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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 Ponder (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 Ponder. 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 hospitals and doctors 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.

Ponder is located in Denton 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 Denton County: Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Grayson, Tarrant & Wise.

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

  • Denton County     (The home county of Ponder)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • DISH
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • DISH is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DISH
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 442 people
    • Stony
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Stony is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony
    • Krum
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Krum is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Krum
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,412 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Krum <1>
    • Justin
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Corral City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Corral City is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corral City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
    • Northlake
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Argyle
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Denton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Quakertown ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Quakertown is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quakertown
    • Elizabethtown
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Elizabethtown is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabethtown
    • Bartonville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Marshall Creek
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Marshall Creek is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshall Creek
  • Collin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • Hebron
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Hebron is located in Collin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
    • Carrollton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Frisco
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Rockhill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Rockhill is located in Collin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockhill
    • Prosper
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Celina
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Comanche County
    • Cross Roads
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Cross Roads is located in Comanche County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cross Roads
  • Cooke County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • Era
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Hemming
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Hemming is located in Cooke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemming
    • Valley View
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Rosston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Hood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Hood is located in Cooke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hood
    • Bloomfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Bloomfield is located in Cooke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
    • Burns City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Burns City is located in Cooke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burns City
    • Myra
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Dallas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • Lewisville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Grapevine
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Coppell
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Estelle
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Estelle is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estelle
    • Trinity Mills
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Trinity Mills is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trinity Mills
    • Irving
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Farmers Branch
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Sowers ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Sowers is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sowers
    • Addison
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Grayson County
    • Tioga
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Tioga is located in Grayson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tioga
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,117 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tioga <1>
  • Montague County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • New Harp
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • New Harp is located in Montague County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Harp
    • Forestburg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Hardy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Hardy is located in Montague County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardy
  • Parker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • Reno
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Reno is located in Parker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reno
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,473 people
    • Azle
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Azle is located in Parker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Azle
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,607 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Azle <1>
    • Sanctuary
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Sanctuary is located in Parker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanctuary
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 327 people
    • Springtown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Goshen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Goshen is located in Parker County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
  • Tarrant County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • Haslet
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Keller
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Pecan Acres
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Pecan Acres is located in Tarrant County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pecan Acres
    • Bransford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Bransford is located in Tarrant County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bransford
    • Smithfield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Smithfield is located in Tarrant County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithfield
    • Watauga
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Colleyville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Eagle Mountain
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Eagle Mountain is located in Tarrant County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Mountain
    • Pelican Bay
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Pelican Bay is located in Tarrant County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelican Bay
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,100 people
    • Blue Mound
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • North Richland Hills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Saginaw
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Wise County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ponder, with the one closest to Ponder listed first.
    • Bluett
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Bluett is located in Wise County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluett
    • New Fairview
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • New Fairview is located in Wise County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Fairview
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,557 people
      • Former name for New Fairview:
      • Fairview
    • Slidell
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Rhome
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Herman
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Herman is located in Wise County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herman
    • Aurora
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Newark
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Greenwood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Boyd
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Decatur
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Briar
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Briar is located in Wise County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briar
    • Paradise
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Ponder ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ponder.

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

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

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

  • Sams - Burnett - Mennerly Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • The Sams - Burnett - Mennerly Cemetery is located on private property - be sure to secure permission before visiting.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sams - Burnett - Mennerly Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Sams - Burnett - Mennerly Cemetery is located 5 miles [8 km]<2> to the northwest of Justin.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1837920 <3>
  • Akain Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Stony Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Krum Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Argyle Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Roselawn Memorial Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Roselawn Memorial Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roselawn Memorial Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Roselawn Memorial Park is a very large cemetery that is located outside and to the southwest of Denton.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #6476 <3>
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Oakwood Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Elizabethtown Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Duck Creek Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Deep Creek Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (128 more) ...
    • Sweets Chapel Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Roanoke IOOF Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Medlin Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)

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.<4>

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

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

  • Drop
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Drop is located in Denton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drop
  • Stony
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Stony is located in Denton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony
  • Justin
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Krum
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Krum is located in Denton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Krum
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,412 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Krum <1>
  • Argyle
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Denton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Bartonville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Roanoke
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Bolivar
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Bolivar is located in Denton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolivar
  • Rhome
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Slidell
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Corinth
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Herman
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Herman is located in Wise County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herman
    • Aurora
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Mingo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Mingo is located in Denton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mingo

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

Newspapers Published in Ponder ...

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 130 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ponder.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ponder, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ponder.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Ponder:

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>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- Ponder) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<4>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 Ponder, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.