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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 Packardville (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 Packardville. 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.

Packardville is located in Hampshire 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 Hampshire County: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden & Worcester.

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

  • Hampshire County     (The home county of Packardville)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • Pelham
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Pelham is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,305 people
    • Enfield ‑ Historic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Enfield is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enfield
    • Belchertown
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Belchertown is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belchertown
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,103 people
    • West Pelham
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • West Pelham is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Pelham
    • East Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • East Village is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Village
    • South Amherst
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • South Amherst is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Amherst
    • Amherst Center
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Amherst Center is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst Center
    • Amherst
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Amherst is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 40,643 people
    • North Amherst
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • North Amherst is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Amherst
    • Bondsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Bondsville is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bondsville
    • Ware
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Ware is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ware
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,897 people
    • Granby
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Granby is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granby
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,262 people
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • Smiths ‑ Historic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Smiths is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths
    • Shutesbury
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Shutesbury is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shutesbury
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,753 people
    • Cooleyville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Cooleyville is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooleyville
    • Leverett
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Leverett is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leverett
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,836 people
    • Locks Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Locks Village is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locks Village
    • Millington ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Millington is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millington
    • New Salem
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • New Salem is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Salem
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,034 people
    • Moores Corner
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Moores Corner is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moores Corner
    • Sunderland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Sunderland is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunderland
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,634 people
    • Morse Village
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Morse Village is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morse Village
    • Wendell
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Wendell is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wendell
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 881 people
    • Montague
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Montague is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montague
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,203 people
  • Hampden County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • Ludlow City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Ludlow City is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ludlow City
    • Thorndike
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Thorndike is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorndike
    • Three Rivers
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Three Rivers is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Three Rivers
    • Ludlow
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Ludlow is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ludlow
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,101 people
    • North Wilbraham
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • North Wilbraham is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Wilbraham
    • Palmer
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Palmer is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,174 people
    • Tenneyville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Tenneyville is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenneyville
    • West Brimfield
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • West Brimfield is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Brimfield
    • Indian Orchard
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Indian Orchard is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Orchard
    • Wilbraham
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Wilbraham is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilbraham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,670 people
    • Holyoke
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Holyoke is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holyoke
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 39,921 people
    • Aldenville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Aldenville is located in Hampden County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aldenville
  • Worcester County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • Greenwich ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Greenwich is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich
    • Greenwich Village ‑ Historic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Greenwich Village is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich Village
    • Dana ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Dana is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dana
    • Gilbertville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Gilbertville is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbertville
    • Hardwick
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Hardwick is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardwick
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,047 people
    • North Dana ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • North Dana is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Dana
    • West Warren
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • West Warren is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Warren
    • Wheelwright
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Wheelwright is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheelwright
    • New Braintree
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • New Braintree is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Braintree
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,020 people
    • Warren
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Warren is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,203 people
    • Barre Plains
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Barre Plains is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barre Plains
    • Petersham
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Petersham is located in Worcester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,237 people
  • Hartford County (CT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • Sherwood Manor
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Sherwood Manor is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherwood Manor
    • Enfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Enfield
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Enfield is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enfield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 43,559 people
    • Hazardville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Hazardville is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazardville
    • Thompsonville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Thompsonville is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thompsonville
    • Rising Corner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Rising Corner is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising Corner
    • Southwood Acres
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Southwood Acres is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southwood Acres
    • Suffield Depot
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Suffield Depot is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Suffield Depot
    • Suffield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Suffield
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Suffield is located in Hartford County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Suffield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,812 people
    • West Suffield
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Broad Brook
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Tolland County (CT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • State Line
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • State Line is located in Tolland County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line
    • Somers
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Somers is located in Tolland County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somers
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,741 people
    • Somers
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Somers is located in Tolland County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somers
      • Somers has also been known as:
      • Central Somers
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Somers <1>
    • Somersville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Stafford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Stafford is located in Tolland County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stafford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,834 people
    • Stafford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Staffordville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Stafford Springs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Union
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Union is located in Tolland County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 844 people
    • Union
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Crystal Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Crystal Lake is located in Tolland County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lake
    • Ellington
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Ellington is located in Tolland County (CT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellington
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,652 people
  • Cheshire County (NH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • Richmond
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • 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>
    • Ashuelot
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Winchester
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Hinsdale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • 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>
  • Windham County (VT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Packardville, with the one closest to Packardville listed first.
    • South Vernon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • South Vernon is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Vernon
    • Vernon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Vernon is located in Windham County (VT)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,190 people

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

Cemeteries Near Packardville ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Packardville.

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 Packardville - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Munsell Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Dwight Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Lake Vale Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Vale Cemetery
    • The Lake Vale Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Metacomet Cemetery
    • Pond Hill Cemetery
    • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #BLC.804 <2>
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • South Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Quabbin Park Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • West Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the West Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located less than 2 miles<4> to the west of Shutesbury.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91835 <3>
  • Shutesbury Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Mountain View Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • North Amherst Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Wildwood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Wildwood Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the north of Amherst.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91862 <3>
  • Continue List   (396 more) ...
    • West Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Plainville Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)

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.<5>

While we didn't find Packardville in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Packardville.

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

  • Greenwich
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Greenwich is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich
  • Dwight
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Dwight is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dwight
  • Pelham
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Pelham is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelham
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,305 people
  • Enfield ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Enfield is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enfield
  • Belchertown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Belchertown is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belchertown
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,103 people
  • West Ware
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • West Ware is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Ware
  • West Pelham
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • West Pelham is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Pelham
  • South Amherst
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • South Amherst is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Amherst
  • Shutesbury
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Shutesbury is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shutesbury
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,753 people
  • Amherst
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Amherst is located in Hampshire County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 40,643 people
  • Dana ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Dana is located in Worcester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dana
  • Cooleyville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Cooleyville is located in Franklin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooleyville
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • North Amherst
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • North Amherst is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Amherst
    • Granby
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Granby is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granby
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,262 people
    • Bondsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Bondsville is located in Hampshire County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bondsville

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

Newspapers Published in Packardville ...

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 70 newspapers that have been published in the area around Packardville.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Packardville, there are papers which were published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Packardville.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Packardville:

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>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.
<4>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- Packardville) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<5>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 Packardville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.