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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 Spear (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 Spear. 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 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.

Spear is located in Brazos 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 Brazos County: Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson & Washington.

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

  • Brazos County     (The home county of Spear)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spear, with the one closest to Spear listed first.
    • College Station
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Boonville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boonville
      • Boonville is located in Brazos County
    • Bryan
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryan
      • Bryan is located in Brazos County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 88,165 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bryan <1>
    • Wellborn
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Wixon Valley
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wixon Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wixon Valley
      • Wixon Valley is located in Brazos County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 254 people
    • Rye ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rye have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rye
      • Rye is located in Brazos County
    • Millican
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Stone City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stone City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone City
      • Stone City is located in Brazos County
    • Kurten
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Tabor
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tabor
      • Tabor is located in Brazos County
    • Allen Farm
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allen Farm
      • Allen Farm is located in Brazos County
    • Edge
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edge
      • Edge is located in Brazos County
    • Navasota
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Navasota have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navasota
      • Navasota is located in Brazos County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,374 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Navasota <1>
  • Burleson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spear, with the one closest to Spear listed first.
    • Snook
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snook have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snook
      • Snook is located in Burleson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 548 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Snook <1>
    • Tunis
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunis
      • Tunis is located in Burleson County
    • Merle ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Merle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merle
      • Merle is located in Burleson County
    • Clay
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clay have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay
      • Clay is located in Burleson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clay <1>
    • Cooks Point
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Point
      • Cooks Point is located in Burleson County
    • Scofield ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scofield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scofield
      • Scofield is located in Burleson County
    • Lyons
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Somerville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Caldwell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Frenstat
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenstat
      • Frenstat is located in Burleson County
    • Chriesman
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Deanville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • San Antonio Prairie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Antonio Prairie
      • San Antonio Prairie is located in Burleson County
  • Grimes County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spear, with the one closest to Spear listed first.
    • Iola
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iola
      • Iola is located in Grimes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 433 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Iola <1>
    • Anderson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anderson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
      • Anderson is located in Grimes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 248 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Anderson <1>
    • Roans Prairie
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roans Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roans Prairie
      • Roans Prairie is located in Grimes County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roans Prairie <1>
    • Bedias
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Apolonia
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Apolonia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apolonia
      • Apolonia is located in Grimes County
    • Shiro
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Richards
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richards have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richards
      • Richards is located in Grimes County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Richards <1>
  • Leon County
    • Wealthy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wealthy
      • Wealthy is located in Leon County
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spear, with the one closest to Spear listed first.
    • Zulch ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Zulch came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zulch
      • Zulch is located in Madison County
    • North Zulch
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • George
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for George
      • George is located in Madison County
  • Milam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spear, with the one closest to Spear listed first.
    • Gause
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Port Sullivan ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Port Sullivan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Sullivan
      • Port Sullivan is located in Milam County
  • Robertson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spear, with the one closest to Spear listed first.
    • Benchley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benchley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benchley
      • Benchley is located in Robertson County
    • Mumford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mumford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mumford
      • Mumford is located in Robertson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mumford <1>
    • Wheelock
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Hearne
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hearne have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hearne
      • Hearne is located in Robertson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,340 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hearne <1>
    • Elliot
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elliot. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliot
      • Elliot is located in Robertson County
    • Franklin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Franklin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
      • Franklin is located in Robertson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,643 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Franklin <1>
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spear, with the one closest to Spear listed first.
    • Independence
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Washington ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Quarry
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quarry
      • Quarry is located in Washington County
    • Gay Hill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gay Hill
      • Gay Hill is located in Washington County
    • Whitman
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Whitman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitman
      • Whitman is located in Washington County
    • Graball ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graball have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graball
      • Graball is located in Washington County
    • Rehburg
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rehburg
      • Rehburg is located in Washington County
    • Brenham
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brenham
      • Brenham is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,736 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brenham <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Spear ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Spear.

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

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

  • College Station Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the College Station Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the College Station Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Newsome Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Newsome Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Newsome Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boonville Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boonville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boonville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Grandview Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grandview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grandview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Botts Ferry Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Botts Ferry Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Botts Ferry Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Henry Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Henry Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Henry Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Red Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Red Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Red Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Goodson Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Goodson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Goodson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rest Ever Memorial Park
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rest Ever Memorial Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Rest Ever Memorial Park is located outside and to the northwest of Bryan.
    • The Rest Ever Memorial Park has also been known as:
    • Rest Ever Memorial Cemetery
  • Stick Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stick Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (194 more) ...
    • Kizer Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kizer Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Kizer Cemetery is located outside and to the northeast of Bryan.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #4653 <5>
    • Mt. Olive Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olive Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Peach Creek Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Peach Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Peach Creek 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.<6>

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

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

  • College Station
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Wellborn
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Bryan
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryan
    • Bryan is located in Brazos County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 88,165 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bryan <1>
  • Harvey
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harvey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvey
    • Harvey is located in Brazos County
  • Tunis
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunis
    • Tunis is located in Burleson County
  • Merle ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Merle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merle
    • Merle is located in Burleson County
  • Millican
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Benchley
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benchley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benchley
    • Benchley is located in Robertson County
  • Kurten
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Tabor
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tabor
    • Tabor is located in Brazos County
  • Clay
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clay have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay
    • Clay is located in Burleson County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clay <1>
  • Keith
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Keith have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keith
    • Keith is located in Grimes County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Allen Farm
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allen Farm
      • Allen Farm is located in Brazos County
    • Mumford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mumford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mumford
      • Mumford is located in Robertson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mumford <1>
    • Cooks Point
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Point
      • Cooks Point is located in Burleson County

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

Newspapers Published in Spear ...

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 28 newspapers that have been published in the area around Spear.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Spear, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<7>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Spear.

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 Spear:

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

The official website for Brazos County: www.co.brazos.tx.us/

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>If we found a location and have questions about the accuracy of our information, we will simply say that the marker is 'in the vicinity'. We are not confident about the location and the position of our marker is only a rough guide. If we have too many doubts about the location, we will not include it in our database.
<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 Spear, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>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 from Point A (ie- Spear) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Spear. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.6016, Longitude: -96.3369       In this case, the coordinates for Spear have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025