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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 Grand Saline (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 Grand Saline. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Grand Saline is located in Van Zandt 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 Van Zandt County: Henderson, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Smith & Wood.

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

  • Van Zandt County     (The home county of Grand Saline)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Grand Saline, with the one closest to Grand Saline listed first.
    • Fruitvale
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Edgewood
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Van
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Van have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van
      • Van is located in Van Zandt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,778 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Van <1>
    • Canton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canton
      • Canton is located in Van Zandt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,941 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canton <1>
    • Ben Wheeler
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ben Wheeler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ben Wheeler
      • Ben Wheeler is located in Van Zandt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ben Wheeler <1>
    • Tundra
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Wills Point
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Edom
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edom have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edom
      • Edom is located in Van Zandt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 387 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Edom <1>
  • Henderson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Grand Saline, with the one closest to Grand Saline listed first.
    • Brownsboro
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownsboro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownsboro
      • Brownsboro is located in Henderson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,293 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brownsboro <1>
    • Murchison
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murchison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murchison
      • Murchison is located in Henderson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 610 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Murchison <1>
    • Chandler
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Leagueville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Eustace
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eustace have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eustace
      • Eustace is located in Henderson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,020 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eustace <1>
  • Hopkins County
  • Hunt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Grand Saline, with the one closest to Grand Saline listed first.
    • West Tawakoni
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Tawakoni have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Tawakoni
      • West Tawakoni is located in Hunt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,994 people
    • Lone Oak
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lone Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Oak
      • Lone Oak is located in Hunt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 699 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lone Oak <1>
    • Hawk Cove
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hawk Cove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawk Cove
      • Hawk Cove is located in Hunt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 562 people
    • Boles Home
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Quinlan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quinlan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quinlan
      • Quinlan is located in Hunt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,545 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Quinlan <1>
  • Kaufman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Grand Saline, with the one closest to Grand Saline listed first.
    • Ables Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Prairieville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Elmo
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmo
      • Elmo is located in Kaufman County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elmo <1>
    • College Mound
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for College Mound have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for College Mound
      • College Mound is located in Kaufman County
    • Ola
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Abner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Rains County
  • Smith County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Grand Saline, with the one closest to Grand Saline listed first.
    • Jamestown
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jamestown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
      • Jamestown is located in Smith County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jamestown
      • From Grand Saline to Jamestown
    • Garden Valley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Carroll
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carroll. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carroll
      • Carroll is located in Smith County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Carroll
      • From Grand Saline to Carroll
    • Hideaway
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Lindale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lindale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lindale
      • Lindale is located in Smith County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,730 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lindale <1>
    • Swan
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Red Springs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
  • Wood County

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

Cemeteries Near Grand Saline ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Grand Saline.

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

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

  • Woodside Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rodgers Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rodgers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rodgers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bratcher Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bratcher Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bratcher Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pace Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pace Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Padgett Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Padgett Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Padgett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Erwin Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Starr Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Oakland Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dickerson Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dickerson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dickerson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Providence Baptist Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Clewis Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clewis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clewis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tooms Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tooms Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tooms Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (192 more) ...

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Grand Saline had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Grand Saline had a population of 3,214 people.

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

  • Silver Lake
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
    • Silver Lake is located in Van Zandt County
  • Pruitt
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pruitt have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pruitt
    • Pruitt is located in Van Zandt County
  • Jamestown
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jamestown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
    • Jamestown is located in Smith County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Jamestown
    • From Grand Saline to Jamestown
  • Golden
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Golden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden
    • Golden is located in Wood County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Golden <1>
  • Alba
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Edgewood
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Colfax
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colfax have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colfax
    • Colfax is located in Van Zandt County
  • Canton
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canton
    • Canton is located in Van Zandt County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,941 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canton <1>
  • Mineola
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Myrtle Springs
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrtle Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtle Springs
    • Myrtle Springs is located in Van Zandt County
  • Emory
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Garden Valley
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Ben Wheeler
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ben Wheeler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ben Wheeler
      • Ben Wheeler is located in Van Zandt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ben Wheeler <1>
    • Carroll
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carroll. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carroll
      • Carroll is located in Smith County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Carroll
      • From Grand Saline to Carroll
    • Quitman
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Grand Saline ...

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 47 newspapers that have been published in the area around Grand Saline.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Grand Saline. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Grand Saline and those printed in the larger area surrounding Grand Saline.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4> of Grand Saline.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Grand Saline:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Grand Saline. 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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Grand Saline) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Grand Saline. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.6745, Longitude: -95.7096    
<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 Grand Saline, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025