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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 Van Buren (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 Van Buren. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Van Buren is located in Aroostook County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Aroostook County: Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset & Washington.

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

  • Aroostook County     (The home county of Van Buren)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Van Buren, with the one closest to Van Buren listed first.
    • Cyr Plantation
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cyr Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cyr Plantation
      • Cyr Plantation is located in Aroostook County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
    • Hamlin
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
      • Hamlin is located in Aroostook County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
    • Caswell
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caswell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caswell
      • Caswell is located in Aroostook County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
    • Lille
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lille
      • Lille is located in Aroostook County
    • Stockholm
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Grand Isle
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Isle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Isle
      • Grand Isle is located in Aroostook County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 427 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grand Isle <2>
    • North Lyndon
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Lyndon
      • North Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
    • Sinclair
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sinclair have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair
      • Sinclair is located in Aroostook County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sinclair <2>
    • Limestone
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limestone have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
      • Limestone is located in Aroostook County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,164 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Limestone <2>
    • New Sweden
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Sweden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Sweden
      • New Sweden is located in Aroostook County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 563 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Sweden <2>
    • Saint David
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint David have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint David
      • Saint David is located in Aroostook County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint David <2>
    • Barretts
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barretts
      • Barretts is located in Aroostook County
    • Saint Agatha
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Van Buren ...

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 9 newspapers that have been published in the area around Van Buren.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Van Buren. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Van Buren and those printed in the larger area surrounding Van Buren.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<3> of Van Buren.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Van Buren:

  • Genealogy information for nearby counties

Cemeteries Near Van Buren ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Van Buren.

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

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

  • Grand Riviere Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grand Riviere Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grand Riviere Cemetery
  • St. Bruno - St. Remi Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • St. Leonard Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • St. Leonard Parent Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Josephs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Josephs Cemetery
  • Assumption Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Notre Dame du Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Notre Dame du Mt. Carmel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Notre Dame du Mt. Carmel Cemetery
  • First St. Theresa Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the First St. Theresa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the First St. Theresa Cemetery
  • St. Theresas Catholic Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Assumption Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Stockholm Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stockholm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stockholm Cemetery
  • Continue List   (75 more) ...
    • Caldwell Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Caldwell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Caldwell Cemetery
    • Houghton Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Houghton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Houghton Cemetery
    • St. Gerard Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Van Buren had a population of 285 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Van Buren had a population of 1,983 people.

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

  • Hamlin
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
    • Hamlin is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
  • Caswell
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caswell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caswell
    • Caswell is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
  • Acadia
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Acadia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acadia
    • Acadia is located in Aroostook County
  • Jemtland
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jemtland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jemtland
    • Jemtland is located in Aroostook County
  • North Lyndon
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Lyndon
    • North Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
  • New Sweden
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Sweden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Sweden
    • New Sweden is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 563 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Sweden <2>
  • Limestone
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limestone have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
    • Limestone is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,164 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Limestone <2>
  • Saint David
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint David have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint David
    • Saint David is located in Aroostook County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint David <2>
  • Caribou
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caribou have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caribou
    • Caribou is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,622 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caribou <2>
  • Hurd
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hurd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurd
    • Hurd is located in Aroostook County
  • East Lyndon
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Lyndon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Lyndon
    • East Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
  • Frenchville
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frenchville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenchville
    • Frenchville is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,031 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Frenchville <2>
  • Continue List   (8 more) ...
    • Perham
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Upper Frenchville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Upper Frenchville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upper Frenchville
      • Upper Frenchville is located in Aroostook County
    • Roberts
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roberts have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts
      • Roberts is located in Aroostook County

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

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

The official website for Aroostook County: www.aroostook.me.us/

The official website for State of Maine: https://www.maine.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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Van Buren) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Van Buren. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.1573, Longitude: -67.9353       In this case, the coordinates for Van Buren have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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>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 Van Buren, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024