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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 Smelter Town (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 Smelter Town. 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 Smelter Town ...

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 have occurred.

Another variation: Smeltertown.

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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Smelter Town is located in El Paso 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 El Paso County: Dona Ana (NM), Otero (NM) & Hudspeth.

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

  • El Paso County     (The home county of Smelter Town)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smelter Town, with the one closest to Smelter Town listed first.
    • El Paso
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Fort Bliss
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Bliss
      • Fort Bliss is located in El Paso County
    • Prado Verde
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prado Verde have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prado Verde
      • Prado Verde is located in El Paso County
    • Canutillo
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Vinton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vinton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vinton
      • Vinton is located in El Paso County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vinton <1>
    • Westway
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westway
      • Westway is located in El Paso County
    • Anthony
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anthony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anthony
      • Anthony is located in El Paso County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,257 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Anthony <1>
    • Belen
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Belen. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belen
      • Belen is located in El Paso County
    • Socorro
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Socorro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Socorro
      • Socorro is located in El Paso County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 35,883 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Socorro <1>
    • Sparks
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sparks
      • Sparks is located in El Paso County
    • Homestead Meadows
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Homestead Meadows have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homestead Meadows
      • Homestead Meadows is located in El Paso County
    • Horizon City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horizon City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horizon City
      • Horizon City is located in El Paso County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 20,257 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Horizon City <1>
  • Dona Ana County (NM)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smelter Town, with the one closest to Smelter Town listed first.
    • Sunland Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunland Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunland Park
      • Sunland Park is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,449 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sunland Park <1>
    • Santa Teresa
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Santa Teresa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santa Teresa
      • Santa Teresa is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Santa Teresa <1>
    • La Union
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Union
      • La Union is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
    • Anthony
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Chaparral
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chaparral have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chaparral
      • Chaparral is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
    • Chamberino
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamberino
      • Chamberino is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
    • Berino
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Lanark ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lanark. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanark
      • Lanark is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
    • Vado
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vado have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vado
      • Vado is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vado <1>
    • La Mesa
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Mesquite
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mesquite have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mesquite
      • Mesquite is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mesquite <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Smelter Town ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Smelter Town.

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 Smelter Town covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Temple Mt. Sinai Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Concordia Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Ft. Bliss National Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Bliss National Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Bliss National Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rest Lawn Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rest Lawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rest Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Restlawn Memorial Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Canutillo Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Canutillo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Canutillo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    • The Mt. Carmel Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
  • Evergreen Cemetery East
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Chamberino Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chamberino Cemetery
    • The Chamberino Cemetery has also been known as:
    • San Luis Cemetery
  • Old Berino Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Berino Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Berino Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • San Lorenzo Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the San Lorenzo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the San Lorenzo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Josephs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Josephs 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>

While we didn't find Smelter Town in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Smelter Town.

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

  • Courchesne
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Courchesne have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Courchesne
    • Courchesne is located in El Paso County
  • El Paso
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Montoya
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montoya have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montoya
    • Montoya is located in El Paso County
  • Alfalfa
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alfalfa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alfalfa
    • Alfalfa is located in El Paso County
  • Canutillo
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Strauss ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strauss have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strauss
    • Strauss is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
  • Ysleta
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ysleta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ysleta
    • Ysleta is located in El Paso County
  • Belen
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Belen. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belen
    • Belen is located in El Paso County
  • Anthony
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • San Elizario
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Elizario have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Elizario
    • San Elizario is located in El Paso County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for San Elizario <1>
  • Lanark ‑ Historic
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lanark. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanark
    • Lanark is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
  • Clint
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clint have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clint
    • Clint is located in El Paso County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,115 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clint <1>
  • Mesquite
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mesquite have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mesquite
    • Mesquite is located in Dona Ana County (NM)
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mesquite <1>
  • Fabens
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Smelter Town ...

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 86 newspapers that have been published in the area around Smelter Town.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Smelter Town, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Smelter Town.

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 Smelter Town:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Smelter Town. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for El Paso County: www.epcounty.com/

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 Smelter Town, 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Smelter Town) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Smelter Town. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.7834, Longitude: -106.5267       In this case, the coordinates for Smelter Town have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025