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 Fort Fairfield (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 Fort Fairfield. 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 Fort Fairfield ...

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 Fort Fairfield: Ft. Fairfield

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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors 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.

Fort Fairfield is located in Aroostook County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Aroostook County: Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset & Washington.

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

• Aroostook County     (The home county of Fort Fairfield)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Fairfield, with the one closest to Fort Fairfield listed first.
  • Morris Corner
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morris Corner
    • Morris Corner is located in Aroostook County
  • Grimes Mill
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grimes Mill
    • Grimes Mill is located in Aroostook County
  • Hurd
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hurd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurd
    • Hurd is located in Aroostook County
  • McGraw
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGraw
    • McGraw is located in Aroostook County
    • McGraw has also been known as:
    • McGraw Siding
  • Somers Corner
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somers Corner
    • Somers Corner is located in Aroostook County
  • Limestone
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limestone have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
    • Limestone is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,164 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Limestone <2>
  • Caribou
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caribou have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caribou
    • Caribou is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,622 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caribou <2>
  • Easton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Easton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
    • Easton is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,177 people
  • Presque Isle
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Presque Isle
    • Presque Isle is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,950 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Presque Isle <2>
  • Barretts
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barretts
    • Barretts is located in Aroostook County
  • Crouseville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crouseville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crouseville
    • Crouseville is located in Aroostook County
  • Adaline
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adaline
    • Adaline is located in Aroostook County
  • North Lyndon
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Lyndon
    • North Lyndon is located in Aroostook County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Fort Fairfield ...

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 23 newspapers that have been published in the area around Fort Fairfield.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

• A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Fort Fairfield. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Fort Fairfield and those printed in the larger area surrounding Fort Fairfield.
• An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 18 miles [29 km]<3> of Fort Fairfield.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Fort Fairfield:

• Websites specific to Maine
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Website for the Maine State Archives

• Pages specific to Aroostook County
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Genealogy information for nearby counties

• Cemetery Information and Directories for Maine
  • Cemetery Junction: Cemeteries of Maine
  • Cyndi's List
  • Cemeteries of Maine
  • Cemeteries of Aroostook County
  • FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Maine
  • Find-A-Grave: Home Page
  • Interment.net
  • Cemeteries of Maine
  • Cemeteries of Aroostook County

Cemeteries Near Fort Fairfield ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Fort Fairfield.

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

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

• First St. Denis Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the First St. Denis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the First St. Denis Cemetery
• St. Denis Catholic Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Denis Catholic Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the north of Fort Fairfield.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Denis Catholic Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1463248 <4>
• Original Riverside Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the Original Riverside Cemetery is located outside and to the north of Fort Fairfield.
  • The Original Riverside Cemetery has also been known as:
  • Houghton Burial Ground
  • Riverside Cemetery
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Original Riverside Cemetery
• Harvey Hill Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harvey Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harvey Hill Cemetery
• Riverside Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverside Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90465 <4>
• Mayflower Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mayflower Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mayflower Cemetery
• Old Catholic Cemetery
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Catholic Cemetery
• Green Ridge Cemetery
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Ridge Cemetery
• Dyer Farm Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dyer Farm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dyer Farm Cemetery
• Doyle Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Doyle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Doyle Cemetery
• Walton Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walton Cemetery
• Bean Family Cemetery
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • The Bean Family Cemetery has also been known as:
  • Bean Cemetery
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bean Family Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2506149 <4>
• Continue List   (125 more) ...
  • Beans Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beans Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beans Cemetery
  • Knight Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Knight Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Knight Cemetery
  • Pine Tree Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Tree Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Tree Church Cemetery

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 Fort Fairfield had a population of 1,500 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Fort Fairfield had a population of 3,278 people.

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

• Maple Grove
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maple Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Grove
  • Maple Grove is located in Aroostook County
• Parkhurst
  (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parkhurst have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkhurst
  • Parkhurst is located in Aroostook County
• Roberts
  (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roberts have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts
  • Roberts is located in Aroostook County
• East Lyndon
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Lyndon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Lyndon
  • East Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
• Hurd
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hurd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurd
  • Hurd is located in Aroostook County
• Easton
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Easton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
  • Easton is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,177 people
• Limestone
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limestone have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
  • Limestone is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,164 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Limestone <2>
• Caribou
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caribou have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caribou
  • Caribou is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,622 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caribou <2>
• Presque Isle
  (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Presque Isle
  • Presque Isle is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,950 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Presque Isle <2>
• Westfield
  (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westfield
  • Westfield is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 505 people
• North Lyndon
  (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Lyndon
  • North Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
• Washburn
  (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Washburn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washburn
  • Washburn is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,533 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Washburn <2>
• Continue List   (14 more) ...
  • Mapleton
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mapleton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mapleton
    • Mapleton is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,824 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mapleton <2>
  • Caswell
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caswell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caswell
    • Caswell is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
  • Mars Hill
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mars Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mars Hill
    • Mars Hill is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,461 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mars Hill <2>

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

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Fort Fairfield: www.fortfairfield.org/

The official website for Aroostook County: www.aroostook.me.us/

The official website for State of Maine: https://www.maine.gov/