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 Salem (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 Salem. 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.
Salem is located in Cherokee 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 Cherokee County: Anderson, Angelina, Henderson, Houston, Nacogdoches, Rusk & Smith.
Below are the counties that are near Salem. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Salem:
- Cherokee County (The home county of Salem)
- The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- New Birmingham ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Birmingham. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Birmingham
- New Birmingham is located in Cherokee County
- Rusk
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Dialville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dialville
- Dialville is located in Cherokee County
- Alto
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Gallatin
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gallatin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gallatin
- Gallatin is located in Cherokee County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 435 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gallatin <2>
- Ponta
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ponta
- Ponta is located in Cherokee County
- Turney
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turney
- Turney is located in Cherokee County
- Maydelle
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maydelle have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maydelle
- Maydelle is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maydelle <2>
- Reklaw
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Weeping Mary
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weeping Mary
- Weeping Mary is located in Cherokee County
- New Summerfield
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Summerfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Summerfield
- New Summerfield is located in Cherokee County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,187 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Summerfield <2>
- Jacksonville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Anderson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- Herring
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Herring. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herring
- Herring is located in Anderson County
- Jarvis
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jarvis
- Jarvis is located in Anderson County
- Alderbranch
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alderbranch. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alderbranch
- Alderbranch is located in Anderson County
- Mound City
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- 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.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mound City
- Mound City is located in Anderson County
- Slocum
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slocum
- Slocum is located in Anderson County
- Crystal Lake
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Crystal Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lake
- Crystal Lake is located in Anderson County
- Kossuth
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kossuth. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kossuth
- Kossuth is located in Anderson County
- Todd City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Todd City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Todd City
- Todd City is located in Anderson County
- Neches
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Deanwright
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- 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.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deanwright
- Deanwright is located in Anderson County
- Salmon
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salmon
- Salmon is located in Anderson County
- Wells Creek
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wells Creek. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells Creek
- Wells Creek is located in Anderson County
- Angelina County
- The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- Pollok
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Redtown
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redtown
- Redtown is located in Angelina County
- Durant
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Durant. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durant
- Durant is located in Angelina County
- Central
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central
- Central is located in Angelina County
- Henderson County
- Berryville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Berryville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berryville
- Berryville is located in Henderson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,066 people
- Houston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- Bluff City ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluff City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
- Bluff City is located in Houston County
- Weches
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Weches. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weches
- Weches is located in Houston County
- Tadmor
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tadmor
- Tadmor is located in Houston County
- Refuge
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Refuge
- Refuge is located in Houston County
- Belott
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belott
- Belott is located in Houston County
- Harrison Town
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrison Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrison Town
- Harrison Town is located in Houston County
- Ratcliff
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Kennard
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kennard have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kennard
- Kennard is located in Houston County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 325 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kennard <2>
- Grapeland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hagerville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hagerville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hagerville
- Hagerville is located in Houston County
- Hickory Creek
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Creek
- Hickory Creek is located in Houston County
- Fog Town
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fog Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fog Town
- Fog Town is located in Houston County
- Nacogdoches County
- The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- Dextra
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dextra. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dextra
- Dextra is located in Nacogdoches County
- Sacul
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sacul have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sacul
- Sacul is located in Nacogdoches County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sacul <2>
- Douglass
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Cushing
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cushing have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushing
- Cushing is located in Nacogdoches County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 614 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cushing <2>
- Looneyville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Looneyville
- Looneyville is located in Nacogdoches County
- Nat
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nat
- Nat is located in Nacogdoches County
- Trawick
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Trawick. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trawick
- Trawick is located in Nacogdoches County
- Alazan
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alazan
- Alazan is located in Nacogdoches County
- Redfield
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redfield
- Redfield is located in Nacogdoches County
- Nacogdoches
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Rusk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- New Salem
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Salem
- New Salem is located in Rusk County
- Sulphur Springs
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sulphur Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sulphur Springs
- Sulphur Springs is located in Rusk County
- Laneville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Oak Flats
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Flats
- Oak Flats is located in Rusk County
- Mount Enterprise
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Price
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Price have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Price
- Price is located in Rusk County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Price <2>
- Minden
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minden have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minden
- Minden is located in Rusk County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Minden <2>
- Smith County
- The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- Sinclair City
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sinclair City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair City
- Sinclair City is located in Smith County
- Teaselville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teaselville
- Teaselville is located in Smith County
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Salem, see our County-by-County Page for Salem.
Cemeteries Near Salem ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Salem.
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 Salem covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- Salem Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Salem Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Salem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Weems Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Weems Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Weems Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Mosley Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mosley Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mosley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Cedar Hill Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Hill Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Nelson Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nelson Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nelson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Russell Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Russell Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Russell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Russell Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Russell Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Russell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Kilgore Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kilgore Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kilgore Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Bradford Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bradford Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bradford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Old Prison Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Prison Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Prison Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Hogg Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hogg Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hogg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Macedonia Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Macedonia Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Macedonia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (320 more) ...
- Meredith Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Meredith Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Meredith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- State Hospital Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the State Hospital Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the State Hospital Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Parks Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Parks Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Parks 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>
While we didn't find Salem in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Salem.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
- New Birmingham ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Birmingham. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Birmingham
- New Birmingham is located in Cherokee County
- Rusk
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Alto
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Linwood
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Linwood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linwood
- Linwood is located in Cherokee County
- Lone Star
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lone Star have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Star
- Lone Star is located in Cherokee County
- Weches
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Weches. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weches
- Weches is located in Houston County
- Douglass
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Jacksonville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- New Salem
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Salem
- New Salem is located in Rusk County
- Looneyville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Looneyville
- Looneyville is located in Nacogdoches County
- Forest
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest
- Forest is located in Cherokee County
- Alderbranch
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alderbranch. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alderbranch
- Alderbranch is located in Anderson County
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Augusta
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Augusta have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Augusta
- Augusta is located in Houston County
- Glenfawn
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glenfawn have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenfawn
- Glenfawn is located in Rusk County
- Griffin
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Griffin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griffin
- Griffin is located in Cherokee County
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Salem. See our List of 1890's Communities around Salem.
Newspapers Published in Salem ...
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 41 newspapers that have been published in the area around Salem.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Salem, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Salem.
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 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 Salem:
- Websites specific to Texas
- Pages specific to Cherokee County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Anderson County
- Angelina County
- Henderson County
- Houston County
- Nacogdoches County
- Rusk County
- Smith County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Texas
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Salem. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | 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. |
<2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<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 Salem, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Salem) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Salem. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.7602, Longitude: -95.1386 In this case, the coordinates for Salem have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |