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 Rainbow (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 Rainbow. 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 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.
Rainbow is located in Hartford County .
To see how the shape of Connecticut's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries .
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Hartford County : Litchfield , Middlesex , New Haven , New London , Tolland & Hampden (MA) .
Below are the counties that are near Rainbow. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Rainbow:
Hartford County (The home county of Rainbow)
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Poquonock (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
Windsor Locks (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
Windsor Locks is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor Locks Population from the 2020 Census: 12,798 people
Windsor Locks (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
Green Manor Village (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
Green Manor Village is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Manor Village East Granby (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
Higley Village (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
Higley Village is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Higley Village Spring Village (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
Spring Village is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Village Warehouse Point (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
Warehouse Point is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warehouse Point East Granby (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
East Granby is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Granby Population from the 2020 Census: 5,120 people
Hayden (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
Hayden is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayden Windsor (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
Windsor is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor Population from the 2020 Census: 28,647 people
North Bloomfield (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
North Bloomfield is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bloomfield Tariffville (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
Litchfield County
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Hampsted (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
Hampsted is located in Litchfield County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hampsted Barkhamsted (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
Barkhamsted (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
Barkhamsted is located in Litchfield County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barkhamsted Population from the 2020 Census: 3,587 people
New Hartford (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
Pine Meadow (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
Puddle Town (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
Puddle Town is located in Litchfield County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Puddle Town Browns Corner (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
Browns Corner is located in Litchfield County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browns Corner Pleasant Valley (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
Nepaug (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
Nepaug is located in Litchfield County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nepaug New Hartford (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
New Hartford is located in Litchfield County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Hartford Population from the 2020 Census: 6,639 people
Riverton (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
Torrington (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
Torrington is located in Litchfield County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Torrington Population from the 2020 Census: 33,870 people
Winsted (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
Middlesex County
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Cromwell (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
Cromwell is located in Middlesex County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cromwell Population from the 2020 Census: 13,772 people
Cromwell (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
Gildersleeve (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
Gildersleeve is located in Middlesex County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gildersleeve Portland (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
Portland is located in Middlesex County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Portland Population from the 2020 Census: 9,213 people
Portland (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
Lake Pocotopaug (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
Lake Pocotopaug is located in Middlesex County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Pocotopaug Middletown (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
Cobalt (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
Middletown (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
Middletown is located in Middlesex County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown Population from the 2020 Census: 46,013 people
East Hampton (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
East Hampton (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
East Hampton is located in Middlesex County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Hampton Population from the 2020 Census: 12,747 people
Middle Haddam (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
Middlefield (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
Middlefield is located in Middlesex County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlefield Population from the 2020 Census: 4,350 people
New Haven County
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Meriden (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
Meriden is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden Population from the 2020 Census: 58,981 people
Meriden (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
Wolcott (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
Wolcott is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolcott Population from the 2020 Census: 16,565 people
Wolcott (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
South Meriden (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
South Meriden is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Meriden Autumn HIll (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
Autumn HIll is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Autumn HIll Waterville (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
Waterville is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterville Cheshire (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
Cheshire is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheshire Population from the 2020 Census: 28,806 people
Cheshire (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
West Cheshire (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
West Cheshire is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Cheshire Yalesville (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
Waterbury (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
Waterbury is located in New Haven County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterbury Population from the 2020 Census: 106,826 people
Waterbury (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
New London County
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
North Westchester (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
Liberty Hill (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
Liberty Hill is located in New London County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Hill Westchester (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
Westchester is located in New London County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westchester Colchester (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
Lebanon (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
Lebanon is located in New London County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lebanon Population from the 2020 Census: 7,112 people
Tolland County
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Ellington (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
Windermere (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
Windermere is located in Tolland County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windermere Somersville (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
Ellington (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
Ellington is located in Tolland County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellington Population from the 2020 Census: 16,652 people
Rockville (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
Vernon (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
Somers (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
Somers is located in Tolland County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somers Population from the 2020 Census: 10,741 people
Somers (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
Vernon (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
Vernon is located in Tolland County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon Population from the 2020 Census: 29,400 people
Quarryville (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
Quarryville is located in Tolland County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quarryville Crystal Lake (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
Crystal Lake is located in Tolland County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lake Bolton (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
Bolton is located in Tolland County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolton Population from the 2020 Census: 4,855 people
Bolton (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
Windham County
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Ashford (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
Ashford is located in Windham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashford Population from the 2020 Census: 4,246 people
West Ashford (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
West Ashford is located in Windham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Ashford Westford (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
Westford is located in Windham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westford Warrenville (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
