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 Orleans (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 Orleans. 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.

A Few Details for Orleans ...

While it's still very early in our research, we found that:

• Orleans was settled in 1693.
• It was incorporated in 1797.

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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Orleans is located in Barnstable County.

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

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

• Barnstable County     (The home county of Orleans)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Orleans, with the one closest to Orleans listed first.
  • East Orleans
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Orleans
    • East Orleans is located in Barnstable County
  • Eastham
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eastham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastham
    • Eastham is located in Barnstable County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,902 people
  • South Orleans
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Orleans
    • South Orleans is located in Barnstable County
  • Thumpertown Beach
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thumpertown Beach
    • Thumpertown Beach is located in Barnstable County
  • North Eastham
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Eastham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Eastham
    • North Eastham is located in Barnstable County
  • Brewster
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
    • Brewster is located in Barnstable County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,772 people
  • East Harwich
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Harwich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Harwich
    • East Harwich is located in Barnstable County
  • North Chatham
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Chatham
    • North Chatham is located in Barnstable County
  • West Brewster
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Brewster
    • West Brewster is located in Barnstable County
  • Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chatham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham
    • Chatham is located in Barnstable County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,994 people
  • South Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Chatham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Chatham
    • South Chatham is located in Barnstable County
  • West Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Chatham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Chatham
    • West Chatham is located in Barnstable County
• Plymouth County
  • The following are listed by their distance from Orleans, with the one closest to Orleans listed first.
  • Manomet
    (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manomet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manomet
    • Manomet is located in Plymouth County
  • White Horse Beach
    (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White Horse Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Horse Beach
    • White Horse Beach is located in Plymouth County

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

Newspapers Published in Orleans ...

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 32 newspapers that have been published in the area around Orleans.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Orleans, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Orleans.

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 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 Orleans:

• Websites specific to Massachusetts
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Website for the Massachusetts Archives Division

• Pages specific to Barnstable County
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Genealogy information for nearby counties
  • Plymouth County
    • Jump to Cyndi's List
    • Jump to Family Search
    • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Cemetery Information and Directories for Massachusetts
  • Cemetery Junction: Cemeteries of Massachusetts
  • Cyndi's List
  • Cemeteries of Massachusetts
  • Cemeteries of Barnstable County
  • FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Massachusetts
  • Find-A-Grave: Home Page
  • Interment.net
  • Cemeteries of Massachusetts
  • Cemeteries of Barnstable County

Cemeteries Near Orleans ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Orleans.

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

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

• Orleans Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Orleans Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91405 <3>
• Cove Burying Ground
  (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cove Burying Ground
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #640806 <3>
• Bridge Road Cemetery
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bridge Road Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90812 <3>
• Soldiers Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Soldiers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Soldiers Cemetery
• Evergreen Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90956 <3>
• Foster Cemetery
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Foster Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Foster Cemetery
• Pine Grove Cemetery
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Grove Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90996 <3>
• Brewster Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • The Brewster Cemetery has also been known as:
  • Brewster Lower Road Cemetery
  • Lower Road Cemetery
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brewster Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90810 <3>
• Evergreen Cemetery
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90952 <3>
• Chatham Old Burying Ground
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chatham Old Burying Ground have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chatham Old Burying Ground
• Old North / South Cemeteries
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old North / South Cemeteries
• Old Queen Anne Cemetery North
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Queen Anne Cemetery North have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Queen Anne Cemetery North
• Continue List   (86 more) ...
  • Old Queen Anne Cemetery South
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Queen Anne Cemetery South have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Queen Anne Cemetery South
  • Peoples Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Peoples Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91424 <3>
  • Dillingham Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dillingham Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90912 <3>

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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Orleans had a population of 1,219 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Orleans had a population of 5,802 people.

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

• East Orleans
  (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Orleans
  • East Orleans is located in Barnstable County
• South Orleans
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Orleans
  • South Orleans is located in Barnstable County
• Eastham
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eastham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastham
  • Eastham is located in Barnstable County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,902 people
• East Brewster
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brewster
  • East Brewster is located in Barnstable County
• South Brewster
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Brewster
  • South Brewster is located in Barnstable County
• North Eastham
  (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Eastham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Eastham
  • North Eastham is located in Barnstable County
• Brewster
  (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
  • Brewster is located in Barnstable County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,772 people
• West Brewster
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Brewster
  • West Brewster is located in Barnstable County
• East Harwich
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Harwich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Harwich
  • East Harwich is located in Barnstable County
• Chatham Port
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chatham Port have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham Port
  • Chatham Port is located in Barnstable County
• North Chatham
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Chatham
  • North Chatham is located in Barnstable County
• Pleasant Lake
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Lake
  • Pleasant Lake is located in Barnstable County
• Continue List   (15 more) ...
  • South Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Chatham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Chatham
    • South Chatham is located in Barnstable County
  • West Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Chatham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Chatham
    • West Chatham is located in Barnstable County
  • Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chatham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham
    • Chatham is located in Barnstable County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,994 people

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

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Orleans: www.town.orleans.ma.us/

The official website for Barnstable County: www.barnstablecounty.org/

The official website for State of Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/