RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Texas >> Clay County >> Joy >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Texas

The Commemorative Quarter for Texas





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 Joy (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 Joy. 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 and hospitals 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.

Joy is located in Clay 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 Clay County: Cotton (OK), Jefferson (OK), Archer, Jack, Montague & Wichita.

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

  • Clay County     (The home county of Joy)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Joy, with the one closest to Joy listed first.
    • Bluegrove
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Shannon
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Bellevue
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellevue have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellevue
      • Bellevue is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 350 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellevue <1>
    • Newport
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Henrietta
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Jolly
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Dean
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Petrolia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petrolia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrolia
      • Petrolia is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 671 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Petrolia <1>
  • Archer County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Joy, with the one closest to Joy listed first.
    • Windthorst
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Scotland
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scotland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scotland
      • Scotland is located in Archer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 482 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scotland <1>
    • Archer City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Lakeside City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakeside City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeside City
      • Lakeside City is located in Archer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,008 people
    • Anarene ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anarene have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anarene
      • Anarene is located in Archer County
  • Jack County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Joy, with the one closest to Joy listed first.
    • Postoak
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Antelope
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Antelope have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antelope
      • Antelope is located in Jack County
    • Jermyn
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Jacksboro
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Bob Town
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bob Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bob Town
      • Bob Town is located in Jack County
    • Wizard Wells
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Bryson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bryson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryson
      • Bryson is located in Jack County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 533 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bryson <1>
  • Montague County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Joy, with the one closest to Joy listed first.
    • Bowie
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bowie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowie
      • Bowie is located in Montague County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,140 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bowie <1>
    • Ringgold
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Fruitland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Salona
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Sunset
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Belcherville ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belcherville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belcherville
      • Belcherville is located in Montague County
    • Montague
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Wichita County
  • Wise County
  • Young County
  • Jefferson County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Joy, with the one closest to Joy listed first.
    • Terral
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Terral have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terral
      • Terral is located in Jefferson County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 382 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Terral <1>
    • Fleetwood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fleetwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleetwood
      • Fleetwood is located in Jefferson County (OK)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fleetwood
      • From Joy to Fleetwood

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

Cemeteries Near Joy ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Joy.

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

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

  • Friendship Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Friendship Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Friendship Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bluegrove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bluegrove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bluegrove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Prospect Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prospect Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prospect Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Deer Creek Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Deer Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Deer Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shannon Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shannon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shannon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Silver Hill Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Silver Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Silver Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Postoak Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Postoak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Postoak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Liberty Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cullers Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cullers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cullers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Halsell Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Halsell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Halsell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Antelope Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Antelope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Antelope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (71 more) ...
    • St. Mary Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Marys Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Roberts Branch Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roberts Branch Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roberts Branch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<5>

While we didn't find Joy in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Joy.

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

  • Bluegrove
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Postoak
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Antelope
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Antelope have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antelope
    • Antelope is located in Jack County
  • Bellevue
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellevue have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellevue
    • Bellevue is located in Clay County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 350 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellevue <1>
  • Newport
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Henrietta
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
  • Markley
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Markley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Markley
    • Markley is located in Young County
  • Jolly
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
  • Bowie
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bowie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowie
    • Bowie is located in Montague County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,140 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bowie <1>
  • Crafton
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crafton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crafton
    • Crafton is located in Wise County
  • Archer City
    (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
  • Jacksboro
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (7 more) ...
    • Farmer
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Hurnville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hurnville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurnville
      • Hurnville is located in Clay County
    • Sunset
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Joy ...

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 42 newspapers that have been published in the area around Joy.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Joy, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Joy.

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 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 Joy:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Joy. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Clay County: www.co.clay.tx.us/

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>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.
<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 Joy, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Joy) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Joy. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.5759, Longitude: -98.2159    









 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025