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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 Sunshine (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 Sunshine. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Sunshine is located in Hamilton County.

To see how the shape of Texas' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Hamilton County: Bosque, Comanche, Coryell, Erath, Lampasas & Mills.

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

  • Hamilton County     (The home county of Sunshine)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sunshine, with the one closest to Sunshine listed first.
    • Spurlin ‑ Historic
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Spurlin is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spurlin
    • Carlton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Hico
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Hico is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hico
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,437 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hico <1>
    • Agee ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Agee is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Agee
    • Hamilton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Lanham
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Lanham is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanham
    • Pottsville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Whiteway
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Whiteway is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whiteway
      • Whiteway has also been known as:
      • White Way
    • Ohio ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Ohio is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ohio
    • Slab Crossing ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Slab Crossing is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slab Crossing
    • McGirk ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • McGirk is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGirk
  • Bosque County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sunshine, with the one closest to Sunshine listed first.
    • Iredell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Cranfills Gap
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Walnut Springs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Norse
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Norse is located in Bosque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norse
    • Meridian
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Comanche County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sunshine, with the one closest to Sunshine listed first.
    • Wilson
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Wilson is located in Comanche County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson
    • Energy
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Ararat ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Ararat is located in Comanche County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ararat
    • Gustine
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Proctor
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Newburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Newburg is located in Comanche County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newburg
    • Comyn
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Comyn is located in Comanche County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comyn
    • Comanche
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • De Leon
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Coryell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sunshine, with the one closest to Sunshine listed first.
    • Ireland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Ireland is located in Coryell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ireland
    • Jonesboro
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Evant
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Levita
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Levita is located in Coryell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levita
    • Purmela
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Turnersville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Turnersville is located in Coryell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turnersville
  • Erath County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sunshine, with the one closest to Sunshine listed first.
    • Clairette
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Clairette is located in Erath County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clairette
    • Alexander
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Alexander is located in Erath County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexander
    • Duffau
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Duffau is located in Erath County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duffau
    • Dublin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Harbin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Harbin is located in Erath County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbin
    • Stephenville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Chalk Mountain
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Chalk Mountain is located in Erath County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalk Mountain
    • Bunyan
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Bunyan is located in Erath County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunyan
    • Lingleville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Mills County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sunshine, with the one closest to Sunshine listed first.
    • Priddy
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Star
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Somervell County
    • Glass
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Glass is located in Somervell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glass

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

Cemeteries Near Sunshine ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sunshine.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Sunshine - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Tillinghouse Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Barnett Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Peacher Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Honey Creek Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Carlton Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Fegua Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Dry Fork Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Toliver Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Midway Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Altman Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Massingill Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Gann Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (118 more) ...
    • Turnbow Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Fairy Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • New IOOF Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>

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

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

  • Carlton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Gentrys Mill
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Gentrys Mill is located in Hamilton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gentrys Mill
  • Lamkin
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Lamkin is located in Comanche County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lamkin
  • Wilson
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Wilson is located in Comanche County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson
  • Fairy
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Fairy is located in Hamilton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairy
  • Hico
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Hico is located in Hamilton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hico
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,437 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hico <1>
  • Hamilton
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Hazeldell
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Hazeldell is located in Comanche County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazeldell
  • Alexander
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Alexander is located in Erath County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexander
  • Lanham
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Lanham is located in Hamilton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanham
  • Gustine
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Pottsville
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Duffau
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Duffau is located in Erath County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duffau
    • Shive
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Shive is located in Hamilton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shive
    • Iredell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Sunshine ...

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 63 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sunshine.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sunshine, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sunshine.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Sunshine:

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 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.
<3>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 Sunshine, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Sunshine) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.