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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 Loraine (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 Loraine. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Loraine is located in Mitchell 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 Mitchell County: Borden, Coke, Fisher, Howard, Nolan, Scurry & Sterling.

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

  • Mitchell County     (The home county of Loraine)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loraine, with the one closest to Loraine listed first.
    • Colorado City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colorado City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colorado City
      • Colorado City is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,875 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colorado City <2>
    • Buford
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buford
      • Buford is located in Mitchell County
    • Westbrook
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westbrook
      • Westbrook is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westbrook <2>
    • Spade
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spade
      • Spade is located in Mitchell County
    • Cuthbert ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cuthbert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuthbert
      • Cuthbert is located in Mitchell County
    • Iatan
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Iatan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iatan
      • Iatan is located in Mitchell County
  • Coke County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loraine, with the one closest to Loraine listed first.
    • Silver ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Sanco ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanco
      • Sanco is located in Coke County
  • Fisher County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loraine, with the one closest to Loraine listed first.
    • Claytonville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Claytonville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claytonville
      • Claytonville is located in Fisher County
    • Capitola
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Capitola
      • Capitola is located in Fisher County
    • Hobbs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hobbs. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobbs
      • Hobbs is located in Fisher County
    • Roby
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roby have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roby
      • Roby is located in Fisher County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 613 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roby <2>
  • Nolan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loraine, with the one closest to Loraine listed first.
    • Wastella ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wastella have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wastella
      • Wastella is located in Nolan County
    • Roscoe
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Avenger Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avenger Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avenger Village
      • Avenger Village is located in Nolan County
    • Sweetwater
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sweetwater have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweetwater
      • Sweetwater is located in Nolan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,535 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sweetwater <2>
    • Maryneal
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maryneal have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maryneal
      • Maryneal is located in Nolan County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maryneal <2>
    • Nolan
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nolan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nolan
      • Nolan is located in Nolan County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nolan <2>
  • Scurry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Loraine, with the one closest to Loraine listed first.
    • Dunn
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
      • Dunn is located in Scurry County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dunn <2>
    • Hermleigh
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Ira
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ira have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
      • Ira is located in Scurry County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ira <2>
    • Snyder
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Loraine ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Loraine.

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

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

  • Union Chapel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wallace Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wallace Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wallace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Champion Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Zion Rest Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Rest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • White Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the White Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the White Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Colorado City Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Lone Wolf Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Cemetery of the Sands
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cemetery of the Sands
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cemetery of the Sands have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mitchell County Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mitchell County Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mitchell County Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Roscoe Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roscoe Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Roscoe Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northeast of Roscoe.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #6455 <4>
  • Round Mountain Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Pyron Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pyron Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Pyron Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<5> to the northwest of Hermleigh.
  • Continue List   (24 more) ...
    • Hermleigh Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Handley Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Spade Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spade Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spade Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Loraine had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Loraine had a population of 567 people.

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

  • Roscoe
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Westbrook
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westbrook
    • Westbrook is located in Mitchell County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westbrook <2>
  • Claytonville
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Claytonville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claytonville
    • Claytonville is located in Fisher County
  • Sweetwater
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sweetwater have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweetwater
    • Sweetwater is located in Nolan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,535 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sweetwater <2>
  • Cuthbert ‑ Historic
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cuthbert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuthbert
    • Cuthbert is located in Mitchell County
  • Ira
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ira have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
    • Ira is located in Scurry County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ira <2>
  • Silver ‑ Historic
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
  • Snyder
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Hobbs
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hobbs. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobbs
    • Hobbs is located in Fisher County
  • Eskota
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eskota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eskota
    • Eskota is located in Fisher County
  • Knapp
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Knapp have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knapp
    • Knapp is located in Scurry County
  • Sanco ‑ Historic
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanco
    • Sanco is located in Coke County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Loraine ...

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 32 newspapers that have been published in the area around Loraine.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Loraine. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Loraine and those printed in the larger area surrounding Loraine.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5> of Loraine.

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 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 Loraine:

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

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Loraine) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Loraine. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.4088, Longitude: -100.7127       In this case, the coordinates for Loraine have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Loraine, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025