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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 Simms (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 Simms. 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 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.

Simms is located in Bowie 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 Bowie County: Little River (AR), Miller (AR), McCurtain (OK), Cass, Morris & Red River.

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

  • Bowie County     (The home county of Simms)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simms, with the one closest to Simms listed first.
    • Bassett
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Bassett is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassett
    • Carbondale
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Carbondale is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbondale
    • Boston
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Boston is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boston
    • Maud
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Maud is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maud
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,063 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maud <1>
    • New Boston
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Dalby Springs
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Dalby Springs is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dalby Springs
    • De Kalb
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Redwater
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Hooks
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Victory City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Victory City is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victory City
    • Leary
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Leary is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leary
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 502 people
    • Redbank
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Redbank is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redbank
    • Nash
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Nash is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nash
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,781 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nash <1>
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simms, with the one closest to Simms listed first.
    • Bryans Mill
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Bryans Mill is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryans Mill
    • Marietta
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Douglassville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Red Hill
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Red Hill is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill
    • Domino
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Domino is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Domino
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
    • Springdale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Springdale is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
    • Linden
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Queen City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Hughes Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Atlanta
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Bivins
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Bloomburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Morris County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simms, with the one closest to Simms listed first.
    • Naples
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Naples is located in Morris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naples
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,305 people
      • Former name for Naples:
      • Station Belden
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Naples <1>
    • Omaha
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Rocky Branch
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Rocky Branch is located in Morris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky Branch
    • Daingerfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Cason
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jenkins
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jenkins is located in Morris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jenkins
    • Lone Star
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Red River County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simms, with the one closest to Simms listed first.
    • Avery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Avery is located in Red River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avery
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 454 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avery <1>
    • Boxelder
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Boxelder is located in Red River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boxelder
    • English
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • English is located in Red River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for English
    • Annona
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Titus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simms, with the one closest to Simms listed first.
    • Cookville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Mount Pleasant
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Green Hill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Green Hill is located in Titus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Hill
  • Little River County (AR)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Simms, with the one closest to Simms listed first.
    • Foreman
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Foreman is located in Little River County (AR)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foreman
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 922 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Foreman <1>
    • Richmond
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Richmond is located in Little River County (AR)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richmond
  • Miller County (AR)
    • Texarkana
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Simms ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Simms.

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

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

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

  • Old Union Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Morris Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • McWright Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Powell Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Irby Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Berry Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Barfield Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Shipp Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shipp Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Shipp Cemetery is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<2> to the southwest of Boston.
    • The Shipp Cemetery has also been known as:
    • McCright Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2297203 <3>
  • Cedar Grove Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Pleasant Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Mt. Obie Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Harris Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (171 more) ...
    • Hays Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Rea Hill Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Bell Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)

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, Simms had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Bassett
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Bassett is located in Bowie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassett
  • Corley
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Corley is located in Bowie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corley
  • Bryans Mill
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Bryans Mill is located in Cass County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryans Mill
  • Boston
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Boston is located in Bowie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boston
  • New Boston
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Malta
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Malta is located in Bowie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malta
  • Dalby Springs
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Dalby Springs is located in Bowie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dalby Springs
  • Marietta
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • De Kalb
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Whaley
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Whaley is located in Bowie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whaley
  • Cusseta
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Cusseta is located in Cass County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cusseta
  • Douglassville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Woodstock
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Woodstock is located in Bowie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodstock
    • Hooks
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Lydia
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Lydia is located in Red River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lydia

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

Newspapers Published in Simms ...

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 47 newspapers that have been published in the area around Simms.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Simms, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Simms.

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 Simms:

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 drawn from Point A (ie- Simms) 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 Simms, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.