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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 Brightmoor (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 Brightmoor. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals 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.

Brightmoor is located in Wayne County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wayne County: Macomb, Monroe, Oakland & Washtenaw.

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

  • Wayne County     (The home county of Brightmoor)
  • Livingston County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brightmoor, with the one closest to Brightmoor listed first.
    • Green Oak
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Green Oak. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Oak
      • Green Oak is located in Livingston County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Green Oak
      • From Brightmoor to Green Oak
    • Whitmore Lake
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitmore Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitmore Lake
      • Whitmore Lake is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitmore Lake <3>
    • Brighton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Hamburg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamburg
      • Hamburg is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hamburg <3>
    • Lakeland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Macomb County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brightmoor, with the one closest to Brightmoor listed first.
    • Dalton Corners ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Center Line
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Center Line have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Line
      • Center Line is located in Macomb County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,090 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Center Line <3>
    • Van Dyke ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Van Dyke. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Dyke
      • Van Dyke is located in Macomb County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Van Dyke
      • From Brightmoor to Van Dyke
    • Warren
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warren have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren
      • Warren is located in Macomb County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 132,877 people
      • Warren has also been known as:
      • Cottageville
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Warren <3>
    • Spinnings ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Spinnings. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spinnings
      • Spinnings is located in Macomb County
      • Spinnings has also been known as:
      • Spinning
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Spinnings
      • From Brightmoor to Spinnings
    • Eastpointe
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eastpointe have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastpointe
      • Eastpointe is located in Macomb County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 31,720 people
      • Former names for Eastpointe:
      • East Detroit
      • Half-Way
      • Halfway
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eastpointe <3>
    • Sterling Heights
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sterling Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterling Heights
      • Sterling Heights is located in Macomb County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 131,709 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sterling Heights <3>
    • Plumb Brook ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Plumb Brook. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plumb Brook
      • Plumb Brook is located in Macomb County
      • Plumb Brook has also been known as:
      • Plum Brook
      • Plumbrook Village
      • Plumbrook
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Plumb Brook
      • From Brightmoor to Plumb Brook
    • Roseville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Cady ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Dresden Village ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Fraser
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fraser have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fraser
      • Fraser is located in Macomb County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,331 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fraser <3>
  • Monroe County
  • Oakland County
  • Washtenaw County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brightmoor, with the one closest to Brightmoor listed first.
    • Salem
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Rawsonville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Ypsilanti
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Dixboro
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Willis
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willis
      • Willis is located in Washtenaw County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Willis <3>
    • Emery
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Emery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emery
      • Emery is located in Washtenaw County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Emery
      • From Brightmoor to Emery
    • Whittaker
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Stony Creek
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Ann Arbor
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Barton Hills
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barton Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barton Hills
      • Barton Hills is located in Washtenaw County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
    • Pittsfield
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pittsfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsfield
      • Pittsfield is located in Washtenaw County
      • Pittsfield has also been known as:
      • Pittsfield Village
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pittsfield
      • From Brightmoor to Pittsfield
    • Delhi Mills
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Brightmoor ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brightmoor.

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

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

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>

While we didn't find Brightmoor in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Brightmoor.

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

  • Oak
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak
    • Oak is located in Wayne County
  • Redford
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Redford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redford
    • Redford is located in Wayne County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Redford <3>
  • Beech
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Beech. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech
    • Beech is located in Wayne County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Beech
    • From Brightmoor to Beech
  • Elm
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elm have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm
    • Elm is located in Wayne County
  • Livonia
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Southfield
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Stark
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stark have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stark
    • Stark is located in Wayne County
  • Dearborn
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Inkster
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Highland Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Royal Oak
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Farmington
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Franklin
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Delray
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delray have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delray
      • Delray is located in Wayne County
    • Wayne
      (10 miles [16.1 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 Brightmoor. See our List of 1890's Communities around Brightmoor.

Newspapers Published in Brightmoor ...

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 73 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brightmoor.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Brightmoor, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Brightmoor.

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 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 Brightmoor:

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

The official website for Wayne County: www.waynecounty.com/

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Brightmoor, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Brightmoor) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Brightmoor. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.3979, Longitude: -83.2459    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025