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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 South Hanlon (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 South Hanlon. 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 South Hanlon ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for South Hanlon: S. Hanlon

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 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.

South Hanlon is located in Stephens 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 Stephens County: Callahan, Eastland, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Throckmorton & Young.

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

  • Stephens County     (The home county of South Hanlon)
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Hanlon, with the one closest to South Hanlon listed first.
    • Breckenridge
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Breckenridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breckenridge
      • Breckenridge is located in Stephens County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,400 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Breckenridge <2>
    • Wayland
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wayland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wayland
      • Wayland is located in Stephens County
    • Necessity
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Necessity
      • Necessity is located in Stephens County
    • Eolian
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eolian
      • Eolian is located in Stephens County
    • Caddo
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Gunsight ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gunsight
      • Gunsight is located in Stephens County
    • La Casa ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Casa
      • La Casa is located in Stephens County
    • Eureka
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eureka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
      • Eureka is located in Stephens County
  • Callahan County
    • Putnam
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Eastland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Hanlon, with the one closest to South Hanlon listed first.
    • Ranger
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ranger. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ranger
      • Ranger is located in Eastland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,354 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ranger <2>
    • Eastland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Olden
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Cisco
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cisco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cisco
      • Cisco is located in Eastland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,850 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cisco <2>
    • Mangum ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mangum have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mangum
      • Mangum is located in Eastland County
  • Erath County
  • Palo Pinto County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Hanlon, with the one closest to South Hanlon listed first.
    • Strawn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Mingus
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mingus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mingus
      • Mingus is located in Palo Pinto County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 256 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mingus <2>
  • Shackelford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Hanlon, with the one closest to South Hanlon listed first.
    • Moran
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moran have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moran
      • Moran is located in Shackelford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moran <2>
    • Fort Griffin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Griffin
      • Fort Griffin is located in Shackelford County
    • Albany
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Albany have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albany
      • Albany is located in Shackelford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,958 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Albany <2>
  • Throckmorton County
    • Woodson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodson
      • Woodson is located in Throckmorton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 237 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Woodson <2>
  • Young County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Hanlon, with the one closest to South Hanlon listed first.
    • Eliasville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eliasville
      • Eliasville is located in Young County
    • Murray
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murray
      • Murray is located in Young County
    • South Bend
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Bunger
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunger
      • Bunger is located in Young County

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

Cemeteries Near South Hanlon ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of South Hanlon.

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

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

  • Breckenridge Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Post Oak Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Post Oak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Post Oak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Picketville Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Picketville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Picketville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hart Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St.s Rest Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St.s Rest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St.s Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Moon Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brushy Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brushy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brushy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Buck Mtn. Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Buck Mtn. Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Buck Mtn. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Harpersville Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harpersville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harpersville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Swenson Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swenson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swenson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Plum Branch Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Plum Branch Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Plum Branch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shady Grove Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shady Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shady Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (72 more) ...
    • Yellow Fork Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Yellow Fork Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Yellow Fork Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Battle Creek Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Battle Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Battle Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Baker Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baker Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 South Hanlon in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of South Hanlon.

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

  • Breckenridge
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Breckenridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breckenridge
    • Breckenridge is located in Stephens County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,400 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Breckenridge <2>
  • Wayland
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wayland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wayland
    • Wayland is located in Stephens County
  • Eolian
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eolian
    • Eolian is located in Stephens County
  • Gunsight ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gunsight
    • Gunsight is located in Stephens County
  • Caddo
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • La Casa ‑ Historic
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Casa
    • La Casa is located in Stephens County
  • Eliasville
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eliasville
    • Eliasville is located in Young County
  • Tiffin
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tiffin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tiffin
    • Tiffin is located in Eastland County
  • Ranger
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ranger. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ranger
    • Ranger is located in Eastland County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,354 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ranger <2>
  • Eastland
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Olden
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Murray
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murray
    • Murray is located in Young County
  • Continue List   (5 more) ...
    • South Bend
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Cisco
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cisco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cisco
      • Cisco is located in Eastland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,850 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cisco <2>
    • Fort Griffin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Griffin
      • Fort Griffin is located in Shackelford County

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

Newspapers Published in South Hanlon ...

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 55 newspapers that have been published in the area around South Hanlon.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of South Hanlon, 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 South Hanlon.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we 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 South Hanlon:

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

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 South Hanlon, 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- South Hanlon) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in South Hanlon. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.7276, Longitude: -98.8778       In this case, the coordinates for South Hanlon have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025