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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 Garrett (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 Garrett. 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 hospitals and 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.

Garrett is located in Ellis 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 Ellis County: Dallas, Henderson, Hill, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro & Tarrant.

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

  • Ellis County     (The home county of Garrett)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Garrett, with the one closest to Garrett listed first.
    • Ennis
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Palmer
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Crisp
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Crisp is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crisp
    • Boyce
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Boyce is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyce
    • Bardwell
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Ike
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Ike is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ike
    • Telico
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Telico is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Telico
    • Bristol
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Bristol is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristol
    • Alma
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Alma is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 400 people
    • Howard
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Howard is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howard
    • Pecan Hill
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Pecan Hill is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pecan Hill
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 714 people
    • Nash
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Nash is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nash
  • Dallas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Garrett, with the one closest to Garrett listed first.
    • Ferris
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Wilmer
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Combine
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Combine is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Combine
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,537 people
    • Glenn Heights
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Lancaster
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Ovilla
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Hutchins
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • DeSoto
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Seagoville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Kleberg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Kleberg is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kleberg
    • Shamrock
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Shamrock is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shamrock
    • Cedar Hill
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Henderson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Garrett, with the one closest to Garrett listed first.
    • Seven Points
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Tool
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Tool is located in Henderson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tool
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,335 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tool <1>
    • Gun Barrel City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Hill County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Garrett, with the one closest to Garrett listed first.
    • Mertens
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Brandon
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Irene
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Carl's Corner
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Carl's Corner is located in Hill County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carl's Corner
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
  • Kaufman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Garrett, with the one closest to Garrett listed first.
    • Rosser
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Cottonwood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Cottonwood is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottonwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
    • Styx
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Styx is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Styx
    • Grays Prairie
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Grays Prairie is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grays Prairie
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 388 people
    • Scurry
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Stubbs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Stubbs is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stubbs
    • Crandall
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Oak Grove
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Oak Grove is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 704 people
    • Tolosa
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Tolosa is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tolosa
    • Kemp
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Kemp is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kemp
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,251 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kemp <1>
    • Kaufman
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Lone Star
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Lone Star is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Star
  • Navarro County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Garrett, with the one closest to Garrett listed first.
    • Rice
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Rice is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 983 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rice <1>
    • Emhouse
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Emhouse is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emhouse
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
    • Cryer Creek ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Cryer Creek is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cryer Creek
    • Chatfield
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Tupelo
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Tupelo is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tupelo
    • Barry
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Blooming Grove
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Roane
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Roane is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roane
    • Corsicana
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Frost
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Dresden
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Dresden is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dresden
    • Retreat
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Retreat is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Retreat
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 384 people

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

Cemeteries Near Garrett ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Garrett.

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

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

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

  • Myrtle Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Crisp Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Lucille Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Templeton Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Boren Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Palmer Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Sanderson Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Union Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Bardwell Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Redwine Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (147 more) ...
    • Hefley Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Prude Hyde Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Norman Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)

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

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

  • Ennis
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Palmer
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Boyce
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Boyce is located in Ellis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyce
  • Alma
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Alma is located in Ellis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 400 people
  • Bristol
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Bristol is located in Ellis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristol
  • Nash
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Nash is located in Ellis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nash
  • Waxahachie
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Rice
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Rice is located in Navarro County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 983 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rice <1>
  • Sterrett
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Sterrett is located in Ellis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterrett
  • Ferris
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Avalon
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Red Oak
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Sardis
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Sardis is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sardis
    • Boz
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Boz is located in Ellis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boz
    • Cryer Creek ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Cryer Creek is located in Navarro County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cryer Creek

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

Newspapers Published in Garrett ...

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 84 newspapers that have been published in the area around Garrett.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Garrett, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Garrett.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Garrett:

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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Garrett) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<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 Garrett, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.