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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 Hills Prairie (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 Hills Prairie. 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 Hills Prairie ...

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 occur.

  • A typical abbreviation for Hills Prairie: Hills Pr.
  • While the name of this community is Hills Prairie, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Hills Prairie may originally have been Hill's Prairie.

    Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Hills Prairie might be written as Hill Prairie.

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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most 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 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, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Hills Prairie is located in Bastrop 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 Bastrop County: Caldwell, Fayette, Gonzales, Lee & Travis.

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

  • Bastrop County     (The home county of Hills Prairie)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills Prairie, with the one closest to Hills Prairie listed first.
    • Upton
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Upton is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upton
    • Alum Creek
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Alum Creek is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alum Creek
    • Bastrop
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Phelan
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Phelan is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelan
    • Smithville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Rosanky
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Togo
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Togo is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Togo
    • Camp Swift
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Camp Swift is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Swift
    • Kovar
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Kovar is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kovar
    • Red Rock
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Bateman
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Bateman is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bateman
    • Cedar Creek
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Caldwell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills Prairie, with the one closest to Hills Prairie listed first.
    • Pettytown
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Pettytown is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettytown
    • Delhi
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Delhi is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
    • Elm Grove
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Elm Grove is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Grove
    • Taylorsville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Taylorsville is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylorsville
    • Saint Johns Colony
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Saint Johns Colony is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johns Colony
    • Dale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • McMahan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • McMahan is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McMahan
    • Lytton Springs
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Lytton Springs is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lytton Springs
    • Tilmon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Tilmon is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilmon
    • Mendoza
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Mendoza is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mendoza
    • Seawillow
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Seawillow is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seawillow
    • Lockhart
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills Prairie, with the one closest to Hills Prairie listed first.
    • Kirtley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Kirtley is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirtley
    • Stellar
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Stellar is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stellar
    • Cistern
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Cistern is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cistern
      • Former names for Cistern:
      • Cockrell's Hill
      • Milton
      • Whiteside's Prairie
    • West Point
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Colony
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Colony is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colony
    • Muldoon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Plum
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Warda
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • La Grange
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Hostyn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Hostyn is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hostyn
    • Nechanitz
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Nechanitz is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nechanitz
    • Flatonia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Gonzales County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills Prairie, with the one closest to Hills Prairie listed first.
    • Waelder
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Sandy Fork
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Sandy Fork is located in Gonzales County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Fork
    • Harwood
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Hays County
    • Goforth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Goforth is located in Hays County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goforth
  • Lee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills Prairie, with the one closest to Hills Prairie listed first.
    • Serbin ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Serbin is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Serbin
    • Knobbs Springs
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Knobbs Springs is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knobbs Springs
    • Fedor
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Fedor is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fedor
    • Giddings
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Blue
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Blue is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue
    • Lincoln
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Loebau
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Loebau is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loebau
    • Lexington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Travis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills Prairie, with the one closest to Hills Prairie listed first.
    • Garfield
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Garfield is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
    • Webberville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Littig
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Littig is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littig
    • Elroy
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Elroy is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elroy
    • Del Valle
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Manor
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Manor is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,767 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Manor <2>
    • Pilot Knob
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Pilot Knob is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pilot Knob
    • Manda ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Manda is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manda
    • Daffan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Daffan is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Daffan
    • New Sweden
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • New Sweden is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Sweden
    • Carl
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Carl is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carl
    • Creedmoor
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
  • Williamson County
    • Coupland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Hills Prairie ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hills Prairie.

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 Hills Prairie - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Trigg Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • The Trigg Cemetery is located on private property - be sure to secure permission before visiting.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trigg Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2249890 <3>
  • Young Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Adams Thompson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams Thompson Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Adams Thompson Cemetery is located less than 2 miles<4> to the southeast of Alum Creek.
    • The Adams Thompson Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Adams Morris Thompson Cemetery
    • Thompson - Morris Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2306332 <3>
  • Pleasant Chapel Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Wolfenberger Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Thompson Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Powell Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Meridith Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Hendrix Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Rosanky Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Oak Hill Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (183 more) ...
    • Walker - Watson Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Lentz Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Hills Prairie had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Upton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Upton is located in Bastrop County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upton
  • Bastrop
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Alum Creek
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Alum Creek is located in Bastrop County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alum Creek
  • Smithville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Red Rock
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • String Prairie
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • String Prairie is located in Bastrop County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for String Prairie
  • Cedar Creek
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Sayersville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Sayersville is located in Bastrop County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sayersville
  • Stellar
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Stellar is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stellar
  • Paige
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Taylorsville
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Taylorsville is located in Caldwell County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylorsville
  • Delhi
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Delhi is located in Caldwell County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Jeddo
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Jeddo is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeddo
    • Cistern
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Cistern is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cistern
      • Former names for Cistern:
      • Cockrell's Hill
      • Milton
      • Whiteside's Prairie
    • West Point
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Hills Prairie ...

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 269 newspapers that have been published in the area around Hills Prairie.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Hills Prairie, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Hills Prairie.

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 Hills Prairie:

Footnotes ...

<1>It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties).
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>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- Hills Prairie) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<5>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 Hills Prairie, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.