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 Bolsters Mills (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 Bolsters Mills. 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 Bolsters Mills ...
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 occur.
- A typical abbreviation for Bolsters Mills: Bolsters Mls. (or less commonly used: Bolsters Mlls.)
- While the name of this community is Bolsters Mills, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Bolsters Mills may originally have been Bolster's Mills.
Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Bolsters Mills might be written as Bolster Mills.
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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Bolsters Mills is located in Cumberland County.
To see how the shape of Maine's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Cumberland County: Androscoggin, Oxford, Sagadahoc & York.
Below are the counties that are near Bolsters Mills. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Bolsters Mills:
- Cumberland County (The home county of Bolsters Mills)
- The following are listed by their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- Otisfield
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Otisfield is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otisfield
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,819 people
- Harrison
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Cobb Cove
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Cobb Cove is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobb Cove
- North Bridgton
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Bridgton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Casco
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Sandy Creek
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Sandy Creek is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Creek
- Naples
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Crescent Lake
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Crescent Lake is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent Lake
- South Bridgton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- South Bridgton is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Bridgton
- West Bridgton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- West Bridgton is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Bridgton
- South Casco
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Shaker Village
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Shaker Village is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaker Village
- Androscoggin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- West Poland
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Mechanic Falls
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Poland
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Moussam
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Moussam is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moussam
- West Minot
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- West Minot is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Minot
- East Poland
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- East Poland is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Poland
- Minot
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Minot is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minot
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,595 people
- West Auburn
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- West Auburn is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Auburn
- Littlefield Corner
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Littlefield Corner is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littlefield Corner
- North Auburn
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- North Auburn is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Auburn
- Danville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Danville is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danville
- Rumford Junction
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Rumford Junction is located in Androscoggin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rumford Junction
- Auburn
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Kennebec County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- Monmouth
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- North Monmouth
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- South Monmouth
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- South Monmouth is located in Kennebec County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Monmouth
- Wayne
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Oxford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- East Otisfield
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- East Otisfield is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Otisfield
- Spurrs Corner
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Spurrs Corner is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spurrs Corner
- Oxford
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- South Waterford
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Norway
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Waterford
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Waterford is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,602 people
- Waterford has also been known as:
- Sweats Island
- Sweet Island
- Swetts Island
- Waterford Flat
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waterford <2>
- South Paris
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- North Norway
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- North Norway is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Norway
- Sweden
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Sweden is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweden
- Population from the 2020 Census: 413 people
- Hebron
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Paris
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Paris is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paris
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,162 people
- North Waterford
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- East Denmark
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- East Denmark is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Denmark
- Sagadahoc County
- Pejepscot
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Pejepscot is located in Sagadahoc County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pejepscot
- York County
- The following are listed by their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- Cornish
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- North Limington
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- North Limington is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Limington
- East Limington
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- East Limington is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Limington
- Limington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Chicopee
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Chicopee is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicopee
- South Limington
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- South Limington is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Limington
- Kimbles Corner
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Kimbles Corner is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimbles Corner
- East Parsonsfield
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- East Parsonsfield is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Parsonsfield
- North Parsonsfield
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- North Parsonsfield is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Parsonsfield
- Carroll County (NH)
- The following are listed by their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- Chatham
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- South Chatham
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- South Chatham is located in Carroll County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Chatham
- Center Conway
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Eaton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Kearsarge
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Kearsarge is located in Carroll County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kearsarge
- North Conway
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Conway
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Intervale
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Intervale is located in Carroll County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Intervale
- Jackson
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Hale's Location
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Hale's Location is located in Carroll County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hale's Location
- Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
- East Madison
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- East Madison is located in Carroll County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Madison
- Freedom
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jericho
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Jericho is located in Carroll County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jericho
- Coos County (NH)
- The following are listed by their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- Beans Purchase
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Beans Purchase is located in Coos County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beans Purchase
- Shelburne
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Bolsters Mills, see our County-by-County Page for Bolsters Mills.
Cemeteries Near Bolsters Mills ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bolsters Mills.
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 Bolsters Mills - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Bolsters Mills covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- Ryefield Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Oakdale Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Highland Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Maple Ridge Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Elmwood Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Finnish Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Willard Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Center Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Finnish Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Wight Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Richville Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Noyes Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (468 more) ...
- Deer Hill Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Woodsum Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Trafton Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Bolsters Mills had a population of 87 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Bolsters Mills, with the one closest to Bolsters Mills listed first.
- Otisfield
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Otisfield is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otisfield
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,819 people
- East Otisfield
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- East Otisfield is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Otisfield
- Harrison
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- North Bridgton
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Oxford
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Welchville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Welchville is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welchville
- Norway Lake
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Norway Lake is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norway Lake
- South Waterford
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Bridgton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- East Waterford
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- East Waterford is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Waterford
- Norway
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Waterford
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Waterford is located in Oxford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,602 people
- Waterford has also been known as:
- Sweats Island
- Sweet Island
- Swetts Island
- Waterford Flat
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waterford <2>
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Sandy Creek
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Sandy Creek is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Creek
- Edes Falls
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Edes Falls is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edes Falls
- Casco
(8 miles [12.9 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 Bolsters Mills. See our List of 1890's Communities around Bolsters Mills.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Bolsters Mills ...
An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).
To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.
Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bolsters Mills.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Bolsters Mills. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Bolsters Mills and those printed in the larger area surrounding Bolsters Mills.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<4> of Bolsters Mills.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Bolsters Mills:
- Websites specific to Maine
- Pages specific to Cumberland County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Androscoggin County
- Kennebec County
- Oxford County
- Sagadahoc County
- York County
- Carroll County
- Coos County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Maine
Footnotes ...
| <1> | It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties). |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <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 Bolsters Mills, 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 from Point A (ie- Bolsters Mills) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |