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 Big Laurel (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 Big Laurel. 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.
Big Laurel is located in Harlan 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 Harlan County : Bell , Leslie , Letcher , Perry , Lee (VA) & Wise (VA) .
Below are the counties that are near Big Laurel. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Big Laurel:
Harlan County (The home county of Big Laurel)
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Putney (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
Totz (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
Bailey Creek (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
Bailey Creek is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bailey Creek Darkmont (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
Darkmont is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Darkmont Short Town (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
Short Town is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Short Town Rosspoint (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
Rosspoint is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosspoint Ages (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
Ages is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ages Coxton (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
Coxton is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coxton Draper (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
Draper is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Draper Evarts (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
Redbud (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
Redbud is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redbud Verda (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
Verda is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verda Louellen (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
Louellen is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louellen Bell County
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Beverly (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
Beverly is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beverly Stoney Fork (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
Stoney Fork is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoney Fork Callaway (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
Callaway is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Callaway Sims Fork (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
Sims Fork is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sims Fork Kettle Island (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
Kettle Island is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kettle Island Miracle (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
Miracle is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miracle Rella (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
Rella is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rella Arjay (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
Arjay is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arjay Jenson (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
Jenson is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jenson Varilla (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
Varilla is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Varilla Calvin (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
Calvin is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calvin Straight Creek (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
Straight Creek is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Straight Creek Dorton Branch (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
Dorton Branch is located in Bell County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorton Branch Clay County
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Ashers Fork (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
Ashers Fork is located in Clay County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashers Fork Big Creek (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
Big Creek is located in Clay County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Creek Brightshade (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
Brightshade is located in Clay County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brightshade Eriline (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
Eriline is located in Clay County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eriline Goose Rock (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
Goose Rock is located in Clay County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goose Rock Barcreek (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
Barcreek is located in Clay County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barcreek Garrard (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
Garrard is located in Clay County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrard Knott County
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Sassafras (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
Redfox (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
Redfox is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redfox Littcarr (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
Littcarr is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littcarr Emmalena (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
Emmalena is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmalena Fisty (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
Fisty is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fisty Carrie (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
Carrie is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carrie Hindman (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
Pine Top (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
Pine Top is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Top Tina (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
Tina is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tina Leburn (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
Garner (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
Garner is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garner Pippa Passes (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
Pippa Passes is located in Knott County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pippa Passes Population from the 2020 Census: 606 people
Knox County
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Scalf (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
Scalf is located in Knox County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scalf Walker (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
Walker is located in Knox County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker Dewitt (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
Dewitt is located in Knox County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewitt Leslie County
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Yeaddiss (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
Yeaddiss is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yeaddiss Cutshin (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
Cutshin is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cutshin Chappell (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
Chappell is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chappell Helton (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
Helton is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helton Mozelle (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
Mozelle is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mozelle Smilax (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
Smilax is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smilax Asher (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
Asher is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Asher Hoskinston (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
Hoskinston is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoskinston Stinnett (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
Stinnett is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stinnett Wendover (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
Warbranch (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
Warbranch is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warbranch Wooton (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Wooton is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wooton Essie (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
Essie is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Essie Letcher County
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Gordon (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
Gordon is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon Hallie (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
Linefork (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
Linefork is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linefork Flint (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
Flint is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flint Kings Creek (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
Kings Creek is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Creek Partridge (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
Partridge is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Partridge Blackey (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
Blackey is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackey Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
Roxana (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
Roxana is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxana Letcher (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
Letcher is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Letcher Hot Spot (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
Hot Spot is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hot Spot Hot Spot has also been known as:
Hotspot Jeremiah (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
Uz (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
Uz is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Uz Isom (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
Isom is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isom Owsley County
Mistletoe (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
Mistletoe is located in Owsley County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mistletoe Perry County
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Delphia (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
Delphia is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delphia Slemp (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
Slemp is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slemp Cornettsville (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
Cornettsville is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornettsville Viper (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Viper is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viper Jeff (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
Happy (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
Happy is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Happy Acup (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
Acup is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acup Avawam (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
Avawam is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avawam Scuddy (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
Hazard (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
Vicco (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
Vicco is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vicco Population from the 2020 Census: 295 people
Combs (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
Combs is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Combs Bonnyman (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
Bonnyman is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnyman Hancock County (TN)
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Kyles Ford (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
Willis (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
Willis is located in Hancock County (TN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willis Estimated population in 2014: 387 people
Alanthus Hill (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
Alanthus Hill is located in Hancock County (TN) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alanthus Hill Estimated population in 2014: 2,498 people
Lee County (VA)
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Saint Charles (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
Saint Charles is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Charles Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
Hubbard Springs (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
Hubbard Springs is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hubbard Springs Pennington Gap (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
Pennington Gap is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pennington Gap Population from the 2020 Census: 1,708 people
Rawhide (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
Rawhide is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rawhide Fleenortown (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
Fleenortown is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleenortown Darnell Town (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
Darnell Town is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Darnell Town Ely (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
Ely is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ely Keokee (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
Keokee is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keokee Jonesville (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
Dryden (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
Dryden is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dryden Rose Hill (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
Van (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
Van is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Stickleyville (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
Stickleyville is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stickleyville Scott County (VA)
Duffield (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
Wise County (VA)
The following are listed by their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Exeter (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
Exeter is located in Wise County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exeter Osaka (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
Osaka is located in Wise County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osaka Appalachia (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
Big Stone Gap (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
East Stone Gap (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
East Stone Gap is located in Wise County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Stone Gap Kent Junction (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
Kent Junction is located in Wise County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent Junction Blackwood (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
Blackwood is located in Wise County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackwood
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Big Laurel, see our County-by-County Page for Big Laurel .
Cemeteries Near Big Laurel ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Laurel.
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 Big Laurel - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Big Laurel covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Camp Branch Cemetery (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
Nolan Cemetery (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
Huff Cemetery (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
Lewis / Joseph Cemetery (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
Holbrook Cemetery (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
Sergent Cemetery (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
Howard Cemetery (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
Wilder Cemetery (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
Kelly Cemetery (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
Smith Cemetery (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
Clover Fork Cemetery (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
Green Hill Cemetery (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
Continue List (565 more) ...
Middleton Cemetery (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
Kelly Cemetery (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
Robbins Cemetery (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
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 Big Laurel in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Big Laurel.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Big Laurel, with the one closest to Big Laurel listed first.
Cutshin (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
Cutshin is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cutshin Evarts (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
Helton (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
Helton is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helton Baxter (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
Harlan (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
Hoskinston (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
Hoskinston is located in Leslie County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoskinston Linefork (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
Linefork is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linefork Viper (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
Viper is located in Perry County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viper Wallins Creek (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
Wallins Creek is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wallins Creek Estimated population in 2016: 146 people
Hyden (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
Creech (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
Creech is also located in Harlan County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creech Hubbard Springs (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
Hubbard Springs is located in Lee County (VA) Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hubbard Springs Continue List (16 more) ...
Partridge (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
Partridge is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Partridge Kings Creek (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
Kings Creek is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Creek Roxana (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
Roxana is located in Letcher County Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxana
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Big Laurel. See our List of 1890's Communities around Big Laurel .
Newspapers Published in Big Laurel ...
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 8 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Laurel.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Big Laurel, there are papers which were published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<4> Extended Newspaper List for Big Laurel.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we 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 Big Laurel:
Websites specific to Kentucky Pages specific to Harlan County Genealogy information for nearby counties
Bell County Clay County Knott County Knox County Leslie County Letcher County Owsley County Perry County Hancock County Lee County Scott County Wise County Cemetery Information and Directories for Kentucky Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Big Laurel. 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 Big Laurel, 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 from Point A (ie- Big Laurel) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.