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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 Smiley (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 Smiley. 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 doctors 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.

Smiley is located in Gonzales 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 Gonzales County: Bastrop, Caldwell, DeWitt, Fayette, Guadalupe, Karnes, Lavaca & Wilson.

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

  • Gonzales County     (The home county of Smiley)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smiley, with the one closest to Smiley listed first.
    • Nixon
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nixon
      • Nixon is located in Gonzales County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,508 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nixon <1>
    • Wrightsboro
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wrightsboro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrightsboro
      • Wrightsboro is located in Gonzales County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wrightsboro <1>
    • Bebe
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Leesville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Dewville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewville
      • Dewville is located in Gonzales County
    • Monthalia ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monthalia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monthalia
      • Monthalia is located in Gonzales County
    • Cost
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cost have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cost
      • Cost is located in Gonzales County
    • Cheapside
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheapside
      • Cheapside is located in Gonzales County
    • Oak Forest
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Forest have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Forest
      • Oak Forest is located in Gonzales County
    • Belmont
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Hamon
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamon
      • Hamon is located in Gonzales County
    • Gonzales
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Ottine
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ottine have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottine
      • Ottine is located in Gonzales County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ottine <1>
  • Caldwell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smiley, with the one closest to Smiley listed first.
    • Luling
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • McNeil
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNeil
      • McNeil is located in Caldwell County
  • DeWitt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smiley, with the one closest to Smiley listed first.
    • Westhoff
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Hochheim
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hochheim have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hochheim
      • Hochheim is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hochheim <1>
    • Yorktown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Pearl City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pearl City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearl City
      • Pearl City is located in DeWitt County
    • Nordheim
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nordheim have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nordheim
      • Nordheim is located in DeWitt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nordheim <1>
    • Edgar
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgar
      • Edgar is located in DeWitt County
    • Cuero
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Yoakum
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Meyersville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meyersville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meyersville
      • Meyersville is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Meyersville <1>
  • Guadalupe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smiley, with the one closest to Smiley listed first.
    • Jakes Colony
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jakes Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jakes Colony
      • Jakes Colony is located in Guadalupe County
    • Dugger
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dugger have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dugger
      • Dugger is located in Guadalupe County
    • Olmos ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olmos
      • Olmos is located in Guadalupe County
    • Sweet Home
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sweet Home have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweet Home
      • Sweet Home is located in Guadalupe County
    • Kingsbury
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Seguin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seguin
      • Seguin is located in Guadalupe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 30,165 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Seguin <1>
    • Lauback
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lauback have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lauback
      • Lauback is located in Guadalupe County
    • Morrison Falls
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morrison Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morrison Falls
      • Morrison Falls is located in Guadalupe County
    • New Berlin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Berlin
      • New Berlin is located in Guadalupe County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 626 people
    • Zipp
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Zipp have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zipp
      • Zipp is located in Guadalupe County
  • Karnes County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smiley, with the one closest to Smiley listed first.
    • Gillett
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gillett have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gillett
      • Gillett is located in Karnes County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gillett <1>
    • Ecleto
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ecleto have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ecleto
      • Ecleto is located in Karnes County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ecleto <1>
    • Flaccus ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Flaccus. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flaccus
      • Flaccus is located in Karnes County
    • Pawelekville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pawelekville
      • Pawelekville is located in Karnes County
    • Helena
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helena
      • Helena is located in Karnes County
    • Runge
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Runge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runge
      • Runge is located in Karnes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,166 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Runge <1>
    • Panna Maria
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Panna Maria
      • Panna Maria is located in Karnes County
    • Falls City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Hobson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hobson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobson
      • Hobson is located in Karnes County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hobson <1>
    • Karnes City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Karnes City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Karnes City
      • Karnes City is located in Karnes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,406 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Karnes City <1>
  • Lavaca County
    • Shiner
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Wilson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smiley, with the one closest to Smiley listed first.
    • Pandora
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Union
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Union have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
      • Union is located in Wilson County
    • Caddo
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caddo
      • Caddo is located in Wilson County
    • Nockenut
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nockenut have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nockenut
      • Nockenut is located in Wilson County
    • Denhawken
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denhawken
      • Denhawken is located in Wilson County
    • Alum
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alum
      • Alum is located in Wilson County
    • Stockdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Kosciusko
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kosciusko have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kosciusko
      • Kosciusko is located in Wilson County
    • Plummer Crossing ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plummer Crossing have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plummer Crossing
      • Plummer Crossing is located in Wilson County
    • Sutherland Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Sunnyside
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyside
      • Sunnyside is located in Wilson County
    • Grass Pond Colony ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grass Pond Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grass Pond Colony
      • Grass Pond Colony is located in Wilson County
    • La Vernia
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Smiley ...

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 78 newspapers that have been published in the area around Smiley.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Smiley. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Smiley and those printed in the larger area surrounding Smiley.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Smiley.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Smiley:

Cemeteries Near Smiley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Smiley.

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

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

  • Smiley Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Bundick Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Smiley Masonic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Clabber Town Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clabber Town Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clabber Town Cemetery
  • Nixon Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Sample Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Union Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Hill Cemetery
  • White Rancho Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the White Rancho Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the White Rancho Cemetery
  • Latin American Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Demmer Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Demmer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Demmer Cemetery
  • Billings Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Caraway Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Caraway Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Caraway Cemetery
  • Continue List   (133 more) ...
    • Antioch Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Antioch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Antioch Cemetery
    • Askey Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Askey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Askey Cemetery
    • Liberty Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Cemetery

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Smiley had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Smiley had a population of 576 people.

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

  • Wrightsboro
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wrightsboro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrightsboro
    • Wrightsboro is located in Gonzales County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wrightsboro <1>
  • Westhoff
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Leesville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Union
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Union have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
    • Union is located in Wilson County
  • Cheapside
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheapside
    • Cheapside is located in Gonzales County
  • Oak Forest
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Forest have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Forest
    • Oak Forest is located in Gonzales County
  • Nockenut
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nockenut have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nockenut
    • Nockenut is located in Wilson County
  • Belmont
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Hamon
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamon
    • Hamon is located in Gonzales County
  • Stockdale
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Concrete
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Concrete have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concrete
    • Concrete is located in DeWitt County
  • Gonzales
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Yorktown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Hochheim
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hochheim have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hochheim
      • Hochheim is located in DeWitt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hochheim <1>
    • Slayden
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Slayden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slayden
      • Slayden is located in Gonzales County

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Smiley. 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>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 from Point A (ie- Smiley) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Smiley. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.2694, Longitude: -97.6375    
<5>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.
<6>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 Smiley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024