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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 Bleakwood (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 Bleakwood. 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 Parishes/Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring parishes/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 parishes/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 parishes/counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Bleakwood is located in Newton 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 Newton County: Beauregard (LA), Calcasieu (LA), Sabine (LA), Vernon (LA), Jasper, Orange & Sabine.

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

  • Newton County     (The home county of Bleakwood)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bleakwood, with the one closest to Bleakwood listed first.
    • Call
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Bon Wier
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bon Wier have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bon Wier
      • Bon Wier is located in Newton County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bon Wier <2>
    • Newton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
      • Newton is located in Newton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,329 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Newton <2>
    • Hughes ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hughes. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hughes
      • Hughes is located in Newton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hughes
      • From Bleakwood to Hughes
    • Shanklerville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Wiergate
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wiergate have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiergate
      • Wiergate is located in Newton County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wiergate <2>
    • Burkeville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Deweyville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Jasper County
  • Tyler County
  • Beauregard Parish (LA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bleakwood, with the one closest to Bleakwood listed first.
    • Merryville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Newlin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newlin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newlin
      • Newlin is located in Beauregard Parish (LA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Newlin
      • From Bleakwood to Newlin
    • Singer
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Singer have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Singer
      • Singer is located in Beauregard Parish (LA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Singer <2>
    • Helme
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Helme. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helme
      • Helme is located in Beauregard Parish (LA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Helme
      • From Bleakwood to Helme
  • Calcasieu Parish (LA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bleakwood, with the one closest to Bleakwood listed first.
    • Starks
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • DeQuincy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for DeQuincy have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DeQuincy
      • DeQuincy is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,009 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for DeQuincy <2>
  • Vernon Parish (LA)
    • Evans
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evans have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans
      • Evans is located in Vernon Parish (LA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evans <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Bleakwood ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bleakwood.

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

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

  • Biloxi Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Biloxi Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Biloxi Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wilson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bean Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bean Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bean Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Odom Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Odom Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Odom Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hughes Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hughes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hughes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wilkinson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilkinson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilkinson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Herrin Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Herrin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Herrin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Davis Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Davis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Davis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kyle Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kyle Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kyle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Belgrade Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Belgrade Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Belgrade Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Whitman Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whitman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whitman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Big Spring Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Big Spring Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Big Spring Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (87 more) ...
    • Spikes Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spikes Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spikes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Stark Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stark Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stark Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Inman Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Inman Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Inman 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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Bleakwood had a population of 58 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Belgrade
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belgrade have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belgrade
    • Belgrade is located in Newton County
  • Newton
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
    • Newton is located in Newton County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,329 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Newton <2>
  • Erin
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erin have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erin
    • Erin is located in Jasper County
  • Magnolia Springs
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Magnolia Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnolia Springs
    • Magnolia Springs is located in Jasper County
  • Jasper
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
  • Farrsville
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farrsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farrsville
    • Farrsville is located in Newton County
  • Beech Grove
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Spurger
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  • Town Bluff
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Town Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town Bluff
    • Town Bluff is located in Tyler County
  • Burkeville
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Bleakwood ...

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 20 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bleakwood.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bleakwood, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bleakwood.

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 Bleakwood:

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

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.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 Bleakwood, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Bleakwood) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bleakwood. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.6925, Longitude: -93.8227       In this case, the coordinates for Bleakwood have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025