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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 Meeker (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 Meeker. 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.

Meeker is located in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County: Chambers, Hardin, Liberty & Orange.

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

  • Jefferson County     (The home county of Meeker)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Meeker, with the one closest to Meeker listed first.
    • Pine Island
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Pine Island is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Island
    • Amelia
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Amelia is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amelia
    • Bevil Oaks
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Bevil Oaks is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bevil Oaks
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,209 people
    • China
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • China is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for China
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,204 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for China <1>
    • Beaumont
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Voth
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Nome
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Nome is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nome
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 592 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nome <1>
    • Higgins
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Higgins is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higgins
    • Central Gardens
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Central Gardens is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Gardens
    • Hamshire
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • La Belle
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • La Belle is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Belle
    • Taylor Landing
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Taylor Landing is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylor Landing
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 237 people
  • Chambers County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Meeker, with the one closest to Meeker listed first.
    • Winnie
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Stowell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Hankamer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Monroe City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Monroe City is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe City
    • Turtle Bayou
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Turtle Bayou is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turtle Bayou
  • Hardin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Meeker, with the one closest to Meeker listed first.
    • Pinewood Estates
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Pinewood Estates is located in Hardin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinewood Estates
    • Loeb
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Loeb is located in Hardin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loeb
    • Rose Hill Acres
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Rose Hill Acres is located in Hardin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill Acres
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 435 people
    • Sour Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Grayburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Grayburg is located in Hardin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grayburg
    • Lumberton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Silsbee
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Kountze
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Saratoga
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Batson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Village Mills
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Bragg ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Bragg is located in Hardin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bragg
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Meeker, with the one closest to Meeker listed first.
    • Evadale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Bunker Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Bunker Hill is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunker Hill
    • Buna
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Liberty County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Meeker, with the one closest to Meeker listed first.
    • Devers
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Daisetta
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Hull
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Raywood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Woodson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Woodson is located in Liberty County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodson
    • Hardin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Ames
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Ames is located in Liberty County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ames
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,275 people
    • Mariam
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Mariam is located in Liberty County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mariam
  • Orange County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Meeker, with the one closest to Meeker listed first.
    • Rose City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Rose City is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 489 people
    • Pine Forest
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Pine Forest is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Forest
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 516 people
    • Pine Grove
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Pine Grove is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
    • Vidor
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Vidor is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vidor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,310 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vidor <1>
    • Terry
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Terry is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terry
    • Mauriceville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Orangefield
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Texla
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Texla is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Texla
    • Bridge City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Lemonville ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Lemonville is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lemonville
    • Pinehurst
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Pinehurst is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinehurst
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,959 people
    • West Orange
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Meeker ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Meeker.

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

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

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

  • Spell Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Hebert Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Broussard Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Loeb Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Landrum Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Magnolia Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Anthony Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anthony Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Anthony Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Beaumont.
    • The Anthony Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Dan Gill Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2130 <2>
  • Rosedale Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Grayburg Black Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Berry Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Pivoto Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Forest Lawn Memorial Park
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (82 more) ...
    • Hillebrandt Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Sullivan Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Woodrow Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 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.<3>

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

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

  • Pine Island
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Pine Island is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Island
  • Amelia
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Amelia is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amelia
  • China
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • China is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for China
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,204 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for China <1>
  • Rosedale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Rosedale is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosedale
  • Beaumont
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Sour Lake
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Felicia
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Felicia is located in Liberty County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Felicia
  • La Belle
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • La Belle is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Belle
  • Nona
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Nona is located in Hardin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nona
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Terry
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Terry is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terry
    • Kountze
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Saratoga
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Tulane
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Tulane is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tulane
    • Village Mills
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Ames
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Ames is located in Liberty County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ames
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,275 people

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

Newspapers Published in Meeker ...

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 59 newspapers that have been published in the area around Meeker.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Meeker, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Meeker.

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 Meeker:

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 Meeker, 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' (or 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- Meeker) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.