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The Commemorative Quarter for Massachusetts





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 South Lancaster (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 South Lancaster. 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 South Lancaster ...

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 South Lancaster: S. Lancaster

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 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.

South Lancaster is located in Worcester County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Worcester County: Tolland (CT), Windham (CT), Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Cheshire (NH), Hillsborough (NH) & Providence (RI).

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

  • Worcester County     (The home county of South Lancaster)
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Lancaster, with the one closest to South Lancaster listed first.
    • North Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Village
      • North Village is located in Worcester County
    • Lancaster
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Clinton
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Seventh Day Adventist Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seventh Day Adventist Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seventh Day Adventist Village
      • Seventh Day Adventist Village is located in Worcester County
    • Pratts Junction
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Boylston
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boylston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boylston
      • Boylston is located in Worcester County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,728 people
    • Sterling
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Bolton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Still River
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Berlin
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berlin
      • Berlin is located in Worcester County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,731 people
    • Carterville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Sterling Junction
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Essex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Lancaster, with the one closest to South Lancaster listed first.
    • Haggetts
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Lowell Junction
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Hampshire County
    • Ware
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Middlesex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Lancaster, with the one closest to South Lancaster listed first.
    • Shaker Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shaker Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaker Village
      • Shaker Village is located in Middlesex County
    • Shirley
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Hudson
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hudson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudson
      • Hudson is located in Middlesex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19,732 people
    • Boxborough
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Stow
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Ayer
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Marlborough
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Lower Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lower Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Village
      • Lower Village is located in Middlesex County
    • Littleton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Littleton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littleton
      • Littleton is located in Middlesex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,253 people
    • Marlborough Junction
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • West Groton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Groton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Groton
      • West Groton is located in Middlesex County
    • Centre Village ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centre Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centre Village
      • Centre Village is located in Middlesex County
  • Norfolk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Lancaster, with the one closest to South Lancaster listed first.
    • Wellesley Hills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wellesley Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellesley Hills
      • Wellesley Hills is located in Norfolk County
    • Wellesley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wellesley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellesley
      • Wellesley is located in Norfolk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 28,684 people
    • Babson Park
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Babson Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Babson Park
      • Babson Park is located in Norfolk County
    • Dover
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dover. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
      • Dover is located in Norfolk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,119 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dover
      • From South Lancaster to Dover
    • Charles River Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Medway
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Millis
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millis
      • Millis is located in Norfolk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,519 people
    • Needham Heights
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Needham Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Needham Heights
      • Needham Heights is located in Norfolk County
    • Needham
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Needham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Needham
      • Needham is located in Norfolk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 31,537 people
    • Bellingham
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Medfield
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medfield
      • Medfield is located in Norfolk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,011 people
    • Rockville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Suffolk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Lancaster, with the one closest to South Lancaster listed first.
    • Brighton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Allston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allston
      • Allston is located in Suffolk County
    • West Roxbury
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Jamaica Plain
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Roslindale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Stonybrook Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stonybrook Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonybrook Village
      • Stonybrook Village is located in Suffolk County
  • Windham County (CT)
  • Cheshire County (NH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Lancaster, with the one closest to South Lancaster listed first.
    • Rindge
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • West Rindge
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jaffrey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jaffrey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jaffrey
      • Jaffrey is located in Cheshire County (NH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,287 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jaffrey <3>
  • Hillsborough County (NH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Lancaster, with the one closest to South Lancaster listed first.
    • Hollis Depot
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Brookline
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Hollis
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hollis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollis
      • Hollis is located in Hillsborough County (NH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,123 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hollis <3>
    • Mason
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mason have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason
      • Mason is located in Hillsborough County (NH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,433 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mason <3>
    • New Ipswich
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Ipswich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Ipswich
      • New Ipswich is located in Hillsborough County (NH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,429 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Ipswich <3>
    • Greenville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Nashua
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • South Merrimack
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Hudson
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • East Milford
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Milford
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Pelham
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pelham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pelham
      • Pelham is located in Hillsborough County (NH)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,306 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pelham <3>

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

Cemeteries Near South Lancaster ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of South Lancaster.

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

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

  • St. John's Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Old Settlers Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Settlers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Settlers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Settlers Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Settlers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Settlers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Middle Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Middle Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Middle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Middle Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Middle Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Middle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Eastwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eastwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eastwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Eastwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • West Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Village Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Village Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Village Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Village Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Village Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Village Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Friends Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Friends Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Friends Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (560 more) ...
    • Oak Hill Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hillside Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Oak Hill Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<7>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, South Lancaster had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Clinton
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Lancaster
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • North Village
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Village
    • North Village is located in Worcester County
  • Boylston
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boylston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boylston
    • Boylston is located in Worcester County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,728 people
  • Sterling
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • West Berlin
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Berlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Berlin
    • West Berlin is located in Worcester County
  • Berlin
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berlin
    • Berlin is located in Worcester County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,731 people
  • Bolton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Still River
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Gates Crossing
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gates Crossing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gates Crossing
    • Gates Crossing is located in Worcester County
  • Sterling Junction
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • South Bolton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Bolton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Bolton
    • South Bolton is located in Worcester County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Oakdale
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakdale
      • Oakdale is located in Worcester County
    • Boylston Center
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • South Berlin
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in South Lancaster ...

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 173 newspapers that have been published in the area around South Lancaster.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of South Lancaster, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for South Lancaster.

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 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 South Lancaster:

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

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

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<5>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.

<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- South Lancaster) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in South Lancaster. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.4431, Longitude: -71.6855    
<7>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 South Lancaster, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025