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

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 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.

Salem is located in Victoria 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 Victoria County: Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca & Refugio.

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:

  • Victoria County     (The home county of Salem)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
    • Telferner
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Inez
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Nursery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Victoria
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Hughes ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Hughes is located in Victoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hughes
    • Dacosta
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Dacosta is located in Victoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dacosta
    • Aloe
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Aloe is located in Victoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aloe
    • Placedo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Coletoville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Coletoville is located in Victoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coletoville
    • Bloomington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Oak Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Oak Village is located in Victoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Village
    • McFaddin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
    • Kamey
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Kamey is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kamey
    • Heyser
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Heyser is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heyser
    • Point Comfort
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Colorado County
    • Provident City ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Provident City is located in Colorado County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Provident City
  • DeWitt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
    • Thomaston
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Terryville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Terryville is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terryville
    • Cuero
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Edgar
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Edgar is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgar
    • Meyersville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Yoakum
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Pearl City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Pearl City is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearl City
  • Goliad County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
    • Cologne
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Cologne is located in Goliad County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cologne
      • Former names for Cologne:
      • Centerville
      • Ira Station
      • Perdido
    • Kilgore
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Kilgore is located in Goliad County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kilgore
    • Ander
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Ander is located in Goliad County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ander
    • Fannin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Weser
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Weser is located in Goliad County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weser
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
    • Morales
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Morales is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morales
    • Matilda
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Matilda is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matilda
    • Edna
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Edna is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edna
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,755 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Edna <1>
    • La Salle
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Vanderbilt
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Ganado
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Lolita
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • La Ward
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Lavaca County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Salem, with the one closest to Salem listed first.
    • Hope
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Hope is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
    • Ezzell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Ezzell is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ezzell
    • Speaks
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Sweet Home
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)

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.

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

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.

  • Bischoff Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Fordtran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Hirchhauser Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • McHenry Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Cox Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Farrer Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Knopp Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Oliver Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Terrell Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Nursery Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Memory Gardens Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Edwards Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (107 more) ...
    • Harrison Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Kerr Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Gideon Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 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.<2>

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.

  • Inez
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Navidad
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Navidad is located in Jackson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navidad
  • Nursery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • El Toro
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • El Toro is located in Jackson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Toro
  • Victoria
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Morales
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Morales is located in Jackson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morales
  • Thomaston
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Edna
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Edna is located in Jackson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edna
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,755 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Edna <1>
  • Guadalupe
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Guadalupe is located in Victoria County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guadalupe
  • Hope
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Hope is located in Lavaca County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
  • Terryville
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Terryville is located in DeWitt County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terryville
  • Mission Valley
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Mission Valley is located in Victoria County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Valley
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Aloe
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Aloe is located in Victoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aloe
    • Stratton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Stratton is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stratton
    • Ezzell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Ezzell is located in Lavaca County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ezzell

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 38 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 25 miles [40.2 km]<3>. 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:

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>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.
<3>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- Salem) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.