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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 Cleta (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 Cleta. 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 northwest 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 north.

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 north 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.

Cleta is located in Randall 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 Randall County: Armstrong, Carson, Castro, Deaf Smith, Oldham, Potter & Swisher.

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

  • Randall County     (The home county of Cleta)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cleta, with the one closest to Cleta listed first.
    • Canyon
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Timbercreek Canyon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timbercreek Canyon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timbercreek Canyon
      • Timbercreek Canyon is located in Randall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 479 people
    • Umbarger
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Palisades
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palisades have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palisades
      • Palisades is located in Randall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 367 people
    • Lake Tanglewood
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Tanglewood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Tanglewood
      • Lake Tanglewood is located in Randall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 898 people
  • Armstrong County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cleta, with the one closest to Cleta listed first.
    • Wayside
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wayside have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wayside
      • Wayside is located in Armstrong County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wayside <1>
    • Fairview
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fairview. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
      • Fairview is located in Armstrong County
    • Washburn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Washburn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washburn
      • Washburn is located in Armstrong County
  • Castro County
    • Nazareth
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Deaf Smith County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cleta, with the one closest to Cleta listed first.
    • Dawn
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dawn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawn
      • Dawn is located in Deaf Smith County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dawn <1>
    • Hereford
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Oldham County
    • Wildorado
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wildorado have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildorado
      • Wildorado is located in Oldham County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wildorado <1>
  • Potter County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cleta, with the one closest to Cleta listed first.
    • Soncy
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Bushland
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bushland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushland
      • Bushland is located in Potter County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bushland <1>
    • Amarillo
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Bishop Hills
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bishop Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop Hills
      • Bishop Hills is located in Potter County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 173 people
  • Swisher County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cleta, with the one closest to Cleta listed first.
    • Happy
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Tulia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tulia
      • Tulia is located in Swisher County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,606 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tulia <1>
    • Vigo Park
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Cleta ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Cleta.

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

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

  • Dreamland Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dreamland Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Dreamland Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<4> to the north of Canyon.
    • The Dreamland Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Canyon Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #3288 <5>
  • St. Paul Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Paul Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Paul Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Saint Paul Lutheran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Memory Gardens
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memory Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memory Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Mary Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Happy Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Happy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Happy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Llano Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Llano Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Llano Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Amarillo.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #171790 <5>
  • Memorial Park Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Memorial Park
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Palo Duro Wildorado Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Wayside Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Townsend Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Townsend Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Townsend Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (8 more) ...
    • Arnot Cemetery
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Arnot Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Arnot Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Washburn Cemetery
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Rest Lawn Memorial Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rest Lawn Memorial Park
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Rest Lawn Memorial Park is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the north of Hereford.
      • The Rest Lawn Memorial Park has also been known as:
      • Rest Lawn Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #6324 <5>

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

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

  • Canyon
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Happy
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Dawn
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dawn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawn
    • Dawn is located in Deaf Smith County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dawn <1>
  • Amarillo
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
  • Pullman
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pullman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pullman
    • Pullman is located in Potter County
  • Washburn
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Washburn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washburn
    • Washburn is located in Armstrong County
  • Tulia
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tulia
    • Tulia is located in Swisher County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,606 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tulia <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Cleta ...

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 58 newspapers that have been published in the area around Cleta.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Cleta, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Cleta.

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 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 Cleta:

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

The official website for Randall County: www.randallcounty.org/

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 'straight-line' (or 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- Cleta) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Cleta. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 34.9253, Longitude: -101.9266       In this case, the coordinates for Cleta 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 Cleta, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025