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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 Santa Anna (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 Santa Anna. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Santa Anna is located in Coleman 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 Coleman County: Brown, Callahan, Concho, McCulloch, Runnels & Taylor.

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

  • Coleman County     (The home county of Santa Anna)
  • Brown County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Santa Anna, with the one closest to Santa Anna listed first.
    • Fry ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fry. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fry
      • Fry is located in Brown County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fry
      • From Santa Anna to Fry
    • Bangs
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bangs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bangs
      • Bangs is located in Brown County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,504 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bangs <1>
    • Brookesmith
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Lake Brownwood
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Brownwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Brownwood
      • Lake Brownwood is located in Brown County
    • Brownwood
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownwood
      • Brownwood is located in Brown County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,208 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brownwood <1>
    • Early
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Ricker ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ricker have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ricker
      • Ricker is located in Brown County
    • Cross Cut
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Indian Creek
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Keys Crossing
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • May
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for May have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for May
      • May is located in Brown County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for May <1>
  • Callahan County
  • McCulloch County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Santa Anna, with the one closest to Santa Anna listed first.
    • Waldrip
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Waldrip. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldrip
      • Waldrip is located in McCulloch County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Waldrip
      • From Santa Anna to Waldrip
    • Doole ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doole have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doole
      • Doole is located in McCulloch County
    • Lohn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lohn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lohn
      • Lohn is located in McCulloch County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lohn <1>
  • Mills County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Santa Anna, with the one closest to Santa Anna listed first.
    • Ebony ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ebony. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ebony
      • Ebony is located in Mills County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ebony
      • From Santa Anna to Ebony
    • Buffalo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buffalo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo
      • Buffalo is located in Mills County
  • San Saba County

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

Cemeteries Near Santa Anna ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Santa Anna.

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

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

  • Coleman Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Salem Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mukewater Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mukewater Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mukewater Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mud Creek Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mud Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mud Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brown Ranch Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brown Ranch Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brown Ranch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Walker Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stewardson Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stewardson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stewardson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • McDaniel Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McDaniel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McDaniel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Five Ashes Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Five Ashes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Five Ashes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clear Creek Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clear Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clear Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Valera Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (60 more) ...
    • Valera Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Panther Creek Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Panther Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Panther Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Voss Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Voss Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Voss Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Santa Anna had a population of 468 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Santa Anna had a population of 1,004 people.

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

  • Coleman
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Trickham
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Bangs
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bangs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bangs
    • Bangs is located in Brown County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,504 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bangs <1>
  • Thrifty
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thrifty have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thrifty
    • Thrifty is located in Brown County
  • Valera
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valera have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valera
    • Valera is located in Coleman County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Valera <1>
  • Rockwood
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Burkett
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Silver Valley
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Valley
    • Silver Valley is located in Coleman County
  • Brownwood
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownwood
    • Brownwood is located in Brown County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,208 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brownwood <1>
  • Glen Cove
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Glen Cove. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Cove
    • Glen Cove is located in Coleman County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Glen Cove
    • From Santa Anna to Glen Cove
  • Waldrip
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Waldrip. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldrip
    • Waldrip is located in McCulloch County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Waldrip
    • From Santa Anna to Waldrip
  • Talpa
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Ricker ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ricker have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ricker
      • Ricker is located in Brown County
    • Cross Cut
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Milburn
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milburn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milburn
      • Milburn is located in McCulloch County

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

Newspapers Published in Santa Anna ...

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 5 newspapers that have been published in the area around Santa Anna.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Santa Anna, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Santa Anna.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Santa Anna:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Santa Anna. 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>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.
<3>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.
<4>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.
<5>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 Santa Anna, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Santa Anna) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Santa Anna. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.7422, Longitude: -99.3222    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025