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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 Wichita Falls (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 Wichita Falls. 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 hospitals and doctors 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.

Wichita Falls is located in Wichita County and is the County Seat.

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 Wichita County: Cotton (OK), Tillman (OK), Archer, Clay & Wilbarger.

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

  • Wichita County     (The home county of Wichita Falls)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wichita Falls, with the one closest to Wichita Falls listed first.
    • Pleasant Valley
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Valley
      • Pleasant Valley is located in Wichita County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 338 people
    • Cashion Community
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cashion Community have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cashion Community
      • Cashion Community is located in Wichita County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 360 people
    • Iowa Park
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iowa Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa Park
      • Iowa Park is located in Wichita County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,431 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Iowa Park <2>
    • Burkburnett
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burkburnett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burkburnett
      • Burkburnett is located in Wichita County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,405 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burkburnett <2>
    • Clara
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Kamay
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kamay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kamay
      • Kamay is located in Wichita County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kamay <2>
    • Electra
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Archer County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wichita Falls, with the one closest to Wichita Falls listed first.
    • Lakeside City
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakeside City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeside City
      • Lakeside City is located in Archer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,008 people
    • Holliday
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Scotland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scotland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scotland
      • Scotland is located in Archer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 482 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scotland <2>
    • Archer City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Windthorst
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Dundee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Anarene ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anarene have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anarene
      • Anarene is located in Archer County
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wichita Falls, with the one closest to Wichita Falls listed first.
    • Jolly
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Dean
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Thornberry
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Petrolia
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petrolia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrolia
      • Petrolia is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 671 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Petrolia <2>
    • Henrietta
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Byers
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Byers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Byers
      • Byers is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 454 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Byers <2>
    • Bluegrove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Joy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Cotton County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wichita Falls, with the one closest to Wichita Falls listed first.
    • Randlett
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Randlett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randlett
      • Randlett is located in Cotton County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 414 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Randlett <2>
    • Devol
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Devol have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Devol
      • Devol is located in Cotton County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Devol <2>
    • Taylor
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Taylor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylor
      • Taylor is located in Cotton County (OK)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Taylor
      • From Wichita Falls to Taylor
    • Cookietown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Temple
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Tillman County (OK)

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

Cemeteries Near Wichita Falls ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wichita Falls.

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

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

  • Riverside Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crestview Memorial Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crestview Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crestview Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lakeview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Crestview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crestview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crestview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rest Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rosemont Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rosemont Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rosemont Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bowman Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Kempner Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kempner Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kempner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evart Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Highland Memorial Gardens
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • White Hill Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the White Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the White Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (35 more) ...

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Wichita Falls had a population of 1,987 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Wichita Falls had a population of 105,405 people.

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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Wichita Falls ...

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 45 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wichita Falls.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Wichita Falls. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Wichita Falls and those printed in the larger area surrounding Wichita Falls.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<6> of Wichita Falls.

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 helpful 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 Wichita Falls:

The official website for Wichita Falls: www.ci.wichita-falls.tx.us/

The official website for Wichita County: www.co.wichita.tx.us/

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 Wichita Falls, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Wichita Falls) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Wichita Falls. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.8981, Longitude: -98.4939    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025