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 French Town (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 French Town. 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 hospitals 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.
French Town is located in Oceana County.
To see how the shape of Michigan's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Oceana County: Lake, Mason, Muskegon & Newaygo.
Below are the counties that are near French Town. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to French Town:
- Oceana County (The home county of French Town)
- The following are listed by their distance from French Town, with the one closest to French Town listed first.
- Pentwater
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Mears
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Hart
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Shelby
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Elbridge
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Elbridge is located in Oceana County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elbridge
- Cobmoosa
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Cobmoosa is located in Oceana County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobmoosa
- Cobmoosa has also been known as:
- Cob Moo Sa
- New Era
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Walkerville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Ferry
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Ferry is located in Oceana County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferry
- Camp Claybanks ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Camp Claybanks is located in Oceana County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Claybanks
- Rothbury
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Hesperia
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Lake County
- The following are listed by their distance from French Town, with the one closest to French Town listed first.
- Sauble
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Sauble is located in Lake County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sauble
- Baldwin
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Marlborough
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Marlborough is located in Lake County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlborough
- Mason County
- The following are listed by their distance from French Town, with the one closest to French Town listed first.
- Meisenheimer Corners
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- White Pine Village ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- White Pine Village is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Pine Village
- Wiley
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Wiley is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiley
- Wiley has also been known as:
- Wileys
- Buttersville ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Buttersville is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buttersville
- Ludington
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Fern
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Fern is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Fern has also been known as:
- Adamsville
- Amber
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Amber is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amber
- Amber has also been known as:
- Slaughtburg
- Scottville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Scottville is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scottville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,209 people
- Scottville has also been known as:
- Mason Center
- Sweetland
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scottville <1>
- Piney Ridge
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Piney Ridge is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piney Ridge
- Custer
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Custer is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 284 people
- Former names for Custer:
- Black Creek
- Ferryville
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Custer <1>
- Sugar Grove
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Sugar Grove is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
- Sugar Grove has also been known as:
- Clark's Corners
- Elm Flats ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Elm Flats is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Flats
- Muskegon County
- The following are listed by their distance from French Town, with the one closest to French Town listed first.
- Montague
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Whitehall
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Sylvan Beach
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Sylvan Beach is located in Muskegon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan Beach
- Wabaningo
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Wabaningo is located in Muskegon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wabaningo
- Lakewood Club
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Lakewood Club is located in Muskegon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood Club
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,292 people
- Brunswick
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Brunswick is located in Muskegon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick
- Holton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Newaygo County
- The following are listed by their distance from French Town, with the one closest to French Town listed first.
- Huber
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Huber is located in Newaygo County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huber
- Bitely
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Woodland Park
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Woodland Park is located in Newaygo County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland Park
- Lilley
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Lilley is located in Newaygo County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lilley
- Aetna
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Aetna is located in Newaygo County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aetna
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to French Town, see our County-by-County Page for French Town.
Cemeteries Near French Town ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of French Town.
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 French Town - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for French Town covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from French Town, with the one closest to French Town listed first.
- Pentwater Twp. Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Lever Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Smith Corners Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- North Weare Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Round Lake Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Hart Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- North Hart Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Mt. Calvary Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Mears Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- St. Peters Catholic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Summit Twp. Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- South Hart Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (104 more) ...
- Randall Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Center Riverton Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Riverton Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
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.<3>
While we didn't find French Town in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of French Town.
These communities are listed based on their distance from French Town, with the one closest to French Town listed first.
- Pentwater
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Mears
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Hart
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Crystal Valley
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Crystal Valley is located in Oceana County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Valley
- Wiley
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Wiley is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiley
- Wiley has also been known as:
- Wileys
- Riverton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Riverton is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverton
- Shelby
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Elbridge
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Elbridge is located in Oceana County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elbridge
- Fern
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Fern is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Fern has also been known as:
- Adamsville
- Ludington
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Buttersville ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Buttersville is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buttersville
- Cobmoosa
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Cobmoosa is located in Oceana County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cobmoosa
- Cobmoosa has also been known as:
- Cob Moo Sa
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Scottville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Scottville is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scottville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,209 people
- Scottville has also been known as:
- Mason Center
- Sweetland
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scottville <1>
- Amber
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Amber is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amber
- Amber has also been known as:
- Slaughtburg
- New Era
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around French Town. See our List of 1890's Communities around French Town.
Newspapers Published in French Town ...
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 57 newspapers that have been published in the area around French Town.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of French Town, there are papers which were published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for French Town.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 French Town:
- Websites specific to Michigan
- Pages specific to Oceana County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Lake County
- Mason County
- Muskegon County
- Newaygo County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Michigan
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> | 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. |
| <3> | 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 French Town, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- French Town) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |