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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 Fort Lucas (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 Fort Lucas. 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.

Name Variations for Fort Lucas ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Fort Lucas: Ft. Lucas

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 doctors and 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.

Fort Lucas is located in Franklin County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Franklin County: Berkshire, Hampshire, Worcester, Cheshire (NH) & Windham (VT).

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

  • Franklin County     (The home county of Fort Lucas)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • Colrain
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Colrain is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colrain
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,669 people
    • Griswoldville
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Griswoldville is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswoldville
    • Foundry Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Foundry Village is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foundry Village
    • Leyden
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Leyden is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leyden
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 719 people
    • Elm Grove
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Elm Grove is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Grove
    • Shattuckville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Shattuckville is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shattuckville
    • Shelburne
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Shelburne is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelburne
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,840 people
    • Shelburne Falls
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Shelburne Falls is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelburne Falls
    • Bernardston
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Bernardston is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bernardston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,089 people
    • Greenfield
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Greenfield is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,241 people
    • Factory Village ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Factory Village is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Factory Village
    • Heath
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Heath is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heath
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 691 people
  • Berkshire County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • Drury
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Drury is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drury
    • Florida
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Florida is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florida
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 711 people
    • Savoy Center
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Savoy Center is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savoy Center
    • Savoy
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Savoy is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savoy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 676 people
    • East Windsor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • East Windsor is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Windsor
    • Briggsville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Briggsville is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briggsville
    • Windsor
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Windsor is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 860 people
    • Adams
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Adams is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,955 people
    • North Adams
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • North Adams is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Adams
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,737 people
    • Renfrew
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Renfrew is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renfrew
    • Zylonite
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Zylonite is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zylonite
    • Arnoldville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Arnoldville is located in Berkshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnoldville
  • Hampden County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • North Chester
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • North Chester is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Chester
    • Chester Center
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Chester Center is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chester Center
  • Hampshire County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • Plainfield
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Plainfield is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainfield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 663 people
    • Goshen
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Goshen is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,057 people
    • North Hatfield
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • North Hatfield is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Hatfield
    • Cummington
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Cummington is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cummington
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 873 people
    • Swift River
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Swift River is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swift River
    • Williamsburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Williamsburg is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,462 people
    • North Amherst
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • North Amherst is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Amherst
    • Haydenville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Haydenville is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haydenville
    • North Hadley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • North Hadley is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Hadley
    • West Hatfield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • West Hatfield is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Hatfield
    • Amherst Center
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Amherst Center is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst Center
    • Amherst
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Amherst is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 40,643 people
  • Worcester County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • Athol
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Athol is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athol
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,698 people
    • Royalston
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Royalston is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Royalston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,278 people
    • North Dana ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • North Dana is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Dana
    • Dana ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Dana is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dana
    • Petersham
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Petersham is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,237 people
    • Phillipston
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Phillipston is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phillipston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,739 people
    • Greenwich Village ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Greenwich Village is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich Village
    • Greenwich ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Greenwich is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich
    • Brooks Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Brooks Village is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooks Village
    • Baldwinville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Baldwinville is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baldwinville
    • Goulding Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Goulding Village is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goulding Village
    • Waterville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Waterville is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterville
  • Cheshire County (NH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • Hinsdale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Hinsdale is located in Cheshire County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinsdale
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,906 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hinsdale <1>
    • Ashuelot
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Winchester
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Chesterfield
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Spofford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Richmond
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Richmond is located in Cheshire County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richmond
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,126 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Richmond <1>
    • West Swanzey
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Westmoreland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • East Swanzey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • East Swanzey is located in Cheshire County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Swanzey
    • Swanzey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Swanzey is located in Cheshire County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swanzey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,271 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Swanzey <1>
    • Fitzwilliam Depot
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Fitzwilliam Depot is located in Cheshire County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fitzwilliam Depot
    • Fitzwilliam
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
  • Bennington County (VT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • Readsboro
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Readsboro
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Readsboro is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Readsboro
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 720 people
    • Stamford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Searsburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Searsburg is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Searsburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
    • Stamford
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Stamford is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stamford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 809 people
    • Woodford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Woodford is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 398 people
    • Woodford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Woodford Hollow
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Woodford Hollow is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford Hollow
    • Pownal
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Pownal is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pownal
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,386 people
    • Glastenbury
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Glastenbury is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glastenbury
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7 people
    • Pownal Center
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Pownal Center is located in Bennington County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pownal Center
    • Bennington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Windham County (VT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Fort Lucas, with the one closest to Fort Lucas listed first.
    • Halifax
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Halifax is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halifax
    • Guilford
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Guilford is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,102 people
    • Halifax
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Halifax is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halifax
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 674 people
    • West Halifax
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Vernon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Vernon is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,190 people
    • South Vernon
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • South Vernon is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Vernon
    • Guilford
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jacksonville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Whitingham
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Ames Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Ames Hill is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ames Hill
    • Fairview Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Fairview Village is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Village
    • Whitingham
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Whitingham is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitingham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,271 people

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

Cemeteries Near Fort Lucas ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Fort Lucas.

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 Fort Lucas - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Fort Lucas covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Chandler Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Brick School Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • North River Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • South Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • West Leyden Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Branch Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • East Hill Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Stark Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Arms Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Skinner Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Jones Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Upper Meadows Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (420 more) ...
    • Beaver Meadow Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Billings Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Grove Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)

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 Fort Lucas in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Fort Lucas.

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

  • Griswoldville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Griswoldville is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswoldville
  • East Shelburne
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • East Shelburne is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Shelburne
  • West Leyden
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • West Leyden is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Leyden
  • Shattuckville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Shattuckville is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shattuckville
  • Elm Grove
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Elm Grove is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Grove
  • Leyden
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Leyden is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leyden
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 719 people
  • Adamsville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Adamsville is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adamsville
  • Grove
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Grove is located in Windham County (VT)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove
  • East Charlemont
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • East Charlemont is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Charlemont
  • Greenfield
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Greenfield is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,241 people
  • Bernardston
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Bernardston is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bernardston
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,089 people
  • Bardwell
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Bardwell is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bardwell
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Montague City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Montague City is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montague City
    • Riverside
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Riverside is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
    • Halifax
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Halifax is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halifax

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

Newspapers Published in Fort Lucas ...

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 58 newspapers that have been published in the area around Fort Lucas.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Fort Lucas, there are papers which were published within 18 miles [29 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Fort Lucas.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Fort Lucas:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>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.

<3>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 Fort Lucas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Fort Lucas) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.