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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 Blue Spring (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 Blue Spring. 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 Blue Spring ...

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.

Another variation: Bluespring.

  • A typical abbreviation for Blue Spring: Blue Spg. (or less commonly used: Blue Spng. or Blue Sprng.)

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 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.

Blue Spring is located in Randolph County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Randolph County: Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Tucker, Upshur & Webster.

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

  • Randolph County     (The home county of Blue Spring)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Spring, with the one closest to Blue Spring listed first.
    • Monterville
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Mingo
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Elkwater
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkwater
      • Elkwater is located in Randolph County
    • Pickens
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Lee Bell
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lee Bell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Bell
      • Lee Bell is located in Randolph County
    • Helvetia
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Huttonsville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Mill Creek
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mill Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Creek
      • Mill Creek is located in Randolph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
    • Cassity
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cassity have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cassity
      • Cassity is located in Randolph County
    • Beverly
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Womelsdorf
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Womelsdorf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Womelsdorf
      • Womelsdorf is located in Randolph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 235 people
    • Canfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canfield
      • Canfield is located in Randolph County
    • Elkins
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Braxton County
    • Falls Mill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falls Mill
      • Falls Mill is located in Braxton County
  • Lewis County
    • Crawford
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crawford
      • Crawford is located in Lewis County
  • Nicholas County
  • Pocahontas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Spring, with the one closest to Blue Spring listed first.
    • Slaty Fork
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Cass
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Durbin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Durbin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durbin
      • Durbin is located in Pocahontas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 297 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Durbin <1>
    • Sitlington
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sitlington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sitlington
      • Sitlington is located in Pocahontas County
    • Frank
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frank
      • Frank is located in Pocahontas County
    • Arbovale
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Green Bank
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Edray
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edray
      • Edray is located in Pocahontas County
    • Onoto
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onoto
      • Onoto is located in Pocahontas County
    • Thornwood
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thornwood
      • Thornwood is located in Pocahontas County
    • Thorny Creek
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorny Creek
      • Thorny Creek is located in Pocahontas County
    • Wildell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wildell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildell
      • Wildell is located in Pocahontas County
    • Marlinton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marlinton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlinton
      • Marlinton is located in Pocahontas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 956 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marlinton <1>
  • Upshur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Spring, with the one closest to Blue Spring listed first.
    • Goshen
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
      • Goshen is located in Upshur County
    • Alton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
      • Alton is located in Upshur County
    • Beans Mill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beans Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beans Mill
      • Beans Mill is located in Upshur County
    • Kanawha Head
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kanawha Head have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanawha Head
      • Kanawha Head is located in Upshur County
    • Queens
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Queens
      • Queens is located in Upshur County
    • Tenmile
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tenmile have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenmile
      • Tenmile is located in Upshur County
    • Wilsontown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilsontown
      • Wilsontown is located in Upshur County
    • Rock Cave
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Cave
      • Rock Cave is located in Upshur County
    • Hoover Town
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hoover Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoover Town
      • Hoover Town is located in Upshur County
    • Adrian
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adrian
      • Adrian is located in Upshur County
    • Sago
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sago
      • Sago is located in Upshur County
    • Sand Run
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sand Run have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Run
      • Sand Run is located in Upshur County
    • Frenchton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenchton
      • Frenchton is located in Upshur County
  • Webster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Blue Spring, with the one closest to Blue Spring listed first.
    • Hacker Valley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Addison
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Addison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison
      • Addison is located in Webster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 660 people
    • Big Run
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Run
      • Big Run is located in Webster County
    • Cleveland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Excelsior
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Excelsior
      • Excelsior is located in Webster County
    • Replete
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Replete have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Replete
      • Replete is located in Webster County
    • Upperglade
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upperglade
      • Upperglade is located in Webster County
    • Halo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Halo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halo
      • Halo is located in Webster County
    • Cowen
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Erbacon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erbacon
      • Erbacon is located in Webster County
    • Welch Glade
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welch Glade
      • Welch Glade is located in Webster County
    • Camden-on-Gauley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Camden-on-Gauley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camden-on-Gauley
      • Camden-on-Gauley is located in Webster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
  • Highland County (VA)
    • Monterey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monterey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monterey
      • Monterey is located in Highland County (VA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 136 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monterey <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Blue Spring ...

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 7 newspapers that have been published in the area around Blue Spring.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Blue Spring, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Blue Spring.

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 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 Blue Spring:

Cemeteries Near Blue Spring ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Blue Spring.

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

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

  • Cowger Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cowger Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cowger Cemetery
  • Stainaker Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stainaker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stainaker Cemetery
  • Ware Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ware Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ware Cemetery
  • Simmons Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Simmons Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Simmons Cemetery
  • Varner Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Varner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Varner Cemetery
  • Hicks Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hicks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hicks Cemetery
  • Pickens Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pickens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pickens Cemetery
  • Meadowland Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Meadowland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Meadowland Cemetery
  • Pt. Mountain Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pt. Mountain Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pt. Mountain Cemetery
  • Hannah Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hannah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hannah Cemetery
  • Gibson Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gibson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gibson Cemetery
  • Hilltop Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hilltop Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hilltop Cemetery
  • Continue List   (129 more) ...
    • Old Brick Church Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Brick Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Brick Church Cemetery
    • Laurel Fork Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Laurel Fork Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Laurel Fork Cemetery
    • Helvetia Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Helvetia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Helvetia 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Blue Spring had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Monterville
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Valley Head
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valley Head have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Head
    • Valley Head is located in Randolph County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Valley Head <1>
  • Elkwater
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkwater
    • Elkwater is located in Randolph County
  • Pickens
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Florence ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Florence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
    • Florence is located in Randolph County
  • Bergoo
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bergoo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bergoo
    • Bergoo is located in Webster County
  • Woodzell
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodzell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodzell
    • Woodzell is located in Webster County
  • Lee Bell
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lee Bell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Bell
    • Lee Bell is located in Randolph County
  • Helvetia
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Bernardstown
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bernardstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bernardstown
    • Bernardstown is located in Webster County
  • Ralph
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ralph have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ralph
    • Ralph is located in Webster County
  • Huttonsville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Mayton ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mayton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayton
      • Mayton is located in Webster County
    • Jumbo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jumbo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jumbo
      • Jumbo is located in Webster County
    • Palace Valley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palace Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palace Valley
      • Palace Valley is located in Upshur County

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

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

The official website for State of West Virginia: https://www.wv.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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Blue Spring) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Blue Spring. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.5368, Longitude: -80.1123       In this case, the coordinates for Blue Spring have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Blue Spring, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024