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 West Forks (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 West Forks. 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 West Forks ...
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.
For example, a typical abbreviation for West Forks: W. Forks
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 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 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.
West Forks is located in Somerset 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 Somerset County: Franklin, Kennebec, Penobscot, Piscataquis & Waldo.
Below are the counties that are near West Forks. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to West Forks:
- Somerset County (The home county of West Forks)
- The following are listed by their distance from West Forks, with the one closest to West Forks listed first.
- West Forks Plantation
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- West Forks Plantation is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Forks Plantation
- Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
- The Forks
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- The Forks is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Forks
- Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
- The Forks has also been known as:
- The Forks Plantation
- Plantation of The Forks
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for The Forks <1>
- Caratunk
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Long Pond
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Long Pond is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Pond
- Mackamp
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Mackamp is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mackamp
- Somerset Junction
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Somerset Junction is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somerset Junction
- Jackman
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Pleasant Ridge Plantation
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Pleasant Ridge Plantation is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Ridge Plantation
- Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
- Moose River
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Moose River is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moose River
- Population from the 2020 Census: 207 people
- Highland Plantation
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Highland Plantation is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Plantation
- Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
- Holeb
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Holeb is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holeb
- Moscow
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Franklin County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Forks, with the one closest to West Forks listed first.
- Bigelow
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bigelow is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigelow
- Carrabassett Valley
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Eustis
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Stratton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Kingfield
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Coplin Plantation
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Coplin Plantation is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coplin Plantation
- Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
- Lowelltown
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Lowelltown is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lowelltown
- Piscataquis County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Forks, with the one closest to West Forks listed first.
- Shirley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Shirley is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
- Greenville Junction
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Shirley Mills
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Shirley Mills is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley Mills
- Moosehead
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Moosehead is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moosehead
- Lower Shirley Corner
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Lower Shirley Corner is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Shirley Corner
- Upper Shirley Corner
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Upper Shirley Corner is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upper Shirley Corner
- Greenville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Beaver Cove
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Beaver Cove is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Cove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 117 people
- Kingsbury
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Kingsbury is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsbury
- Monson
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Kingsbury Plantation
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Kingsbury Plantation is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsbury Plantation
- Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
- Lily Bay
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Lily Bay is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lily Bay
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to West Forks, see our County-by-County Page for West Forks.
Cemeteries Near West Forks ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of West Forks.
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 West Forks - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for West Forks covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from West Forks, with the one closest to West Forks listed first.
- Flagstaff Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Shirley Mills Cemetery
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Greenville Cemetery
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- St. Josephs Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- St. Josephs Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Union Cemetery
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Baker Cemetery
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baker Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Baker Cemetery is located less than 2 miles<2> to the northeast of Bingham.
- The Baker Cemetery has also been known as:
- Sugartown Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2354971 <3>
- Eustis Cemetery
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Flagstaff Cemetery
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bingham Village Cemetery
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Foss Hill Cemetery
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hillside Cemetery
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Continue List (4 more) ...
- Lake Road Cemetery
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Monson Cemetery
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
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.<4>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, West Forks had a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from West Forks, with the one closest to West Forks listed first.
- The Forks
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- The Forks is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Forks
- Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
- The Forks has also been known as:
- The Forks Plantation
- Plantation of The Forks
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for The Forks <1>
- Mackamp
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Mackamp is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mackamp
- Long Pond
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Long Pond is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Pond
- Jackman
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Shirley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Shirley is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
- Shirley Mills
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Shirley Mills is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley Mills
- Greenville Junction
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Moosehead
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Moosehead is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moosehead
- Moose River
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Moose River is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moose River
- Population from the 2020 Census: 207 people
- Greenville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Blanchard
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Blanchard is located in Piscataquis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanchard
- Holeb
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Holeb is located in Somerset County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holeb
- Continue List (9 more) ...
- Bingham
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Stratton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Eustis
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around West Forks. See our List of 1890's Communities around West Forks.
Newspapers Published in West Forks ...
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 11 newspapers that have been published in the area around West Forks.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of West Forks, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for West Forks.
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 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 West Forks:
- Websites specific to Maine
- Pages specific to Somerset County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Franklin County
- Piscataquis County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Maine
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | 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 from Point A (ie- West Forks) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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 West Forks, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |