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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 Tenaha (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 Tenaha. 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/Parishes ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties/parishes.

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/parishes 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/parishes, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Tenaha is located in Shelby 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 Shelby County: De Soto (LA), Sabine (LA), Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine & San Augustine.

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

  • Shelby County     (The home county of Tenaha)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tenaha, with the one closest to Tenaha listed first.
    • Timpson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timpson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timpson
      • Timpson is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,130 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Timpson <2>
    • Center
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Joaquin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Joaquin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joaquin
      • Joaquin is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 793 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Joaquin <2>
    • Haslam
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Africa ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Africa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Africa
      • Africa is located in Shelby County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Africa
      • From Tenaha to Africa
    • Arcadia
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Campti
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Short
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Short. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Short
      • Short is located in Shelby County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Short
      • From Tenaha to Short
    • Shelbyville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shelbyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelbyville
      • Shelbyville is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shelbyville <2>
    • Choice
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Huxley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huxley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huxley
      • Huxley is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 376 people
  • Harrison County
  • Nacogdoches County
  • Panola County
  • Rusk County
  • San Augustine County
  • Caddo Parish (LA)
  • De Soto Parish (LA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Tenaha, with the one closest to Tenaha listed first.
    • Logansport
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Logansport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Logansport
      • Logansport is located in De Soto Parish (LA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,546 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Logansport <2>
    • Stanley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stanley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanley
      • Stanley is located in De Soto Parish (LA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 116 people
    • Longstreet
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Longstreet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longstreet
      • Longstreet is located in De Soto Parish (LA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Longstreet <2>
    • Keachi
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Keachi have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keachi
      • Keachi is located in De Soto Parish (LA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 300 people
    • Screamerville ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Grand Cane
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Gloster
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gloster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gloster
      • Gloster is located in De Soto Parish (LA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gloster <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Tenaha ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Tenaha.

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

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

  • Restland Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Restland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Restland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Union Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bobo Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bobo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bobo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hayden Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hayden Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hayden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lone Oak Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lone Oak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lone Oak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woods Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woods Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woods Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tennessee Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Cedar Yard Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Yard Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Yard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shady Grove Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Newburn Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Newburn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Newburn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Blunt Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blunt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blunt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (213 more) ...
    • North Jericho Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Jericho Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Jericho Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Mt. Gillion Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Gillion Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Gillion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Smith Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Tenaha had a population of 613 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Tenaha had a population of 1,134 people.

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

  • Woods
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Woods. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woods
    • Woods is located in Panola County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Woods
    • From Tenaha to Woods
  • Timpson
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timpson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timpson
    • Timpson is located in Shelby County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,130 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Timpson <2>
  • Huber
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huber have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huber
    • Huber is located in Shelby County
  • Center
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Joaquin
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Joaquin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joaquin
    • Joaquin is located in Shelby County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 793 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Joaquin <2>
  • Logansport
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Logansport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Logansport
    • Logansport is located in De Soto Parish (LA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,546 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Logansport <2>
  • Deadwood
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deadwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deadwood
    • Deadwood is located in Panola County
  • Short
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Short. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Short
    • Short is located in Shelby County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Short
    • From Tenaha to Short
  • Carthage
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Shelbyville
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shelbyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelbyville
    • Shelbyville is located in Shelby County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shelbyville <2>
  • Garrison
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Caledonia
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Delray
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Delray. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delray
      • Delray is located in Panola County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Delray
      • From Tenaha to Delray
    • Fitze
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fitze. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitze
      • Fitze is located in Nacogdoches County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fitze
      • From Tenaha to Fitze
    • Longstreet
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Longstreet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longstreet
      • Longstreet is located in De Soto Parish (LA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Longstreet <2>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Tenaha ...

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 42 newspapers that have been published in the area around Tenaha.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Tenaha. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Tenaha and those printed in the larger area surrounding Tenaha.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5> of Tenaha.

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 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 Tenaha:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Tenaha. 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>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 Tenaha, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Tenaha) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Tenaha. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.9440, Longitude: -94.2441    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025