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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 De Kalb (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 De Kalb. 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 De Kalb ...

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: DeKalb.

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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

De Kalb is located in Bowie 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 Bowie County: Little River (AR), Miller (AR), McCurtain (OK), Cass, Morris & Red River.

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

  • Bowie County     (The home county of De Kalb)
    • The following are listed by their distance from De Kalb, with the one closest to De Kalb listed first.
    • Dalby Springs
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • New Boston
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Boston
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Simms
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Simms have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simms
      • Simms is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Simms <1>
    • Bassett
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Carbondale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carbondale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbondale
      • Carbondale is located in Bowie County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Carbondale
      • From De Kalb to Carbondale
    • Hooks
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Maud
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Redbank
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Victory City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Victory City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victory City
      • Victory City is located in Bowie County
    • Leary
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leary have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leary
      • Leary is located in Bowie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 502 people
    • Redwater
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from De Kalb, with the one closest to De Kalb listed first.
    • Bryans Mill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Marietta
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marietta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
      • Marietta is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marietta <1>
    • Douglassville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Red Hill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Red Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill
      • Red Hill is located in Cass County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Red Hill
      • From De Kalb to Red Hill
  • Morris County
    • The following are listed by their distance from De Kalb, with the one closest to De Kalb listed first.
    • Naples
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Omaha
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Omaha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omaha
      • Omaha is located in Morris County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 975 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Omaha <1>
    • Rocky Branch
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Red River County
  • Titus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from De Kalb, with the one closest to De Kalb listed first.
    • Cookville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cookville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cookville
      • Cookville is located in Titus County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cookville <1>
    • Green Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Green Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Hill
      • Green Hill is located in Titus County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Green Hill
      • From De Kalb to Green Hill
    • Talco
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Little River County (AR)
    • The following are listed by their distance from De Kalb, with the one closest to De Kalb listed first.
    • Foreman
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foreman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foreman
      • Foreman is located in Little River County (AR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 922 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Foreman <1>
    • Winthrop
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Alleene
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alleene have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alleene
      • Alleene is located in Little River County (AR)
    • Cerrogordo
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cerrogordo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cerrogordo
      • Cerrogordo is located in Little River County (AR)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cerrogordo
      • From De Kalb to Cerrogordo
    • Ashdown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashdown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashdown
      • Ashdown is located in Little River County (AR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,359 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ashdown <1>
  • McCurtain County (OK)

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

Cemeteries Near De Kalb ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of De Kalb.

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

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

  • Woodman Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • De Kalb Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the De Kalb Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the De Kalb Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Garland Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Harrell Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harrell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harrell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Harris Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harris Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Walker Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tucker Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tucker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tucker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Baker Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cedar Grove Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rehobeth Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rehobeth Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rehobeth Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Medford Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Medford Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Medford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wilkes Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilkes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilkes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (160 more) ...
    • Morris Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morris Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wooten Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wooten Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wooten Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Dillard Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dillard Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dillard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 De Kalb had a population of 420 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, De Kalb had a population of 1,611 people.

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

  • Oak Grove
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
    • Oak Grove is located in Bowie County
  • Malta
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Malta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malta
    • Malta is located in Bowie County
  • Lydia
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lydia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lydia
    • Lydia is located in Red River County
  • Woodstock
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodstock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodstock
    • Woodstock is located in Bowie County
  • Dalby Springs
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • New Boston
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Simms
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Simms have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simms
    • Simms is located in Bowie County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Simms <1>
  • Boston
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Bassett
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Whaley
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whaley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whaley
    • Whaley is located in Bowie County
  • English
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Corley
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corley
    • Corley is located in Bowie County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Annona
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Rocky Comfort
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rocky Comfort have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky Comfort
      • Rocky Comfort is located in Little River County (AR)
    • Hooks
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of De Kalb ...

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 36 newspapers that have been published in the area around De Kalb.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of De Kalb. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of De Kalb and those printed in the larger area surrounding De Kalb.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5> of De Kalb.

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 De Kalb:

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

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>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 De Kalb, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- De Kalb) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in De Kalb. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.5087, Longitude: -94.6163    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025