapel Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Chapel Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Chapel Hill
      • New Chapel Hill is located in Smith County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 667 people
    • Browning
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Flint
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Gresham
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Lee Spring
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lee Spring have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Spring
      • Lee Spring is located in Smith County
    • Teaselville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Noonday
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Noonday have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Noonday
      • Noonday is located in Smith County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 722 people

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

Cemeteries Near Big Springs ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Springs.

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 Big Springs - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Union Grove Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Moore Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moore Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moore Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Duncan Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Duncan Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Duncan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spence Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spence Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spence Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boatright Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boatright Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boatright Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Waggoner Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Waggoner Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Waggoner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Moyers Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moyers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moyers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Neeley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Neeley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Neeley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lee Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lee Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lee Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Henry's Chapel Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Sanders Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sanders Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sanders Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Griffin Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Griffin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Griffin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (310 more) ...
    • Garrett Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garrett Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garrett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wiggins Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wiggins Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wiggins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Lockridge Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lockridge Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lockridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 Big Springs in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Big Springs.

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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Big Springs ...

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 43 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Springs.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Big Springs. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Big Springs and those printed in the larger area surrounding Big Springs.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<5> of Big Springs.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Big Springs:

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>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.
<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 drawn from Point A (ie- Big Springs) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Big Springs. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.0661, Longitude: -94.9678       In this case, the coordinates for Big Springs have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Big Springs, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.