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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 Oak Ridge (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 Oak Ridge. 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.

Name Variations for Oak Ridge ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Oak Ridge: Oak Rdg. (or less commonly used: Oak Rdge. or Oak Ridg.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 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.

Oak Ridge is located in Cooke 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 Cooke County: Love (OK), Denton, Grayson, Montague & Wise.

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

  • Cooke County     (The home county of Oak Ridge)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oak Ridge, with the one closest to Oak Ridge listed first.
    • Custer City ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Custer City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer City
      • Custer City is located in Cooke County
    • Callisburg
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Callisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Callisburg
      • Callisburg is located in Cooke County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 367 people
    • Lake Kiowa
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Kiowa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Kiowa
      • Lake Kiowa is located in Cooke County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Kiowa <2>
    • Gainesville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gainesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gainesville
      • Gainesville is located in Cooke County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,876 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gainesville <2>
    • Burns City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burns City
      • Burns City is located in Cooke County
    • Lindsay
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Dexter
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
      • Dexter is located in Cooke County
    • Bloomfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
      • Bloomfield is located in Cooke County
    • Valley View
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valley View have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley View
      • Valley View is located in Cooke County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 865 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Valley View <2>
    • Hemming
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemming
      • Hemming is located in Cooke County
    • Myra
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Era
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Marysville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marysville
      • Marysville is located in Cooke County
  • Collin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oak Ridge, with the one closest to Oak Ridge listed first.
    • Celina
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Van Alstyne
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Comanche County
    • Cross Roads
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cross Roads
      • Cross Roads is located in Comanche County
  • Denton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oak Ridge, with the one closest to Oak Ridge listed first.
    • Pilot Point
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Sanger
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sanger have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanger
      • Sanger is located in Denton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,133 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sanger <2>
    • Aubrey
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Bolivar
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolivar
      • Bolivar is located in Denton County
    • Krugerville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Krugerville
      • Krugerville is located in Denton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,871 people
    • Cross Roads
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Providence Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Providence Village
      • Providence Village is located in Denton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,564 people
    • Krum
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Krum
      • Krum is located in Denton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,412 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Krum <2>
    • Lincoln Park
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Park
      • Lincoln Park is located in Denton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 567 people
    • Denton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Quakertown ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Quakertown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quakertown
      • Quakertown is located in Denton County
  • Grayson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oak Ridge, with the one closest to Oak Ridge listed first.
    • Whitesboro
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Dixie
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixie
      • Dixie is located in Grayson County
    • Collinsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Sadler
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Basin Springs
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Basin Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Basin Springs
      • Basin Springs is located in Grayson County
    • Ethel
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ethel
      • Ethel is located in Grayson County
    • Gordonville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Tioga
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tioga
      • Tioga is located in Grayson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,117 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tioga <2>
    • Southmayd
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Gage
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gage have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gage
      • Gage is located in Grayson County
    • Cedar Mills
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Mills
      • Cedar Mills is located in Grayson County
    • Locust
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust
      • Locust is located in Grayson County
    • Sherwood Shores
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherwood Shores
      • Sherwood Shores is located in Grayson County
  • Montague County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oak Ridge, with the one closest to Oak Ridge listed first.
    • Hardy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardy
      • Hardy is located in Montague County
    • Saint Jo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Jo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Jo
      • Saint Jo is located in Montague County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,032 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Jo <2>
    • Illinois Bend
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinois Bend
      • Illinois Bend is located in Montague County
    • Forestburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Wise County
  • Bryan County (OK)
  • Love County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oak Ridge, with the one closest to Oak Ridge listed first.
    • Thackerville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thackerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thackerville
      • Thackerville is located in Love County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 521 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thackerville <2>
    • Marietta
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Burneyville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Jimtown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jimtown
      • Jimtown is located in Love County (OK)
    • Leon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leon
      • Leon is located in Love County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Leon <2>
    • Overbrook
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Marshall County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Oak Ridge, with the one closest to Oak Ridge listed first.
    • Lebanon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Shay
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shay
      • Shay is located in Marshall County (OK)
    • Kingston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kingston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingston
      • Kingston is located in Marshall County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,689 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kingston <2>
    • McBride
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McBride have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBride
      • McBride is located in Marshall County (OK)

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

Newspapers Published in Oak Ridge ...

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 92 newspapers that have been published in the area around Oak Ridge.

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

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 Oak Ridge:

Cemeteries Near Oak Ridge ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Oak Ridge.

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

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

  • Nelson Grove Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nelson Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nelson Grove Cemetery
  • Dervin Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dervin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dervin Cemetery
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
  • Union Hill Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Hill Cemetery
  • Center Hill Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Center Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Center Hill Cemetery
  • Callisburg Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Callisburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Callisburg Cemetery
  • Akers Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Akers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Akers Cemetery
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • The Fairview Cemetery has also been known as:
    • East Hill Cemetery
    • Gainesville Fairview Cemetery
    • Howeth Family Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #3524 <5>
  • Redmond Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Redmond Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Redmond Cemetery
  • Herod - Morris Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Morris Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morris Cemetery
  • Clark County Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clark County Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clark County Cemetery
  • Continue List   (204 more) ...
    • Este Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Este Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Este Cemetery
    • Dye Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Dye Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<4> to the north of Whitesboro.
      • The Dye Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Ben Dye Cemetery
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dye Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1973820 <5>
    • Oakwood Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)

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>

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

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

  • Custer City ‑ Historic
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Custer City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer City
    • Custer City is located in Cooke County
  • Woodbine
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodbine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodbine
    • Woodbine is located in Cooke County
  • Callisburg
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Callisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Callisburg
    • Callisburg is located in Cooke County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 367 people
  • Gainesville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gainesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gainesville
    • Gainesville is located in Cooke County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,876 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gainesville <2>
  • Whitesboro
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Balm
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Balm have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balm
    • Balm is located in Cooke County
  • Collinsville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Lindsay
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Mountain Springs
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Springs
    • Mountain Springs is located in Cooke County
  • Sadler
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Sandusky
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandusky have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandusky
    • Sandusky is located in Grayson County
  • Coesfield
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coesfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coesfield
    • Coesfield is located in Cooke County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Bloomfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
      • Bloomfield is located in Cooke County
    • Basin Springs
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Basin Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Basin Springs
      • Basin Springs is located in Grayson County
    • Dexter
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
      • Dexter is located in Cooke County

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

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

The official website for Cooke County: www.co.cooke.tx.us/

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>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 from Point A (ie- Oak Ridge) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Oak Ridge. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.6483, Longitude: -97.0388       In this case, the coordinates for Oak Ridge have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>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.
<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 Oak Ridge, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024