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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 Ferguson (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 Ferguson. 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 northeast 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 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 east 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.

Ferguson is located in Jasper 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 Jasper County: Angelina, Hardin, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine & Tyler.

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

  • Jasper County     (The home county of Ferguson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ferguson, with the one closest to Ferguson listed first.
    • Harveytown
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Harveytown is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harveytown
    • Sam Rayburn
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Browndell
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Browndell is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browndell
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 204 people
    • Jasper
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Beech Grove
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Beech Grove is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Grove
    • Kirbyville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Angelina County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ferguson, with the one closest to Ferguson listed first.
    • Parker Point
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Parker Point is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parker Point
    • Martin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Martin is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
    • Dolan
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Dolan is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolan
    • Nancy
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Nancy is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nancy
    • Zavalla
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Boynton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Boynton is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boynton
    • Ora
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Ora is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ora
    • Manning ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Manning is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manning
    • Oak Flat
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Oak Flat is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Flat
    • Huntington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Nacogdoches County
    • Etoile
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Newton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ferguson, with the one closest to Ferguson listed first.
    • Wiergate
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Shanklerville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Shanklerville is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shanklerville
    • Newton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Burkeville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Bleakwood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Bleakwood is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bleakwood
  • Sabine County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ferguson, with the one closest to Ferguson listed first.
    • Brookeland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Pineland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Bronson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Fairmount
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Fairmount is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
    • Mason
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Mason is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason
    • Hemphill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Rosevine
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Rosevine is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosevine
  • San Augustine County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ferguson, with the one closest to Ferguson listed first.
    • Powell
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Powell is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell
    • White City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • White City is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
    • Zana ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Zana is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zana
    • Broaddus
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Rebecca
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Rebecca is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rebecca
    • Maxey Town
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Maxey Town is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxey Town
  • Tyler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ferguson, with the one closest to Ferguson listed first.
    • Town Bluff
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Town Bluff is located in Tyler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town Bluff
    • Colmesneil
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Doucette
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Spurger
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Woodville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Chester
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Peach Tree Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Peach Tree Village is located in Tyler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peach Tree Village
    • Hillister
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Ivanhoe North
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Ivanhoe North is located in Tyler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivanhoe North
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 538 people
    • Ivanhoe
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Ivanhoe is located in Tyler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivanhoe
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,438 people

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

Cemeteries Near Ferguson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ferguson.

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 Ferguson - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Ferguson covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • McGee Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Hall Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Hancock Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Watts - Fuller Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Letney Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Yates Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Speir Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Jordan Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Williams Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Seale Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Townsend Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Parker Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (210 more) ...
    • Coleman Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Hadnot Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Hensarling Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)

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

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

  • Jasper
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Brookeland
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Beech Grove
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Beech Grove is located in Jasper County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Grove
  • Rockland
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Rockland is located in Tyler County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockland
  • Zana ‑ Historic
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Zana is located in San Augustine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zana
  • Town Bluff
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Town Bluff is located in Tyler County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town Bluff
  • Colmesneil
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Erin
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Erin is located in Jasper County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erin
  • Farrsville
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Farrsville is located in Newton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farrsville
  • Magnolia Springs
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Magnolia Springs is located in Jasper County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnolia Springs
  • Spurger
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
  • Ora
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Ora is located in Angelina County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ora
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Woodville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Newton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Fairmount
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Fairmount is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount

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

Newspapers Published in Ferguson ...

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 37 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ferguson.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ferguson, 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 Ferguson.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Ferguson:

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 Ferguson, 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- Ferguson) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.