RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
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A visit to the South Cemetery ...

Introduction ...

The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has a MACRIS <1> database entry for the South Cemetery (MACRIS ID: BLC.801). Once on the MACRIS page, look for the dark blue INV icon on the line 'Inventory Number: BLC.801'. Click on this link to open a PDF document with more detailed information contained on scanned documents.

Note: We have organized the cemeteries in our Gazetteer based on a problem that we had while working on our own genealogy. As an example and without specifying the cemeteries involved, we found an ancestor that we believed to have been buried in one cemetery had actually been buried elsewhere.

We discovered that his burial plans had changed at the last moment and the family had scrambled to make new arrangements. By looking at nearby cemeteries, the surrounding communities and in newspapers of the period, we were finally able to locate his burial site.

Should you find yourself in the same situation, we hope that our Gazetteer helps you discover your lost ancestor.

The Location of the South Cemetery ...

We are using the following GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) for the South Cemetery:

42.2692, -72.3869

The South Cemetery is located in Hampshire County<2>.

The county seat for Hampshire County is located in Northampton. Northampton lies 13 miles [20.9 km]<3> to the west northwest of the South Cemetery .

Open a Google Map centered on the South Cemetery.

List of nearby cemeteries ...

Based on our list of cemeteries, we know of 20 that are within 9 miles [14.5 km] of the South Cemetery.<4>

We've listed the following cemeteries based on their distance from South Cemetery, with the nearest first.

For an expanded list with details, please visit our List of cemeteries.

List of neighboring communities ...

The following 25 communities are within 10 miles [16.1 km]<3> of the South Cemetery.

We've listed the following communities based on their distance from South Cemetery, with the nearest first:

For the full list of neighboring communities with details, please visit our extended List of Communities.

Nearby communities with newspapers ...

The following communities are those where newspapers have been published and are located in the vicinity of the South Cemetery. The following communities are located in Hampshire County.

More information can be found on our list of Local Newspapers for The South Cemetery.

We've listed the following communities alphabetically.

Websites to help with your research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we 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 websites are open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that might help with the South Cemetery:

  • Pages specific to Massachusetts:
  • Pages specific to Hampshire County:
  • Genealogy information for nearby counties:
  • Cemetery Information and Directories:

    • Miscellaneous References and Mentions ...

    Our approach is to add the name of a cemetery whenever we see it mentioned - usually from newspapers, old books and maps. Typically we have little information to start with, but we continue to add detail as we find it.

    We've created the following list to keep track of the sources that we found useful for the South Cemetery:

    Referenced MACRIS Record:  BLC.801

    • Referenced GNIS Record ...
    • GNIS ID #602454  (South Cemetery)
      • Note: In 2021, GNIS record #602454 was archived by the USGS. It is no longer maintained by the USGS, nor can it be retrieved from their website. In the past, the GNIS record contained the following information:
      • BGN Class: cemetery
      • County: Hampshire
      • Est. Elev: 134 (in feet)
      • Topo Map Name: Belchertown
      • Location given for South Cemetery:
      • Lat: 42.2687031     Lon: -72.3870282
      • Open a Google Map centered on the above location.

    Footnotes ...

    <1>The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has created and maintains a database of historic properties that is called MACRIS (for the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System). More information about the MHC and MACRIS can be found on their website: mhc-macris.net.

    When visiting the MACRIS website, you might encounter their page requiring the 'Acceptance of Terms'. With your acceptance, you'll be transfered to the desired page.

    <2>If you're interested in how the shape of Massachusetts' counties, including Hampshire, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
    <3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- South Cemetery) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
    <4>While we have an extensive database of cemeteries (with over 200,000 entries), be assured that it's not complete and we're still searching for cemeteries to add.
    <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.