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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 Chambersburg (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 Chambersburg. 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 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.

Chambersburg is located in Orange County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Orange County: Crawford, Dubois, Lawrence, Martin & Washington.

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

  • Orange County     (The home county of Chambersburg)
  • Clark County
  • Crawford County
  • Davies's County
    • Alfordsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alfordsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alfordsville
      • Alfordsville is located in Davies's County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
  • Dubois County
  • Floyd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chambersburg, with the one closest to Chambersburg listed first.
    • Greenville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
      • Greenville is located in Floyd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,115 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenville <2>
    • Galena
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galena have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galena
      • Galena is located in Floyd County
    • Georgetown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Harrison County
  • Jackson County
  • Lawrence County
  • Martin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chambersburg, with the one closest to Chambersburg listed first.
    • Lacy
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Windom
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Shoals
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shoals have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shoals
      • Shoals is located in Martin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 781 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shoals <2>
    • Mount Olive
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Loogootee
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Perry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chambersburg, with the one closest to Chambersburg listed first.
    • Saint Croix
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Croix have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Croix
      • Saint Croix is located in Perry County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Croix <2>
    • Branchville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Branchville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Branchville
      • Branchville is located in Perry County
    • Sassafras
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Apalona
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Magnet
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Leopold
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chambersburg, with the one closest to Chambersburg listed first.
    • Livonia
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Livonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Livonia
      • Livonia is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
    • Hardinsburg
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Claysville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Campbellsburg
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Saltillo
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saltillo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saltillo
      • Saltillo is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 93 people
    • Smedley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Smedley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smedley
      • Smedley is located in Washington County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Smedley
      • From Chambersburg to Smedley
    • Fredericksburg
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredericksburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredericksburg
      • Fredericksburg is located in Washington County
      • Estimated population in 2013: 84 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fredericksburg <2>
    • Salem
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Harristown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • New Pekin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Pekin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Pekin
      • New Pekin is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,392 people
    • Kossuth
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kossuth. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kossuth
      • Kossuth is located in Washington County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kossuth
      • From Chambersburg to Kossuth
    • Plattsburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • South Boston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • Meade County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chambersburg, with the one closest to Chambersburg listed first.
    • Cedar Flat
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Roberta
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Roberta. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberta
      • Roberta is located in Meade County (KY)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Roberta
      • From Chambersburg to Roberta
    • Wolf Creek
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wolf Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolf Creek
      • Wolf Creek is located in Meade County (KY)
    • Beechland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Beechland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beechland
      • Beechland is located in Meade County (KY)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Beechland
      • From Chambersburg to Beechland

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

Cemeteries Near Chambersburg ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Chambersburg.

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

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

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Chambersburg had a population of 98 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Stampers Creek
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stampers Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stampers Creek
    • Stampers Creek is located in Orange County
  • Rego
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rego have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rego
    • Rego is located in Orange County
  • Paoli
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paoli have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paoli
    • Paoli is located in Orange County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,604 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Paoli <2>
  • Syria
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Syria have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Syria
    • Syria is located in Orange County
  • Valeene
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valeene have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valeene
    • Valeene is located in Orange County
  • Youngs Creek
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Lost River
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lost River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lost River
    • Lost River is located in Orange County
  • Livonia
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Livonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Livonia
    • Livonia is located in Washington County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
  • Bromer
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Hardinsburg
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Greenbrier
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenbrier have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenbrier
    • Greenbrier is located in Orange County
  • Fargo
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fargo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fargo
    • Fargo is located in Orange County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Claysville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Abydel
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Ethel
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ethel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ethel
      • Ethel is located in Orange County

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

Newspapers Published in Chambersburg ...

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 60 newspapers that have been published in the area around Chambersburg.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Chambersburg, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<7>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Chambersburg.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start 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 Chambersburg:

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

The official website for State of Indiana: https://www.in.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>If we found a location and have questions about the accuracy of our information, we will simply say that the marker is 'in the vicinity'. We are not confident about the location and the position of our marker is only a rough guide. If we have too many doubts about the location, we will not include it in our database.
<4>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.
<5>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.
<6>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 Chambersburg, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Chambersburg) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Chambersburg. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.5178, Longitude: -86.3924       In this case, the coordinates for Chambersburg have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 21 Apr 2025