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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 Saint John (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 Saint John. 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 Saint John ...

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 occur.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Saint John: St. John

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Saint John. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Saint John.

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 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.

Saint John is located in Fayette 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 Fayette County: Austin, Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Gonzales, Lavaca, Lee & Washington.

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

  • Fayette County     (The home county of Saint John)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Saint John, with the one closest to Saint John listed first.
    • Schulenburg
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Engle
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Engle is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Engle
    • Praha
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Praha is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Praha
      • Praha has also been known as:
      • Hottentot
    • Freyburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Freyburg is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freyburg
    • Dubina ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Dubina is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dubina
    • Flatonia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Hostyn
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Hostyn is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hostyn
    • Muldoon
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Colony
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Colony is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colony
    • La Grange
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Ellinger
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Joiner
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Joiner is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joiner
    • Cistern
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Cistern is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cistern
      • Former names for Cistern:
      • Cockrell's Hill
      • Milton
      • Whiteside's Prairie
  • Bastrop County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Saint John, with the one closest to Saint John listed first.
    • Jeddo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jeddo is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeddo
    • Kovar
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Kovar is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kovar
    • Togo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Togo is located in Bastrop County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Togo
    • Smithville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Rosanky
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Caldwell County
    • Delhi
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Delhi is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delhi
  • Colorado County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Saint John, with the one closest to Saint John listed first.
    • Oakland
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • New Bielau ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • New Bielau is located in Colorado County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Bielau
    • Weimar
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Borden
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Borden is located in Colorado County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borden
    • Sheridan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Glidden
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Hillcrest
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Hillcrest is located in Colorado County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest
    • Rock Island
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Rock Island is located in Colorado County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Island
    • Columbus
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Alleyton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Frelsburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Frelsburg is located in Colorado County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frelsburg
    • Pisek ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Pisek is located in Colorado County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pisek
    • Altair
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • DeWitt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Saint John, with the one closest to Saint John listed first.
    • Yoakum
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Pearl City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Pearl City is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearl City
    • Hochheim
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Gonzales County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Saint John, with the one closest to Saint John listed first.
    • Waelder
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Kokernot
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Kokernot is located in Gonzales County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kokernot
    • Glaze City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Glaze City is located in Gonzales County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glaze City
    • Hamon
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Hamon is located in Gonzales County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamon
    • Sandy Fork
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Sandy Fork is located in Gonzales County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Fork
  • Lavaca County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Saint John, with the one closest to Saint John listed first.
    • Gleckler
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Gleckler is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gleckler
    • Moravia
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Moravia is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moravia
    • Hackberry ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Hackberry is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hackberry
    • Komensky
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Komensky is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Komensky
    • Breslau
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Breslau is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breslau
    • Hallettsville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Moulton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Sublime
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Wied
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Wied is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wied
    • Shiner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Sweet Home
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Ezzell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Ezzell is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ezzell
    • Hope
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Hope is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope

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

Cemeteries Near Saint John ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Saint John.

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 Saint John - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Mulberry Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Fitzgerald Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Moravia Ascension Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moravia Ascension Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Moravia Ascension Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 9 miles [14.5 km]<2> to the east of Moulton.
    • The Moravia Ascension Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2176975 <3>
  • Andrew Chapel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Lyons Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Williams Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Simpson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Old High Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old High Hill Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Old High Hill Cemetery is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<2> to the northwest of Schulenburg.
    • The Old High Hill Cemetery has also been known as:
    • High Hill Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #5765 <3>
  • Oakland Hill Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • St. Mary's Catholic Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Criswell Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Shiloh Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (161 more) ...
    • Turner Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Clear Creek Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Slavonic Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)

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 Saint John in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Saint John.

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

  • Gleckler
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Gleckler is located in Lavaca County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gleckler
  • Moravia
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Moravia is located in Lavaca County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moravia
  • Engle
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Engle is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Engle
  • Hackberry ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Hackberry is located in Lavaca County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hackberry
  • High Hill ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • High Hill is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Hill
  • Breslau
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Breslau is located in Lavaca County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breslau
  • Kinkler
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Kinkler is located in Lavaca County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinkler
  • Oakland
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Praha
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Praha is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Praha
    • Praha has also been known as:
    • Hottentot
  • Freyburg
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Freyburg is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freyburg
  • Dubina ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Dubina is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dubina
  • Witting
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Witting is located in Lavaca County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Witting
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Swiss Alp
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Swiss Alp is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swiss Alp
    • Flatonia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Moulton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Saint John ...

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 73 newspapers that have been published in the area around Saint John.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Saint John, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Saint John.

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 Saint John:

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 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Saint John) 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 Saint John, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.