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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 (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. 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 northwest 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 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 is located in Lee 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 Lee County: Bastrop, Burleson, Fayette, Milam, Washington & Williamson.

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

  • Lee County     (The home county of Hills)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills, with the one closest to Hills listed first.
    • Serbin ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Serbin is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Serbin
    • Giddings
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Fedor
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Fedor is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fedor
    • Lincoln
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Loebau
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Loebau is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loebau
    • Knobbs Springs
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Knobbs Springs is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knobbs Springs
    • Lexington
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Blue
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Blue is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue
    • Dime Box
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Old Dime Box
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Old Dime Box is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Dime Box
    • Tanglewood
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Tanglewood is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tanglewood
    • Hicks
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Hicks is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hicks
  • Austin County
    • Shelby
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Shelby is located in Austin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelby
  • Bastrop County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills, with the one closest to Hills listed first.
    • Paige
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • McDade
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Alum Creek
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Alum Creek is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alum Creek
    • Smithville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Camp Swift
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Camp Swift is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Swift
    • Bastrop
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Phelan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Phelan is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelan
    • Hills Prairie
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Hills Prairie is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hills Prairie
    • Upton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Upton is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upton
    • Togo
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Togo is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Togo
    • Kovar
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Kovar is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kovar
    • Elgin
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Elgin is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,756 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elgin <1>
  • Burleson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills, with the one closest to Hills listed first.
    • Deanville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • San Antonio Prairie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • San Antonio Prairie is located in Burleson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Antonio Prairie
    • Birch
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Birch is located in Burleson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birch
    • Frenstat
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Frenstat is located in Burleson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenstat
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills, with the one closest to Hills listed first.
    • Warda
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Ledbetter
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Kirtley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Kirtley is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirtley
    • West Point
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Nechanitz
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Nechanitz is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nechanitz
    • Plum
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Walhalla
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Walhalla is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walhalla
    • Carmine
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Stellar
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Stellar is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stellar
    • Round Top
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • La Grange
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Rutersville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Rutersville is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutersville
  • Milam County
    • Thorndale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Travis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills, with the one closest to Hills listed first.
    • Littig
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Littig is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littig
    • Webberville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Manda ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Manda is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manda
    • Garfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Garfield is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills, with the one closest to Hills listed first.
    • La Bahia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • La Bahia is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Bahia
    • Burton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Greenvine
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Greenvine is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenvine
    • Rehburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Rehburg is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rehburg
  • Williamson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hills, with the one closest to Hills listed first.
    • Beyersville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Beyersville is located in Williamson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beyersville
    • Coupland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Hills ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hills.

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 - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Noack Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Keng Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Dixon Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Goacher Cemetery Historical Site
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Betts Chapel Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Peters Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • High Hill Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Melcher Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • The Melcher Cemetery is located on private property - be sure to secure permission before visiting.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melcher Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Melcher Cemetery is located 6 miles [9.7 km]<3> to the southwest of Lexington.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #5186 <2>
  • Schroeder Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • The Schroeder Cemetery is located on private property - be sure to secure permission before visiting.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schroeder Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Schroeder Cemetery is located 7 miles [11.3 km]<3> to the southwest of Lexington.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #6805 <2>
  • Foerster Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Wolf Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (181 more) ...
    • Gloyna Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Adams Thompson Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • 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<3> 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 <2>
    • Powell Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)

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

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

  • Paige
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Serbin ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Serbin is located in Lee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Serbin
  • Giddings
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Fedor
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Fedor is located in Lee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fedor
  • Lincoln
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Alum Creek
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Alum Creek is located in Bastrop County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alum Creek
  • Winchester
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Winchester is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winchester
  • Warda
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • McDade
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Smithville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Ledbetter
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Lexington
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Bastrop
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • West Point
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Nechanitz
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Nechanitz is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nechanitz

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

Newspapers Published in Hills ...

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 56 newspapers that have been published in the area around Hills.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Hills, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Hills.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Hills:

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>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- Hills) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<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 Hills, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.