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 Beckley (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 Beckley. 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 southwest 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 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 west 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.
Beckley is located in Jefferson County .
To see how the shape of Kentucky's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries .
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Jefferson County : Clark (IN) , Floyd (IN) , Harrison (IN) , Bullitt , Hardin , Oldham , Shelby & Spencer .
Below are the counties that are near Beckley. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Beckley:
Jefferson County (The home county of Beckley)
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Eastwood (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
Boston (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
Boston is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boston Middletown (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
Woodland Hills (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
Woodland Hills is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland Hills Population from the 2020 Census: 738 people
O'Bannon (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
O'Bannon is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for O'Bannon Anchorage (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
Worthington Hills (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
Worthington Hills is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worthington Hills Population from the 2020 Census: 1,555 people
Fisherville (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
Blue Ridge Manor (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
Blue Ridge Manor is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Ridge Manor Population from the 2020 Census: 780 people
Douglass Hills (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
Douglass Hills is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglass Hills Population from the 2020 Census: 5,714 people
Lakeland (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
Lakeland is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeland Sycamore (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
Sycamore is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
Coldstream (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
Coldstream is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coldstream Population from the 2020 Census: 1,165 people
Anderson County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Van Buren (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
Van Buren is located in Anderson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Buren Avenstoke (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
Avenstoke is located in Anderson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avenstoke Glensboro (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
Glensboro is located in Anderson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glensboro Sparrow (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
Sparrow is located in Anderson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sparrow Anderson City (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
Anderson City is located in Anderson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson City Birdie (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
Birdie is located in Anderson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birdie Bullitt County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Whitfield (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
Whitfield is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitfield Mount Washington (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
Hunters Hollow (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
Hunters Hollow is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunters Hollow Population from the 2020 Census: 362 people
Hebron Estates (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
Hebron Estates is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron Estates Population from the 2020 Census: 1,185 people
Pioneer Village (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
Pioneer Village is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pioneer Village Population from the 2020 Census: 2,978 people
Brooks (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
Fox Chase (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
Fox Chase is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fox Chase Population from the 2020 Census: 490 people
Hillview (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
Hillview is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillview Population from the 2020 Census: 9,192 people
Solitude (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
Solitude is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Solitude Shepherdsville (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
Lotus (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
Lotus is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lotus Bardstown Junction (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
Bardstown Junction is located in Bullitt County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bardstown Junction Clermont (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
Franklin County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Benson (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
Benson is located in Franklin County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benson Bridgeport (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
Bridgeport is located in Franklin County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeport Hardin County
West Point (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
Henry County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Jericho (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
Jericho is located in Henry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jericho Smithfield (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
Eminence (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
Pendleton (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
Pleasureville (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
New Castle (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
Sulphur (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
Campbellsburg (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
Bethlehem (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
Bethlehem is located in Henry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethlehem Franklinton (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
Franklinton is located in Henry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklinton Turners Station (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
Turners Station is located in Henry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turners Station Lockport (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
Lockport is located in Henry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lockport Port Royal (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
Port Royal is located in Henry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Royal Lawrence County
Castle ‑ Historic(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
Castle is located in Lawrence County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castle Nelson County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Highgrove (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
Highgrove is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highgrove Lenore (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
Lenore is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenore Fairfield (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
Fairfield is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfield Population from the 2020 Census: 113 people
Bloomfield (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
Coxs Creek (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
Deatsville (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
Deatsville is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deatsville Samuels (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
Samuels is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Samuels Bourbon Springs (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
Bourbon Springs is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bourbon Springs Hunters (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
Hunters is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunters Nazareth (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
Nazareth is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nazareth Withrow (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
Withrow is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Withrow Chaplin (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
East Bardstown (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
East Bardstown is located in Nelson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bardstown Oldham County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Pewee Valley (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Crestwood (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
Orchard Grass Hills (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
Orchard Grass Hills is located in Oldham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard Grass Hills Population from the 2020 Census: 1,786 people
Park Lake (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
Park Lake is located in Oldham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Lake Buckner (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
Ballardsville (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
Ballardsville is located in Oldham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ballardsville River Bluff (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
River Bluff is located in Oldham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Bluff Population from the 2020 Census: 442 people
Goshen (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
Goshen is located in Oldham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen Population from the 2020 Census: 1,016 people
La Grange (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
Harmony Village (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
