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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 Clear Spring (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 Clear Spring. 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 Clear Spring ...

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 Clear Spring: Clear Spg. (or less commonly used: Clear Spng. or Clear Sprng.)

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.

Clear Spring is located in Washington County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Washington County: Allegany, Frederick, Franklin (PA), Fulton (PA), Loudoun (VA), Berkeley (WV), Jefferson (WV) & Morgan (WV).

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

  • Washington County     (The home county of Clear Spring)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring listed first.
    • Big Pool
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Pool have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Pool
      • Big Pool is located in Washington County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Big Pool <2>
    • Wilson - Conococheague
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Fairview
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fairview. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
      • Fairview is located in Washington County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fairview
      • From Clear Spring to Fairview
    • Huyett
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Williamsport
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsport
      • Williamsport is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,074 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Williamsport <2>
    • Halfway
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Halfway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halfway
      • Halfway is located in Washington County
    • Maugansville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Fountainhead - Orchard Hills
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Hagerstown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Long Meadow
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Meadow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Meadow
      • Long Meadow is located in Washington County
    • Woodcrest Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodcrest Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodcrest Village
      • Woodcrest Village is located in Washington County
    • Saint James Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint James Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint James Village
      • Saint James Village is located in Washington County
    • Saint James
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Allegany County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring listed first.
    • Little Orleans
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Orleans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Orleans
      • Little Orleans is located in Allegany County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Little Orleans <2>
    • Green Ridge
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Keifers
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Keifers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keifers
      • Keifers is located in Allegany County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Keifers
      • From Clear Spring to Keifers
  • Frederick County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring listed first.
    • Frostown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Myersville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myersville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myersville
      • Myersville is located in Frederick County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,884 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Myersville <2>
    • Bolivar
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bolivar. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolivar
      • Bolivar is located in Frederick County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bolivar
      • From Clear Spring to Bolivar
    • Burkittsville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burkittsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burkittsville
      • Burkittsville is located in Frederick County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burkittsville <2>
    • Sabillasville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sabillasville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabillasville
      • Sabillasville is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sabillasville <2>
    • Middletown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middletown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
      • Middletown is located in Frederick County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,910 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Middletown <2>
    • Knoxville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Knoxville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knoxville
      • Knoxville is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Knoxville <2>
    • Catoctin Furnace
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Mountaindale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Thurmont
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Petersville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Rosemont
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Yellow Springs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Adams County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring listed first.
    • Jacks Mountain
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Carroll Valley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carroll Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carroll Valley
      • Carroll Valley is located in Adams County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,930 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Carroll Valley <2>
    • Fairfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Zora
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Zora. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zora
      • Zora is located in Adams County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Zora
      • From Clear Spring to Zora
  • Bedford County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring listed first.
    • Robinsonville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Purcell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Breezewood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Breezewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breezewood
      • Breezewood is located in Bedford County (PA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Breezewood <2>
    • Everett
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Everett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Everett
      • Everett is located in Bedford County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,717 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Everett <2>
  • Franklin County (PA)
  • Fulton County (PA)
  • Clarke County (VA)
  • Frederick County (VA)
  • Loudoun County (VA)
  • Berkeley County (WV)
  • Hampshire County (WV)
    • Good
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Good. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good
      • Good is located in Hampshire County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Good
      • From Clear Spring to Good
  • Jefferson County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring listed first.
    • Shepherdstown
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shepherdstown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shepherdstown
      • Shepherdstown is located in Jefferson County (WV)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,922 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shepherdstown <2>
    • Bardane
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Jefferson Village
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jefferson Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson Village
      • Jefferson Village is located in Jefferson County (WV)
    • Middleway
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Bolivar
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bolivar have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolivar
      • Bolivar is located in Jefferson County (WV)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,018 people
    • Charles Town
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Ranson
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ranson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ranson
      • Ranson is located in Jefferson County (WV)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,360 people
      • Ranson has also been known as:
      • Corporation of Ranson
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ranson <2>
    • Harpers Ferry
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Lower Town
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lower Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Town
      • Lower Town is located in Jefferson County (WV)
    • Bloomery
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Summit Point
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Kabletown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Morgan County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring listed first.
    • Cherry Run
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Holton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Holton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holton
      • Holton is located in Morgan County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Holton
      • From Clear Spring to Holton
    • Sleepy Creek
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Hancock
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Bath
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bath have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
      • Bath is located in Morgan County (WV)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 587 people
    • Berkeley Springs
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Berryville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Oakland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oakland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
      • Oakland is located in Morgan County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Oakland
      • From Clear Spring to Oakland
    • Woodmont
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Woodmont. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodmont
      • Woodmont is located in Morgan County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Woodmont
      • From Clear Spring to Woodmont
    • Orleans Cross Roads
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Doe Gully
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Doe Gully. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doe Gully
      • Doe Gully is located in Morgan County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Doe Gully
      • From Clear Spring to Doe Gully
    • Hansrote
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hansrote. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hansrote
      • Hansrote is located in Morgan County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hansrote
      • From Clear Spring to Hansrote
    • Magnolia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Clear Spring ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Clear Spring.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Clear Spring, with the one closest to Clear Spring 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Clear Spring had a population of 827 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Clear Spring had a population of 362 people.

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

  • Four Locks
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Four Locks have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Locks
    • Four Locks is located in Washington County
  • Indian Springs
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Springs
    • Indian Springs is located in Washington County
  • Green Spring Furnace
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Spring Furnace have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Spring Furnace
    • Green Spring Furnace is located in Washington County
  • Conococheague
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Conococheague have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conococheague
    • Conococheague is located in Washington County
  • Ernstville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ernstville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ernstville
    • Ernstville is located in Washington County
  • Cherry Run
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Little Georgetown
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • North Mountain
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Mountain have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Mountain
    • North Mountain is located in Berkeley County (WV)
  • Spring Mills
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Mills
    • Spring Mills is located in Berkeley County (WV)
  • Marlowe
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marlowe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlowe
    • Marlowe is located in Berkeley County (WV)
  • Fairview
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fairview. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
    • Fairview is located in Washington County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Fairview
    • From Clear Spring to Fairview
  • Hedgesville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Clear Spring ...

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 62 newspapers that have been published in the area around Clear Spring.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Clear Spring, there are papers which were published within 11 miles [17.7 km]<7>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Clear Spring.

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 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 Clear Spring:

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

The official website for Washington County: www.washco-md.net/

The official website for State of Maryland: https://www.maryland.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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<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 Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) has created and maintains a database of historic properties that is called MIHP (for the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties). More information about the MHT and MIHP can be found on their website: mht.maryland.gov.
<6>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 Clear Spring, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Clear Spring) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Clear Spring. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.6561, Longitude: -77.9318    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Mar 2025