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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 Bryson (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 Bryson. 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 doctors 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.

Bryson is located in Jack 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 Jack County: Archer, Clay, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Wise & Young.

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

  • Jack County     (The home county of Bryson)
  • Archer County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bryson, with the one closest to Bryson listed first.
    • Anarene ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anarene have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anarene
      • Anarene is located in Archer County
    • Windthorst
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Clay County
  • Palo Pinto County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bryson, with the one closest to Bryson listed first.
    • Graford
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graford
      • Graford is located in Palo Pinto County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 631 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graford <2>
    • Salesville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Palo Pinto
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palo Pinto have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo Pinto
      • Palo Pinto is located in Palo Pinto County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Palo Pinto <2>
    • Mineral Wells
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mineral Wells have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineral Wells
      • Mineral Wells is located in Palo Pinto County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,219 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mineral Wells <2>
    • Wolters Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Parker County
    • Whitt
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitt
      • Whitt is located in Parker County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitt <2>
  • Wise County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bryson, with the one closest to Bryson listed first.
    • Runaway Bay
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Runaway Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runaway Bay
      • Runaway Bay is located in Wise County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,627 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Runaway Bay <2>
    • Boonsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Young County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bryson, with the one closest to Bryson listed first.
    • Loving
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Graham
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graham
      • Graham is located in Young County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,568 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graham <2>
    • Bunger
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Farmer
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • South Bend
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Newcastle
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newcastle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newcastle
      • Newcastle is located in Young County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 567 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Newcastle <2>
    • Olney
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Olney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olney
      • Olney is located in Young County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,074 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Olney <2>
    • Eliasville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Proffitt
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Murray
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Bryson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bryson.

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

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

  • Rock Creek Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rock Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rock Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cottonwood Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cottonwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cottonwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Winn Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Center Ridge Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Center Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Center Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Graceland Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Graceland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Graceland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Long Hollow Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Long Hollow Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Long Hollow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Salt Creek Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salt Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Salt Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wood Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dark Corner Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dark Corner Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dark Corner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Raper Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Raper Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Raper Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Loving Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Loving Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Loving Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Halsell Ranch Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Halsell Ranch Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Halsell Ranch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (75 more) ...
    • Round Mountain Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Bartons Chapel Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bartons Chapel Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bartons Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hawkins Chapel Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hawkins Chapel Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hawkins Chapel 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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Bryson had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Bryson had a population of 533 people.

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

  • Graham
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graham
    • Graham is located in Young County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,568 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graham <2>
  • Markley
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Markley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Markley
    • Markley is located in Young County
  • Jacksboro
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Farmer
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • South Bend
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Oran
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oran have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oran
    • Oran is located in Palo Pinto County
  • Antelope
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Antelope. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antelope
    • Antelope is located in Jack County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Antelope
    • From Bryson to Antelope
  • Joplin
    (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Joplin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joplin
    • Joplin is located in Jack County
  • Salesville
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Vineyard
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vineyard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vineyard
    • Vineyard is located in Jack County
  • Postoak
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Whitt
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitt
    • Whitt is located in Parker County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitt <2>
  • Continue List   (7 more) ...
    • Olney
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Olney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olney
      • Olney is located in Young County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,074 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Olney <2>
    • Eliasville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Palo Pinto
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palo Pinto have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo Pinto
      • Palo Pinto is located in Palo Pinto County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Palo Pinto <2>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Bryson ...

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 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bryson.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Bryson. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Bryson and those printed in the larger area surrounding Bryson.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4> of Bryson.

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 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 Bryson:

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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Bryson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bryson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.1629, Longitude: -98.3857    
<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 Bryson, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.