RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Texas >> Leon County >> Russell >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Texas

The Commemorative Quarter for Texas





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 Russell (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 Russell. 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 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.

Russell is located in Leon 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 Leon County: Anderson, Freestone, Houston, Limestone, Madison & Robertson.

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

  • Leon County     (The home county of Russell)
  • Anderson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Long Lake
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Long Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Lake
      • Long Lake is located in Anderson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Long Lake
      • From Russell to Long Lake
    • Tucker
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Lakeview Assembly
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakeview Assembly have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeview Assembly
      • Lakeview Assembly is located in Anderson County
    • Elkhart
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Cronin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cronin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cronin
      • Cronin is located in Anderson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cronin
      • From Russell to Cronin
    • Salmon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Harmony
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Harmony. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony
      • Harmony is located in Anderson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Harmony
      • From Russell to Harmony
    • Slocum
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Mound City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mound City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mound City
      • Mound City is located in Anderson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mound City
      • From Russell to Mound City
    • Palestine
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Massey Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Deanwright
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Deanwright. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deanwright
      • Deanwright is located in Anderson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Deanwright
      • From Russell to Deanwright
  • Freestone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Oakwood
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakwood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
      • Oakwood is located in Freestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 514 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakwood <1>
    • Lanely
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lanely. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanely
      • Lanely is located in Freestone County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lanely
      • From Russell to Lanely
    • Red Lake
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Dew
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Donie
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Turlington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Freestone
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Fairfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Teague
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Teague have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teague
      • Teague is located in Freestone County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,526 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Teague <1>
  • Houston County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Russell, with the one closest to Russell listed first.
    • Halls Bluff Town ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Halls Bluff Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Bluff Town
      • Halls Bluff Town is located in Houston County
    • Porter Springs
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Austonio
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Cooper
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cooper have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooper
      • Cooper is located in Houston County
    • Latexo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Crockett
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crockett have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crockett
      • Crockett is located in Houston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,350 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Crockett <1>
    • Grapeland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Refuge
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Lovelady
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lovelady have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovelady
      • Lovelady is located in Houston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 623 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lovelady <1>
  • Limestone County
  • Madison County

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

Cemeteries Near Russell ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Russell.

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

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

  • North Creek Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beaver Dam Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beaver Dam Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beaver Dam Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Parker Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Parker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Parker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tubbs Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tubbs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tubbs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Taylor Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Taylor Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Taylor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wheelock Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Stevens Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stevens Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stevens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brushy Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brushy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brushy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lummus Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lummus Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lummus Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Liberty Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • New Salem Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Salem Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Salem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bluff Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bluff Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bluff Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (202 more) ...
    • Lamon Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lamon Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lamon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Thomason Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thomason Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thomason Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Burton Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Burton Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Burton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Russell had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Guys Store
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guys Store have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guys Store
    • Guys Store is located in Leon County
  • Centerville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Keechi
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Keechi have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keechi
    • Keechi is located in Leon County
  • Middleton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Middleton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleton
    • Middleton is located in Leon County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Middleton
    • From Russell to Middleton
  • Buffalo
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Oakwood
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakwood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
    • Oakwood is located in Freestone County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 514 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakwood <1>
  • Ash
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ash have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ash
    • Ash is located in Houston County
  • Porter Springs
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Leona
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leona have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leona
    • Leona is located in Leon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 179 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Leona <1>
  • Jewett
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Concord
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Long Lake
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Long Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Lake
    • Long Lake is located in Anderson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Long Lake
    • From Russell to Long Lake
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Butler
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Butler have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler
      • Butler is located in Freestone County
    • Tucker
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Dew
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Russell ...

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 53 newspapers that have been published in the area around Russell.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Russell, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Russell.

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 helpful 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 Russell:

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

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

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>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.
<3>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.
<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 Russell, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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 from Point A (ie- Russell) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Russell. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.3773, Longitude: -95.8498    









 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025