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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 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 have occurred.

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 northeast 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 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.

West Forks is located in Somerset 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 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)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Forks Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Forks Plantation
      • West Forks Plantation is located in Somerset County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
    • The Forks
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Forks
      • The Forks is located in Somerset County
      • 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 <2>
    • Caratunk
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Long Pond
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Pond
      • Long Pond is located in Somerset County
    • Mackamp
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mackamp have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mackamp
      • Mackamp is located in Somerset County
    • Somerset Junction
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somerset Junction
      • Somerset Junction is located in Somerset County
    • Jackman
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jackman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackman
      • Jackman is located in Somerset County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 813 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jackman <2>
    • Pleasant Ridge Plantation
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Ridge Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Ridge Plantation
      • Pleasant Ridge Plantation is located in Somerset County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
    • Moose River
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moose River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moose River
      • Moose River is located in Somerset County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 207 people
    • Highland Plantation
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Highland Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Plantation
      • Highland Plantation is located in Somerset County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
    • Holeb
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holeb have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holeb
      • Holeb is located in Somerset County
    • Moscow
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Bingham
      (24 miles [38.6 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)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigelow
      • Bigelow is located in Franklin County
    • Carrabassett Valley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carrabassett Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carrabassett Valley
      • Carrabassett Valley is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 788 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Carrabassett Valley <2>
    • Eustis
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Stratton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stratton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stratton
      • Stratton is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stratton <2>
    • Kingfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Coplin Plantation
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coplin Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coplin Plantation
      • Coplin Plantation is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
  • 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)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shirley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
      • Shirley is located in Piscataquis County
      • 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)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley Mills
      • Shirley Mills is located in Piscataquis County
    • Moosehead
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moosehead have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moosehead
      • Moosehead is located in Piscataquis County
    • Lower Shirley Corner
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Shirley Corner
      • Lower Shirley Corner is located in Piscataquis County
    • Upper Shirley Corner
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upper Shirley Corner
      • Upper Shirley Corner is located in Piscataquis County
    • Greenville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
      • Greenville is located in Piscataquis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,628 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenville <2>
    • Beaver Cove
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Cove
      • Beaver Cove is located in Piscataquis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 117 people
    • Monson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monson
      • Monson is located in Piscataquis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 665 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monson <2>
    • Kingsbury Plantation
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kingsbury Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsbury Plantation
      • Kingsbury Plantation is located in Piscataquis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
    • Lily Bay
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lily Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lily Bay
      • Lily Bay is located in Piscataquis County
    • Abbot
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abbot
      • Abbot is located in Piscataquis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 687 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Abbot <2>
    • Monson Junction
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monson Junction
      • Monson Junction is located in Piscataquis County

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to West Forks, see our County-by-County Page for 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]<3>. 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 like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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:

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.

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 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)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Flagstaff Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Flagstaff Cemetery
  • Shirley Mills Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shirley Mills Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shirley Mills Cemetery
  • Greenville Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenville Cemetery
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
  • Union Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
  • Eustis Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eustis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eustis Cemetery
  • Flagstaff Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Flagstaff Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Flagstaff Cemetery
  • Bingham Village Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Foss Hill Cemetery
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Foss Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Foss Hill Cemetery
    • Hillside Cemetery
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
    • Lake Road Cemetery
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lake Road Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake Road Cemetery
    • Monson Cemetery
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Monson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Monson Cemetery

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 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)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Forks
    • The Forks is located in Somerset County
    • 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 <2>
  • Mackamp
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mackamp have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mackamp
    • Mackamp is located in Somerset County
  • Long Pond
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Pond
    • Long Pond is located in Somerset County
  • Jackman
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jackman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackman
    • Jackman is located in Somerset County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 813 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jackman <2>
  • Shirley
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shirley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
    • Shirley is located in Piscataquis County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
  • Shirley Mills
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley Mills
    • Shirley Mills is located in Piscataquis County
  • Greenville Junction
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • Moosehead
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moosehead have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moosehead
    • Moosehead is located in Piscataquis County
  • Moose River
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moose River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moose River
    • Moose River is located in Somerset County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 207 people
  • Greenville
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
    • Greenville is located in Piscataquis County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,628 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenville <2>
  • Blanchard
    (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blanchard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanchard
    • Blanchard is located in Piscataquis County
  • Holeb
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holeb have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holeb
    • Holeb is located in Somerset County
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Bingham
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Stratton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stratton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stratton
      • Stratton is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stratton <2>
    • 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.

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

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- West Forks) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in West Forks. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.3970, Longitude: -70.0362       In this case, the coordinates for West Forks 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 West Forks, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024