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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 Patten (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 Patten. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Patten is located in McDowell County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of McDowell County: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Mitchell, Rutherford & Yancey.

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

  • McDowell County     (The home county of Patten)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Patten, with the one closest to Patten listed first.
    • Nebo
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Mountain Home ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Mountain Home is located in McDowell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Home
    • Glenwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Glenwood is located in McDowell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenwood
    • Marion
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Vein Mountain
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • West Marion
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • West Marion is located in McDowell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Marion
    • Providence
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Providence is located in McDowell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Providence
    • Sugar Hill
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Greenlee
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Ashford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Lackey Town
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Lackey Town is located in McDowell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lackey Town
    • Moffitt Hill
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Avery County
  • Buncombe County
  • Burke County
  • Caldwell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Patten, with the one closest to Patten listed first.
    • Muttenz ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Muttenz is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muttenz
    • Adako
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Pinehurst
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Pinehurst is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinehurst
    • Gamewell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Baton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Collettsville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Cajah's Mountain
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Cajah's Mountain is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cajah's Mountain
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,728 people
    • Mortimer ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Abingdon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Hudson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Sawmills
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Sawmills is located in Caldwell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sawmills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,156 people
    • Lenoir
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Catawba County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Patten, with the one closest to Patten listed first.
    • Cooksville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Cooksville is located in Catawba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooksville
    • Advent Crossroads
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Banoak
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Banoak is located in Catawba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Banoak
    • Meadow Brook Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Meadow Brook Village is located in Catawba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Brook Village
    • Long View
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Long View is located in Catawba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long View
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,951 people
    • Mountain View
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Mountain View is located in Catawba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain View
    • Propst Crossroads
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Propst Crossroads is located in Catawba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Propst Crossroads
    • Plateau
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Blackburn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Brookford
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Brookford is located in Catawba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 381 people
    • Hickory
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Rhoney
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Cleveland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Patten, with the one closest to Patten listed first.
    • Cleveland Mills ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Cleveland Mills is located in Cleveland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleveland Mills
    • Casar
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Delight
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Olive Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Olive Grove is located in Cleveland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olive Grove
    • Knob Creek
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • New House
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Polkville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Polkville is located in Cleveland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Polkville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 552 people
    • Toluca
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Toluca is located in Cleveland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toluca
    • Belwood
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Belwood is located in Cleveland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 963 people
    • Campcall
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Lawndale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Kingstown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Kingstown is located in Cleveland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingstown
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 682 people
  • Henderson County
  • Lincoln County
  • Mitchell County
  • Polk County
  • Rutherford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Patten, with the one closest to Patten listed first.
    • Thermal City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Thermal City is located in Rutherford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thermal City
    • Mount Pisgah ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Mount Pisgah is located in Rutherford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pisgah
    • Union Mills
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Sunshine
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Cuba ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Cuba is located in Rutherford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuba
    • Otter Creek ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Whitehouse
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Hollis
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Washburn
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Bostic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Ruth
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Ruth is located in Rutherford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruth
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 400 people
    • Green Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Yancey County

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

Cemeteries Near Patten ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Patten.

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 Patten - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Patten covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Patten, with the one closest to Patten 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.<3>

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

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

  • Dysartsville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Dysartsville is located in McDowell County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dysartsville
  • Brindletown
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Bridgewater
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Bridgewater is located in Burke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgewater
  • Rollins ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Rollins is located in Burke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rollins
  • Nebo
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Glen Alpine
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Golden ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Golden is located in Rutherford County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden
  • Chambers ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Chambers is located in Burke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chambers
  • Marion
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Vein Mountain
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Calvin
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Trio ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Trio is located in Rutherford County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trio
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Patten ...

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 61 newspapers that have been published in the area around Patten.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Patten, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Patten.

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 Patten:

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 Patten, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Patten) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.