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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 Massa (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 Massa. 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 and hospitals 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.

Massa is located in San Augustine 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 San Augustine County: Angelina, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine & Shelby.

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

  • San Augustine County     (The home county of Massa)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Massa, with the one closest to Massa listed first.
    • White City
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • White City is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
    • Broaddus
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Zana ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Zana is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zana
    • Rebecca
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Rebecca is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rebecca
    • Powell
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Powell is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell
    • Maxey Town
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Maxey Town is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxey Town
    • San Augustine
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Denning
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Denning is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denning
  • Angelina County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Massa, with the one closest to Massa listed first.
    • Parker Point
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Parker Point is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parker Point
    • Boynton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Boynton is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boynton
    • Ora
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Ora is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ora
    • Zavalla
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Dolan
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Dolan is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolan
    • Nancy
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Nancy is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nancy
    • Martin
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Martin is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
    • Ewing
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Ewing is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ewing
    • Oak Flat
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Oak Flat is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Flat
    • Thomas Crossing
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Thomas Crossing is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomas Crossing
    • Manning ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Manning is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manning
    • Alco
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Alco is located in Angelina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alco
    • Huntington
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Massa, with the one closest to Massa listed first.
    • Harveytown
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Harveytown is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harveytown
    • Browndell
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Browndell is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browndell
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 204 people
    • Sam Rayburn
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Jasper
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Beech Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Beech Grove is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Grove
  • Nacogdoches County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Massa, with the one closest to Massa listed first.
    • Etoile
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Chireno
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Attoyac
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Attoyac is located in Nacogdoches County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attoyac
    • Woden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Martinsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Sabine County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Massa, with the one closest to Massa listed first.
    • Bronson
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Pineland
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Brookeland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Rosevine
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Rosevine is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosevine
    • Hemphill
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Geneva
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Milam
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Mason
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Mason is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason
    • Fairmount
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Fairmount is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
  • Shelby County
    • Choice
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Choice is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Choice
  • Tyler County
    • Colmesneil
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Massa ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Massa.

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 Massa - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Wood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Lakey Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Williams Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Bobbitt Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Crooker Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Parker Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Pisgah Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Crow Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Miller Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Hines Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Blackland Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • McClelland Family Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (285 more) ...
    • Beauchamp Family Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Rayburn Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Lucas Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 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.<3>

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

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

  • Zana ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Zana is located in San Augustine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zana
  • Macune
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Macune is located in San Augustine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macune
  • Brookeland
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Hemphill
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • San Augustine
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Ora
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Ora is located in Angelina County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ora
  • Denning
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Denning is located in San Augustine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denning
  • Geneva
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
  • Etoile
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Milam
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Chireno
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Rockland
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Rockland is located in Tyler County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockland
  • Continue List   (11 more) ...
    • Fairmount
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Fairmount is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
    • Sexton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Sexton is located in Sabine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sexton
    • Ironosa
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Ironosa is located in San Augustine County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ironosa

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

Newspapers Published in Massa ...

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 48 newspapers that have been published in the area around Massa.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Massa, 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 Massa.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Massa:

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