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 Rock Harbor (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 Rock Harbor. 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 Rock Harbor ...

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.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Rock Harbor: Rock Hbr. (or less commonly used: Rock Harb. or Rock Hrbr.)

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 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.

Rock Harbor 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 Rock Harbor. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Rock Harbor:

• Barnstable County     (The home county of Rock Harbor)
  • The following are listed by their distance from Rock Harbor, with the one closest to Rock Harbor listed first.
  • Orleans
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orleans
    • Orleans is located in Barnstable County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,802 people
  • East Orleans
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • 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 northeast)
    • 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
  • 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
  • South Orleans
    (3 miles [4.8 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
  • North Eastham
    (4 miles [6.4 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
    (4 miles [6.4 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
  • Chatham Port
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chatham Port. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham Port
    • Chatham Port 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
  • West Brewster
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for West Brewster. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Brewster
    • West Brewster is located in Barnstable County
  • North Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Chatham
    • North Chatham is located in Barnstable County
  • Chatham
    (8 miles [12.9 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
• Plymouth County
  • The following are listed by their distance from Rock Harbor, with the one closest to Rock Harbor listed first.
  • White Horse Beach
    (29 miles [46.7 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
  • 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

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

Cemeteries Near Rock Harbor ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rock Harbor.

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

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

• Orleans Cemetery
  (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Orleans Cemetery
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #ORL.800 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91405 <4>
• Cove Burying Ground
  (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cove Burying Ground
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #EAS.800 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #640806 <4>
• Crosby Family Cemetery
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crosby Family Cemetery
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Crosby Family Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the Crosby Family Cemetery is located outside and to the east of Brewster.
  • The Crosby Family Cemetery has also been known as:
  • Crosby Family Cemetery
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #BRE.801 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2199860 <4>
• Bridge Road Cemetery
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bridge Road Cemetery
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #EAS.803 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90812 <4>
• Foster Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Foster Cemetery
  • 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.
• Pine Grove Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Grove Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90996 <4>
• Soldiers Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Soldiers Cemetery
  • 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.
• Congregational and Soldiers Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Congregational and Soldiers Cemetery
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the Congregational and Soldiers Cemetery is located less than 2 miles<5> to the southeast of Eastham.
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #EAS.801 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91711 <4>
• Evergreen Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #EAS.802 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90956 <4>
• Brewster Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brewster Cemetery
  • The Brewster Cemetery has also been known as:
  • Brewster Lower Road Cemetery
  • Lower Road Cemetery
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #BRE.806 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90810 <4>
• Brewster Memorial Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brewster Memorial Cemetery
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the Brewster Memorial Cemetery is located outside and to the south of Brewster.
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2297198 <4>
• Dillingham Cemetery
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dillingham Cemetery
  • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #BRE.803 <3>
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90912 <4>
• Continue List   (98 more) ...
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #HRW.802 <3>
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #90952 <4>
  • Ouivett Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ouivett Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ouivett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Quivet Neck Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Quivet Neck Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Quivet Neck Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northeast of East Dennis.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91406 <4>

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>

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

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

• Orleans
  (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orleans
  • Orleans is located in Barnstable County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,802 people
• East Orleans
  (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • 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 northeast)
  • 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 Orleans
  (3 miles [4.8 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
• Brewster
  (4 miles [6.4 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
• 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
  (4 miles [6.4 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
• West Brewster
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for West Brewster. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
  • 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: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chatham Port. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham Port
  • Chatham Port 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   (14 more) ...
  • North Chatham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Chatham
    • North Chatham is located in Barnstable County
  • East Dennis
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Dennis
    • East Dennis is located in Barnstable County
  • Harwich
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harwich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harwich
    • Harwich is located in Barnstable County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,144 people

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

Newspapers Published in Rock Harbor ...

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 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rock Harbor.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rock Harbor, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rock Harbor.

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 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 Rock Harbor:

• 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

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

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

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