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 Forest Heights (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 Forest Heights. 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 Forest Heights ...
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.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Forest Heights: Forest Hts. (in Canada, 'Hgts.' is the more common abbreviation.)
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/Parishes ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties/parishes.
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/parishes 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/parishes, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Forest Heights is located in Orange 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 Orange County: Calcasieu (LA), Cameron (LA), Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson & Newton.
Below are the counties/parishes that are near Forest Heights. For each of these counties/parishes, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Forest Heights:
- Orange County (The home county of Forest Heights)
- The following are listed by their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Lemonville ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lemonville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lemonville
- Lemonville is located in Orange County
- Mauriceville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Texla
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Texla
- Texla is located in Orange County
- Pinehurst
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinehurst
- Pinehurst is located in Orange County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,959 people
- Orange
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- West Orange
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Orange have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Orange
- West Orange is located in Orange County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,168 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for West Orange <2>
- Orangefield
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orangefield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orangefield
- Orangefield is located in Orange County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Orangefield <2>
- Terry
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Terry. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terry
- Terry is located in Orange County
- Bridge City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bridge City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridge City
- Bridge City is located in Orange County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,810 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bridge City <2>
- Vidor
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vidor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vidor
- Vidor is located in Orange County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 10,310 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vidor <2>
- Pine Forest
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Forest
- Pine Forest is located in Orange County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 516 people
- Pine Grove
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
- Pine Grove is located in Orange County
- Hardin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Loeb
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loeb
- Loeb is located in Hardin County
- Silsbee
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silsbee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silsbee
- Silsbee is located in Hardin County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 6,610 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silsbee <2>
- Lumberton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lumberton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lumberton
- Lumberton is located in Hardin County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 13,383 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lumberton <2>
- Rose Hill Acres
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose Hill Acres have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill Acres
- Rose Hill Acres is located in Hardin County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 435 people
- Jasper County
- The following are listed by their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Buna
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buna
- Buna is located in Jasper County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Buna <2>
- Evadale
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Call Junction
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Call Junction
- Call Junction is located in Jasper County
- Kirbyville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kirbyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirbyville
- Kirbyville is located in Jasper County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,032 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kirbyville <2>
- Jefferson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Central Gardens
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Gardens
- Central Gardens is located in Jefferson County
- Groves
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Port Neches
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Port Neches have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Neches
- Port Neches is located in Jefferson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 12,596 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Port Neches <2>
- Higgins
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Higgins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higgins
- Higgins is located in Jefferson County
- Nederland
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nederland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nederland
- Nederland is located in Jefferson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 17,184 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nederland <2>
- Beaumont
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Port Arthur
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Voth
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Voth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voth
- Voth is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Voth <2>
- Amelia
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Amelia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amelia
- Amelia is located in Jefferson County
- Port Acres
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Newton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Deweyville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Call
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Call. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Call
- Call is located in Newton County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Call <2>
- Beauregard Parish (LA)
- Helme
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Helme. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helme
- Helme is located in Beauregard Parish (LA)
- Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Starks
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Vinton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vinton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinton
- Vinton is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,211 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vinton <2>
- Edgerly
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerly
- Edgerly is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Carlyss
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlyss
- Carlyss is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Sulphur
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- DeQuincy
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for DeQuincy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DeQuincy
- DeQuincy is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,009 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for DeQuincy <2>
- Prien
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prien
- Prien is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Westlake
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westlake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westlake
- Westlake is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,873 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westlake <2>
- Cameron Parish (LA)
- Hackberry
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hackberry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hackberry
- Hackberry is located in Cameron Parish (LA)
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hackberry <2>
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Forest Heights, see our County-by-County Page for Forest Heights.
Cemeteries Near Forest Heights ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Forest Heights.
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 Forest Heights covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Wilkinson Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilkinson Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilkinson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Parish Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Parish Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Parish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Doyle Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Doyle Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Doyle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Marys Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Lee Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lee Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lee Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Granger Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Granger Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Granger Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Miller Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Miller Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Miller Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hebrew Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hebrew Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hebrew Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Comier Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Comier Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Comier Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Reed Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Reed Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Reed Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Mary Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Fountain Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fountain Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fountain Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (78 more) ...
- Linscomb Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Linscomb Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Linscomb Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jett Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jett Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hollywood Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hollywood Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hollywood 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.<4>
While we didn't find Forest Heights in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Forest Heights.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Forest Heights, with the one closest to Forest Heights listed first.
- Echo
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Echo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo
- Echo is located in Orange County
- Tulane
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tulane have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tulane
- Tulane is located in Orange County
- Orange
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Vinton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vinton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinton
- Vinton is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,211 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vinton <2>
- Terry
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Terry. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terry
- Terry is located in Orange County
- Edgerly
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerly
- Edgerly is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Beaumont
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Rosedale
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rosedale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosedale
- Rosedale is located in Jefferson County
- Amelia
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Amelia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amelia
- Amelia is located in Jefferson County
- Hackberry
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hackberry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hackberry
- Hackberry is located in Cameron Parish (LA)
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hackberry <2>
- Westlake
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westlake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westlake
- Westlake is located in Calcasieu Parish (LA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,873 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westlake <2>
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Forest Heights. See our List of 1890's Communities around Forest Heights.
Newspapers Published in Forest Heights ...
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 41 newspapers that have been published in the area around Forest Heights.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Forest Heights, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Forest Heights.
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 Forest Heights:
- Websites specific to Texas
- Pages specific to Orange County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Hardin County
- Jasper County
- Jefferson County
- Newton County
- Beauregard Parish
- Calcasieu Parish
- Cameron Parish
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Texas
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Forest Heights. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Orange County: www.co.orange.tx.us/
The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.gov/
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> | 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 Forest Heights, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
<5> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Forest Heights) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Forest Heights. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.2383, Longitude: -93.7588 In this case, the coordinates for Forest Heights have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |