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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 Vanceburg (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 Vanceburg. 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 and doctors 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.

Vanceburg is located in Lewis County and is the County Seat.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Lewis County: Carter, Fleming, Greenup, Mason, Rowan, Adams (OH) & Scioto (OH).

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

  • Lewis County     (The home county of Vanceburg)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Buena Vista
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Charters
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Garrison
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garrison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
      • Garrison is located in Lewis County
    • Camp Dix
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Quincy
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quincy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quincy
      • Quincy is located in Lewis County
    • Concord
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Concord have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
      • Concord is located in Lewis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
    • Pence
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pence
      • Pence is located in Lewis County
    • Tollesboro
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Firebrick
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Firebrick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Firebrick
      • Firebrick is located in Lewis County
    • Burtonville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Cottageville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Emerson
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emerson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emerson
      • Emerson is located in Lewis County
  • Carter County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Smiths Creek
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smiths Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Creek
      • Smiths Creek is located in Carter County
    • Boone Furnace
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boone Furnace have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boone Furnace
      • Boone Furnace is located in Carter County
    • Carter
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carter
      • Carter is located in Carter County
    • Wesleyville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Smoky Valley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Kehoe
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kehoe. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kehoe
      • Kehoe is located in Carter County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kehoe
      • From Vanceburg to Kehoe
    • Olive Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Counts Crossroads
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Lawton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Soldier
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Soldier have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Soldier
      • Soldier is located in Carter County
    • Mountain Top
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Grahn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grahn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grahn
      • Grahn is located in Carter County
  • Elliott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Ault
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Gimlet
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Fleming County
  • Greenup County
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Rectorville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Springdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Springdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springdale
      • Springdale is located in Mason County
    • Maysville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Lewisburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lewisburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisburg
      • Lewisburg is located in Mason County
    • Weedonia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Helena
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Washington
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Washington came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington
      • Washington is located in Mason County
    • Mays Lick
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • South Ripley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Rowan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Haldeman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Haldeman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haldeman
      • Haldeman is located in Rowan County
    • Gates
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gates. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gates
      • Gates is located in Rowan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gates
      • From Vanceburg to Gates
    • Elliottville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elliottville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliottville
      • Elliottville is located in Rowan County
    • Morehead
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Brady
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brady. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brady
      • Brady is located in Rowan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Brady
      • From Vanceburg to Brady
    • Clearfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clearfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clearfield
      • Clearfield is located in Rowan County
  • Adams County (OH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Rome
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Squirrel Town
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Squirrel Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Squirrel Town
      • Squirrel Town is located in Adams County (OH)
    • Grimes ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grimes have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grimes
      • Grimes is located in Adams County (OH)
    • Blue Creek
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Lynx
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Wrightsville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Moore ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moore have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moore
      • Moore is located in Adams County (OH)
    • Manchester
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manchester have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manchester
      • Manchester is located in Adams County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,958 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Manchester <3>
    • Bentonville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • West Union
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Whippoorwill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Dunkinsville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Brown County (OH)
  • Lawrence County (OH)
  • Pike County (OH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Camp
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Camp have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp
      • Camp is located in Pike County (OH)
    • Wetmore
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wetmore. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wetmore
      • Wetmore is located in Pike County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wetmore
      • From Vanceburg to Wetmore
    • Poplar Grove
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Wakefield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Scioto County (OH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg listed first.
    • Pond Run
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pond Run. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pond Run
      • Pond Run is located in Scioto County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pond Run
      • From Vanceburg to Pond Run
    • Friendship
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Shannoah Town ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shannoah Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shannoah Town
      • Shannoah Town is located in Scioto County (OH)
    • Lombardsville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • West Portsmouth
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Portsmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Portsmouth
      • West Portsmouth is located in Scioto County (OH)
    • Otway
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Otway. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otway
      • Otway is located in Scioto County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 79 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Otway <3>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Otway
      • From Vanceburg to Otway
    • Portsmouth
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Arion
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Youngs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Rarden
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rarden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rarden
      • Rarden is located in Scioto County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rarden <3>
    • Rosemount
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rosemount have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosemount
      • Rosemount is located in Scioto County (OH)
    • New Boston
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Boston have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Boston
      • New Boston is located in Scioto County (OH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,123 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Boston <3>
  • Summit County (OH)

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

Cemeteries Near Vanceburg ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vanceburg.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Vanceburg, with the one closest to Vanceburg 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 Vanceburg had a population of 1,110 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Vanceburg had a population of 1,399 people.

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

  • Buena Vista
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Buena Vista
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buena Vista have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buena Vista
    • Buena Vista is located in Scioto County (OH)
  • Stout
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stout have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stout
    • Stout is located in Adams County (OH)
  • Tannery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tannery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tannery
    • Tannery is located in Lewis County
  • Carrs
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carrs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carrs
    • Carrs is located in Lewis County
  • Garrison
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garrison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
    • Garrison is located in Lewis County
  • Selig
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Selig have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selig
    • Selig is located in Adams County (OH)
  • Rugless
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rugless have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rugless
    • Rugless is located in Lewis County
  • Grimes ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grimes have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grimes
    • Grimes is located in Adams County (OH)
  • Glen Springs
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glen Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Springs
    • Glen Springs is located in Lewis County
  • Quincy
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quincy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quincy
    • Quincy is located in Lewis County
  • Waggoner Ripple ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waggoner Ripple have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waggoner Ripple
    • Waggoner Ripple is located in Adams County (OH)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Pond Run
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pond Run. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pond Run
      • Pond Run is located in Scioto County (OH)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pond Run
      • From Vanceburg to Pond Run
    • Concord
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Concord have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
      • Concord is located in Lewis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
    • Covedale
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covedale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covedale
      • Covedale is located in Lewis County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Vanceburg ...

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 69 newspapers that have been published in the area around Vanceburg.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Vanceburg. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Vanceburg and those printed in the larger area surrounding Vanceburg.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<7> of Vanceburg.

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 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 Vanceburg:

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

The official website for State of Kentucky: https://kentucky.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<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 Vanceburg, 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 from Point A (ie- Vanceburg) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Vanceburg. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.6009, Longitude: -83.3176    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025