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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 The Springs (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 The Springs. 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 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.

The Springs is located in Barnstable County.

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

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

  • Barnstable County     (The home county of The Springs)
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Springs, with the one closest to The Springs listed first.
    • East Sandwich
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • East Sandwich is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Sandwich
    • Sandwich
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Sandwich is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandwich
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 20,151 people
    • Plowed Neck
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Plowed Neck is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plowed Neck
    • Sagamore
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Sagamore is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sagamore
    • Forestdale
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Forestdale is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forestdale
    • Sagamore Beach
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Sagamore Beach is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sagamore Beach
    • Mashpee
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Mashpee is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mashpee
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,266 people
    • West Barnstable
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • West Barnstable is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Barnstable
    • Bourne
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Bourne is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bourne
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19,743 people
    • Barnstable Town
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Barnstable Town is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barnstable Town
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 44,535 people
    • Marstons Mills
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Marstons Mills is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marstons Mills
    • Buzzards Bay
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Buzzards Bay is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buzzards Bay
    • Monument Beach
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Monument Beach is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monument Beach
  • Bristol County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Springs, with the one closest to The Springs listed first.
    • Long Plain
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Long Plain is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Plain
    • Acushnet Center
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Acushnet Center is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acushnet Center
    • Acushnet
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Acushnet is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acushnet
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,673 people
    • Clifford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Clifford is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clifford
    • Fairhaven
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Fairhaven is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairhaven
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,103 people
    • Acushnet Station ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Acushnet Station is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acushnet Station
    • East Freetown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • East Freetown is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Freetown
    • New Bedford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • New Bedford is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Bedford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 95,517 people
    • Bliss Corner
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Bliss Corner is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bliss Corner
    • Braleys
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Braleys is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braleys
    • South Dartmouth
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • South Dartmouth is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Dartmouth
    • Apponagansett
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Apponagansett is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apponagansett
    • North Dartmouth
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • North Dartmouth is located in Bristol County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Dartmouth
  • Dukes County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Springs, with the one closest to The Springs listed first.
    • West Chop
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • West Chop is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Chop
    • Oak Bluffs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Oak Bluffs is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Bluffs
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,696 people
    • Tisbury
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Tisbury is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tisbury
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,128 people
    • Vineyard Haven
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Vineyard Haven is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vineyard Haven
    • Edgartown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Edgartown is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgartown
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,383 people
    • Christian Town
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Christian Town is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christian Town
    • Gosnold
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Gosnold is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gosnold
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 75 people
    • North Tisbury
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • North Tisbury is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Tisbury
    • Katama
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Katama is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Katama
    • West Tisbury
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • West Tisbury is located in Dukes County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Tisbury
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,927 people
  • Plymouth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Springs, with the one closest to The Springs listed first.
    • White Island Shores
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • White Island Shores is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Island Shores
    • Onset
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Onset is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onset
    • East Wareham
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • East Wareham is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Wareham
    • Onset Station
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Onset Station is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onset Station
    • Manomet
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Manomet is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manomet
    • Wareham Center
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Wareham Center is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wareham Center
    • Wareham
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Wareham is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wareham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 22,778 people
    • White Horse Beach
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • White Horse Beach is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Horse Beach
    • Briarwood Beach
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Briarwood Beach is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briarwood Beach
    • Weweantic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Weweantic is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weweantic
    • Cranberry Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Cranberry Village is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cranberry Village
    • Marion
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Marion is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marion
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,189 people
    • Pine Tree Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Pine Tree Village is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Tree Village

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

Cemeteries Near The Springs ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of The Springs.

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 The Springs - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

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

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

  • East Sandwich
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • East Sandwich is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Sandwich
  • Sandwich
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Sandwich is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandwich
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 20,151 people
  • Forestdale
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Forestdale is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forestdale
  • Sagamore
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sagamore is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sagamore
  • Bournedale
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Bournedale is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bournedale
  • Mashpee
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Mashpee is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mashpee
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,266 people
  • West Barnstable
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • West Barnstable is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Barnstable
  • Bourne
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Bourne is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bourne
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 19,743 people
  • Monument Beach
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Monument Beach is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monument Beach
  • Marstons Mills
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Marstons Mills is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marstons Mills
  • Buzzards Bay
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Buzzards Bay is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buzzards Bay
  • Pocasset
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Pocasset is located in Barnstable County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pocasset
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Cataumet
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Cataumet is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cataumet
    • Hatchville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Hatchville is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatchville
    • Osterville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Osterville is located in Barnstable County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osterville

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

Newspapers Published in The Springs ...

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 The Springs.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of The Springs, 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 The Springs.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 The Springs:

Footnotes ...

<1>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.

<2>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.
<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 The Springs, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- The Springs) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.