Warrenville is located in Windham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warrenville Willimantic (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
Ashford (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
Chaplin (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
Chaplin is located in Windham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chaplin Population from the 2020 Census: 2,232 people
Chaplin (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
Eastford (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
Eastford is located in Windham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastford Population from the 2020 Census: 1,800 people
North Windham (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
Windham (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
Windham is located in Windham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windham Population from the 2020 Census: 24,463 people
Berkshire County (MA)
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
East Otis (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
East Otis is located in Berkshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Otis Sandisfield (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
Sandisfield is located in Berkshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandisfield Population from the 2020 Census: 887 people
South Sandisfield (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
South Sandisfield is located in Berkshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Sandisfield Otis (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
Otis is located in Berkshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otis Population from the 2020 Census: 1,531 people
North Otis (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
North Otis is located in Berkshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Otis Southfield (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
Southfield is located in Berkshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southfield Hampden County (MA)
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Feeding Hills (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
Feeding Hills is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Feeding Hills Hosmer Corner (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
Hosmer Corner is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hosmer Corner Southwick (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
Southwick is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southwick Population from the 2020 Census: 9,715 people
Agawam (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
Agawam is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Agawam Population from the 2020 Census: 28,467 people
Longmeadow (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
Longmeadow is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longmeadow Population from the 2020 Census: 15,624 people
West Springfield (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
West Springfield is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Springfield Population from the 2020 Census: 28,397 people
East Longmeadow (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
East Longmeadow is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Longmeadow Population from the 2020 Census: 16,093 people
Granville (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
Granville is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granville Population from the 2020 Census: 1,606 people
Merrick (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Merrick is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merrick Springfield (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Springfield is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springfield Population from the 2020 Census: 152,646 people
Westfield (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Westfield is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westfield Population from the 2020 Census: 41,063 people
Baptist Village (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
Baptist Village is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baptist Village Chicopee (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
Chicopee is located in Hampden County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicopee Population from the 2020 Census: 54,825 people
Hampshire County (MA)
The following are listed by their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Southampton (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
Southampton is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southampton Population from the 2020 Census: 6,162 people
Huntington (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
Huntington is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntington Population from the 2020 Census: 2,159 people
Easthampton (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
Easthampton is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easthampton Population from the 2020 Census: 15,750 people
South Hadley (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
South Hadley is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Hadley Population from the 2020 Census: 17,539 people
Granby (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
Granby is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granby Population from the 2020 Census: 6,262 people
Mount Tom (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
Mount Tom is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Tom West Farms (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
West Farms is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Farms Westhampton (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
Westhampton is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westhampton Population from the 2020 Census: 1,630 people
Bondsville (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
Bondsville is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bondsville Bay State (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
Bay State is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay State Florence (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
Florence is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence Northampton (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
Northampton is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northampton Population from the 2020 Census: 28,362 people
Belchertown (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
Belchertown is located in Hampshire County (MA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belchertown Population from the 2020 Census: 15,103 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Rainbow, see our County-by-County Page for Rainbow .
Cemeteries Near Rainbow ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rainbow.
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 Rainbow - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Rainbow covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
St. Joseph's RC Cemetery (Less than 2 miles to the east)
Elmwood Cemetery (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
Ye Olde Poquonock Burial Grounds (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
Elm Grove Cemetery (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
St. Marys Cemetery (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
East Granby Cemetery (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
St. Andrews Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
Springdale Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
Grove Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
Veterans Memorial Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
Riverside Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
Palisado Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
Continue List (469 more) ...
Town Street Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
North End Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
King Street Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Rainbow had a population of 300 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Rainbow, with the one closest to Rainbow listed first.
Poquonock (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
Windsor Locks (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
East Granby (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
Tariffville (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
North Bloomfield (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
North Bloomfield is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bloomfield Hayden (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
Hayden is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayden Warehouse Point (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
Warehouse Point is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warehouse Point Hoskins (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
Hoskins is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoskins Warehouse Point Station (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
Suffield (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
West Suffield (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Windsor (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
Continue List (17 more) ...
Granby (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
Simsbury (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
Cottage Grove (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
Cottage Grove is located in Hartford County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottage Grove
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Rainbow. See our List of 1890's Communities around Rainbow .
Newspapers Published in Rainbow ...
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 312 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rainbow.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rainbow, there are papers which were published within 12 miles [19.3 km]<4> Extended Newspaper List for Rainbow.
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 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 Rainbow:
Websites specific to Connecticut Pages specific to Hartford County Genealogy information for nearby counties
Litchfield County Middlesex County New Haven County New London County Tolland County Windham County Berkshire County Hampden County Hampshire County Cemetery Information and Directories for Connecticut Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Rainbow. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page .
The official website for State of Connecticut: https://portal.ct.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. 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 . 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 Rainbow, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. 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- Rainbow) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.