RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Maine >> York County >> Wells Branch >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Maine

The Commemorative Quarter for Maine





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 Wells Branch (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 Wells Branch. 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 Wells Branch ...

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.

  • A typical abbreviation for Wells Branch: Wells Br. (or less commonly used: Wells Brnch.)
  • While the name of this community is Wells Branch, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Wells Branch may originally have been Well's Branch.

    Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Wells Branch might be written as Well Branch.

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 and doctors 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.

Wells Branch is located in York 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 York County: Cumberland, Oxford, Carroll (NH), Rockingham (NH) & Strafford (NH).

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

  • York County     (The home county of Wells Branch)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wells Branch, with the one closest to Wells Branch listed first.
    • Kennebunk
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • West Kennebunk
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Kennebunk have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Kennebunk
      • West Kennebunk is located in York County
    • Elms
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elms. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elms
      • Elms is located in York County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elms
      • From Wells Branch to Elms
    • Wells
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Kennebunk Landing
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Days Mill
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Charles Chase Corner
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Arundel
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arundel have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arundel
      • Arundel is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,457 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arundel <2>
    • Kennebunkport
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Lower Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lower Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Village
      • Lower Village is located in York County
    • Town House Corners
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Moody
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moody have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moody
      • Moody is located in York County
  • Cumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wells Branch, with the one closest to Wells Branch listed first.
    • Grand Beach
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Beach
      • Grand Beach is located in Cumberland County
    • Prouts Neck
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • West Scarborough
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Danish Village ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Danish Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danish Village
      • Danish Village is located in Cumberland County
    • Scarborough
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scarborough have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scarborough
      • Scarborough is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,527 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scarborough <2>
    • North Scarborough
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Gorham
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gorham have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gorham
      • Gorham is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,962 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gorham <2>
    • Lone Creek Village ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lone Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Creek Village
      • Lone Creek Village is located in Cumberland County
    • Cape Elizabeth
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Pleasantdale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Stroudwater
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Sagamore Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sagamore Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sagamore Village
      • Sagamore Village is located in Cumberland County
  • Carroll County (NH)
  • Rockingham County (NH)
  • Strafford County (NH)

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

Cemeteries Near Wells Branch ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wells Branch.

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

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

  • Mitchell - Hatch Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Ocean View Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ocean View Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ocean View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hope Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Russell Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Russell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Russell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jackson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jackson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jackson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Home Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Home Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Littlefield Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Littlefield Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Littlefield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Arundel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Arundel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Arundel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Clay Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clay Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clay Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (241 more) ...

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 Wells Branch had a population of 23 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Elms
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elms. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elms
    • Elms is located in York County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Elms
    • From Wells Branch to Elms
  • Kennebunk
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • West Kennebunk
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Kennebunk have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Kennebunk
    • West Kennebunk is located in York County
  • Wells
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Wells Beach
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wells Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells Beach
    • Wells Beach is located in York County
  • Kennebunk Beach
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kennebunk Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kennebunk Beach
    • Kennebunk Beach is located in York County
  • Kennebunkport
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Arundel
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arundel have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arundel
    • Arundel is located in York County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,457 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arundel <2>
  • South Sanford
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Sanford have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Sanford
    • South Sanford is located in York County
  • North Berwick
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Ogunquit
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Cape Porpoise
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (19 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Wells Branch ...

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 82 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wells Branch.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Wells Branch, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Wells Branch.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Wells Branch:

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

The official website for York County: www.co.york.me.us/

The official website for State of Maine: https://www.maine.gov/

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>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.
<4>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.
<5>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.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Wells Branch) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Wells Branch. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.3736, Longitude: -70.6002       In this case, the coordinates for Wells Branch have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Wells Branch, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025