Harmony Village is located in Oldham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony Village Russell Corner (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Russell Corner is located in Oldham County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russell Corner Westport (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
Shelby County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Lincoln Ridge (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
Lincoln Ridge is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Ridge Simpsonville (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
Chestnut Grove (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
Chestnut Grove is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestnut Grove Finchville (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
Finchville is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchville Shelbyville (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
Figgs (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
Figgs is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Figgs Southville (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
Southville is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southville Cropper (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
Cropper is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cropper Christianburg (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
Christianburg is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christianburg Clay Village (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
Clay Village is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay Village Bagdad (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
Consolation (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
Consolation is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Consolation Waddy (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
Spencer County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Normandy (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
Normandy is located in Spencer County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normandy Yoder (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
Yoder is located in Spencer County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yoder Taylorsville (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
Little Mount (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
Little Mount is located in Spencer County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Mount Wakefield (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
Wakefield is located in Spencer County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wakefield Mount Eden (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
Mount Eden is located in Spencer County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Eden Trimble County
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Bedford (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
Mount Pleasant (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
Mount Pleasant is located in Trimble County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant Trout (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
Trout is located in Trimble County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trout Clark County (IN)
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Utica (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
Utica is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utica Population from the 2020 Census: 996 people
Arctic Springs (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
Arctic Springs is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arctic Springs Oak Park (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
Oak Park is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Park Watson (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
Watson is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson Sunset Village (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Sunset Village is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunset Village Prather (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
Prather is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prather Jeffersonville (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
Vesta (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
Vesta is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vesta Clarksville (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
Charlestown (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
Sellersburg (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
Speed (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
Speed is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Speed Blackiston Village (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
Blackiston Village is located in Clark County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackiston Village Floyd County (IN)
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
New Albany (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
Floyds Knobs (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
Galena (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
Galena is located in Floyd County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galena Georgetown (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
Greenville (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
Harrison County (IN)
The following are listed by their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Locust Point (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
Locust Point is located in Harrison County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Point Lanesville (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
Elizabeth (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
Jefferson County (IN)
Chelsea (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
Chelsea is located in Jefferson County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chelsea Scott County (IN)
Lexington (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
Washington County (IN)
Bartle (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
Bartle is located in Washington County (IN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bartle
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Beckley, see our County-by-County Page for Beckley .
Cemeteries Near Beckley ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Beckley.
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 Beckley - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Beckley covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Eastwood Cemetery (Less than 2 miles to the east)
Pewee Valley Confederate Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
Long Run Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
Yager Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
Pewee Valley Cemetery East (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
Middletown Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
St. Aloysius Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Souther Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Flat Rock Christian Church Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
Bradshaw Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
Duncan Memorial Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Floydsburg Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Continue List (360 more) ...
Speer Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
St. James Episcopal Church Cemetery (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Country Home Cemetery (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
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>
While we didn't find Beckley in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Beckley.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Beckley, with the one closest to Beckley listed first.
Eastwood (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
Middletown (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
Long Run (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
Long Run is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Run O'Bannon (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
O'Bannon is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for O'Bannon Anchorage (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
Fisherville (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
Lakeland (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
Lakeland is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeland Pewee Valley (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
Jeffersontown (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
Simpsonville (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
Worthington (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
Worthington is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worthington Goose Creek (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
Goose Creek is located in Jefferson County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goose Creek Population from the 2020 Census: 304 people
Continue List (18 more) ...
Lyndon (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
Veechdale (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
Veechdale is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veechdale Todds Point (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
Todds Point is located in Shelby County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Todds Point
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Beckley. See our List of 1890's Communities around Beckley .
Newspapers Published in Beckley ...
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 11 newspapers that have been published in the area around Beckley.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Beckley, there are papers which were published within 8 miles [12.9 km]<4> Extended Newspaper List for Beckley.
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 either 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 Beckley:
Websites specific to Kentucky Pages specific to Jefferson County Genealogy information for nearby counties
Anderson County Bullitt County Franklin County Hardin County Henry County Lawrence County Nelson County Oldham County Shelby County Spencer County Trimble County Clark County Floyd County Harrison County Jefferson County Scott County Washington County Cemetery Information and Directories for Kentucky Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Beckley. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page .
The official website for State of Kentucky: https://www.kentucky.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 Beckley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Beckley) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.