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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 Woodsboro (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 Woodsboro. 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 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.

Woodsboro is located in Frederick 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 Frederick County: Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, Washington, Adams (PA), Franklin (PA) & Loudoun (VA).

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

  • Frederick County     (The home county of Woodsboro)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Centerville
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
      • Centerville is located in Frederick County
    • New Midway
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Midway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Midway
      • New Midway is located in Frederick County
    • Daysville
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Ladiesburg
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ladiesburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ladiesburg
      • Ladiesburg is located in Frederick County
    • Deerfield
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Deerfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
      • Deerfield is located in Frederick County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Deerfield
      • From Woodsboro to Deerfield
    • Glade Town
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glade Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glade Town
      • Glade Town is located in Frederick County
    • Colony Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colony Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colony Village
      • Colony Village is located in Frederick County
    • Green Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Village
      • Green Village is located in Frederick County
    • Walkersville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walkersville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walkersville
      • Walkersville is located in Frederick County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,574 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walkersville <3>
    • Rocky Ridge
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Creagerstown
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Libertytown
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Libertytown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Libertytown
      • Libertytown is located in Frederick County
    • Discovery - Spring Garden
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Baltimore County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Fowblesburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Upperco
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Upperco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upperco
      • Upperco is located in Baltimore County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Upperco <3>
    • Woodensburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Boring
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boring have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boring
      • Boring is located in Baltimore County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boring <3>
    • Glen Morris
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glen Morris have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Morris
      • Glen Morris is located in Baltimore County
    • Glyndon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glyndon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glyndon
      • Glyndon is located in Baltimore County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glyndon <3>
    • Reisterstown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Delight
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delight have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delight
      • Delight is located in Baltimore County
    • Sagamore Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sagamore Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sagamore Village
      • Sagamore Village is located in Baltimore County
    • Saint Georges
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Trenton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Trenton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trenton
      • Trenton is located in Baltimore County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Trenton
      • From Woodsboro to Trenton
    • Granite
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Granite. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granite
      • Granite is located in Baltimore County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Granite
      • From Woodsboro to Granite
    • Hernwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Carroll County
  • Howard County
  • Montgomery County
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Highfield - Cascade
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Pondsville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Cavetown
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Pen Mar
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Smithsburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Mount Lena
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Lena have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Lena
      • Mount Lena is located in Washington County
    • Zittlestown
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Greenvale Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenvale Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenvale Village
      • Greenvale Village is located in Washington County
    • Mount Aetna
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Aetna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Aetna
      • Mount Aetna is located in Washington County
    • San Mar
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Mar have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Mar
      • San Mar is located in Washington County
    • Chewsville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chewsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chewsville
      • Chewsville is located in Washington County
    • Boonsboro
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boonsboro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boonsboro
      • Boonsboro is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,655 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boonsboro <3>
    • Leitersburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Adams County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Zora
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • 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.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zora
      • Zora is located in Adams County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Zora
      • From Woodsboro to Zora
    • Carroll Valley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • 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 <3>
    • Jacks Mountain
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Greenmount
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Kingsdale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Fairfield
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Virginia Mills
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Littlestown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Gettysburg
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Lake Heritage
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Heritage have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Heritage
      • Lake Heritage is located in Adams County (PA)
    • Whitehall
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Orrtanna
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orrtanna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orrtanna
      • Orrtanna is located in Adams County (PA)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Orrtanna <3>
    • Bonneauville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Franklin County (PA)
  • York County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Bandanna
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Pennville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pennville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pennville
      • Pennville is located in York County (PA)
    • West Manheim
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Hanover
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Parkville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parkville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkville
      • Parkville is located in York County (PA)
    • Blackrock
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Brodbecks
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brodbecks. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brodbecks
      • Brodbecks is located in York County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Brodbecks
      • From Woodsboro to Brodbecks
    • Glenville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Valley Junction
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Loudoun County (VA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Lovettsville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Lucketts
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Georges Mill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Georges Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Georges Mill
      • Georges Mill is located in Loudoun County (VA)
    • Bolington
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Morrisonville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Wheatland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wheatland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland
      • Wheatland is located in Loudoun County (VA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wheatland
      • From Woodsboro to Wheatland
  • Berkeley County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Scrabble
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scrabble have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scrabble
      • Scrabble is located in Berkeley County (WV)
    • Falling Waters
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Swan Pond
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Jefferson County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro listed first.
    • Harpers Ferry
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Lower Town
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • 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)
    • Bolivar
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Shepherdstown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • 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 <3>

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

Cemeteries Near Woodsboro ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Woodsboro.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Woodsboro, with the one closest to Woodsboro 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.<7>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Woodsboro had a population of 1,000 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Woodsboro had a population of 1,302 people.

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

  • Daysville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • New Midway
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Midway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Midway
    • New Midway is located in Frederick County
  • Walkersville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walkersville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walkersville
    • Walkersville is located in Frederick County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,574 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walkersville <3>
  • Deerfield
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Deerfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
    • Deerfield is located in Frederick County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Deerfield
    • From Woodsboro to Deerfield
  • Ladiesburg
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ladiesburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ladiesburg
    • Ladiesburg is located in Frederick County
  • Johnsville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Johnsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsville
    • Johnsville is located in Frederick County
  • Rocky Ridge
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Creagerstown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Hansonville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hansonville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hansonville
    • Hansonville is located in Frederick County
  • Fountain Rock
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fountain Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fountain Rock
    • Fountain Rock is located in Frederick County
  • Mount Pleasant
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Pleasant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
    • Mount Pleasant is located in Frederick County
  • Loys
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loys have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loys
    • Loys is located in Frederick County
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Lewistown
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lewistown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewistown
      • Lewistown is located in Frederick County
    • Charlesville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Middleburg
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middleburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleburg
      • Middleburg is located in Carroll County

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

Newspapers Published in Woodsboro ...

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 6 newspapers that have been published in the area around Woodsboro.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Woodsboro, there are papers which were published within 7 miles [11.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Woodsboro.

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 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 Woodsboro:

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Woodsboro) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Woodsboro. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.5339, Longitude: -77.3148    
<6>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.
<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 Woodsboro, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.