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 Brown Hill (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 Brown Hill. 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 doctors and hospitals 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.
Brown Hill is located in Gonzales County.
To see how the shape of Texas' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Gonzales County: Bastrop, Caldwell, DeWitt, Fayette, Guadalupe, Karnes, Lavaca & Wilson.
Below are the counties that are near Brown Hill. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Brown Hill:
- Gonzales County (The home county of Brown Hill)
- The following are listed by their distance from Brown Hill, with the one closest to Brown Hill listed first.
- Waelder
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Sandy Fork
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Sandy Fork is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Fork
- Harwood
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Gonzales
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Ottine
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Kokernot
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Kokernot is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kokernot
- Summerville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Summerville is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summerville
- Oak Forest
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Forest is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Forest
- Glaze City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Glaze City is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glaze City
- Hamon
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Hamon is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamon
- Cost
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Cost is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cost
- Belmont
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Monthalia ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Monthalia is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monthalia
- Bastrop County
- The following are listed by their distance from Brown Hill, with the one closest to Brown Hill listed first.
- Jeddo
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Jeddo is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeddo
- Kovar
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Kovar is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kovar
- Rosanky
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Togo
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Togo is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Togo
- Bateman
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Bateman is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bateman
- Red Rock
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Upton
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Upton is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upton
- Hills Prairie
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Hills Prairie is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hills Prairie
- Smithville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Alum Creek
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Alum Creek is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alum Creek
- Bastrop
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Cedar Creek
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Phelan
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Phelan is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelan
- Caldwell County
- The following are listed by their distance from Brown Hill, with the one closest to Brown Hill listed first.
- Delhi
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Delhi is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
- Pettytown
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Pettytown is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettytown
- Elm Grove
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Elm Grove is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Grove
- McMahan
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- McMahan is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McMahan
- Taylorsville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Taylorsville is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylorsville
- Tilmon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Tilmon is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilmon
- McNeil
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- McNeil is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNeil
- Brownsboro
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Brownsboro is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownsboro
- Seawillow
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Seawillow is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seawillow
- Soda Springs
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Soda Springs is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Soda Springs
- Dale
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Johns Colony
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Johns Colony is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johns Colony
- Luling
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Brown Hill, with the one closest to Brown Hill listed first.
- Cistern
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Cistern is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cistern
- Former names for Cistern:
- Cockrell's Hill
- Milton
- Whiteside's Prairie
- Colony
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Colony is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colony
- Stellar
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Stellar is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stellar
- Flatonia
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Muldoon
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Praha
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Praha is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Praha
- Praha has also been known as:
- Hottentot
- Kirtley
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Kirtley is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirtley
- Engle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Engle is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Engle
- Freyburg
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Freyburg is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freyburg
- West Point
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Plum
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Hostyn
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Hostyn is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hostyn
- Schulenburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Lavaca County
- The following are listed by their distance from Brown Hill, with the one closest to Brown Hill listed first.
- Moulton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Komensky
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Komensky is located in Lavaca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Komensky
- Moravia
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Moravia is located in Lavaca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moravia
- Shiner
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Breslau
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Breslau is located in Lavaca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breslau
- Gleckler
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Gleckler is located in Lavaca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gleckler
- Wied
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Wied is located in Lavaca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wied
- Hackberry ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hackberry is located in Lavaca County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hackberry
- Travis County
- Elroy
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Elroy is located in Travis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elroy
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Brown Hill, see our County-by-County Page for Brown Hill.
Cemeteries Near Brown Hill ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brown Hill.
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 Brown Hill - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Brown Hill covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Brown Hill, with the one closest to Brown Hill listed first.
- Jeddo Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Waelder City Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- St. Phillips Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Cochran Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- St.s Cyril and Methodius Catholic Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Cistern Public Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cistern Public Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Cistern Public Cemetery is located in Cistern.
- The Cistern Public Cemetery has also been known as:
- Cistern Cemetery
- Nassau Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1356394 <2>
- Psencik Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Andrews Chapel Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Andrew Wesley Chapel Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Mt. Olive Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Robbins Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Continue List (177 more) ...
- Fullilove Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Sommers Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Grays Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 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.<3>
While we didn't find Brown Hill in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Brown Hill.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Brown Hill, with the one closest to Brown Hill listed first.
- Jeddo
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Jeddo is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeddo
- Waelder
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Cistern
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Cistern is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cistern
- Former names for Cistern:
- Cockrell's Hill
- Milton
- Whiteside's Prairie
- Delhi
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Delhi is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
- Sandy Fork
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Sandy Fork is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Fork
- String Prairie
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- String Prairie is located in Bastrop County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for String Prairie
- Colony
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Colony is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colony
- Harwood
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Flatonia
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Stellar
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Stellar is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stellar
- Taylorsville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Taylorsville is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylorsville
- Tilmon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Tilmon is located in Caldwell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilmon
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Nickel ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Nickel is located in Gonzales County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nickel
- Muldoon
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Red Rock
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Brown Hill. See our List of 1890's Communities around Brown Hill.
Newspapers Published in Brown Hill ...
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 77 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brown Hill.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Brown Hill, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Brown Hill.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Brown Hill:
- Websites specific to Texas
- Pages specific to Gonzales County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bastrop County
- Caldwell County
- Fayette County
- Lavaca County
- Travis County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Texas
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 Brown Hill, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | 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- Brown Hill) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |