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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 North Dorchester (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 North Dorchester. 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 North Dorchester ...

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 North Dorchester: N. Dorchester

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 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.

North Dorchester is located in Grafton County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Grafton County: Belknap, Carroll, Coos, Merrimack, Sullivan, Caledonia (VT), Essex (VT), Orange (VT) & Windsor (VT).

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

  • Grafton County     (The home county of North Dorchester)
    • The following are listed by their distance from North Dorchester, with the one closest to North Dorchester listed first.
    • Cheever
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Dorchester
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • West Rumney
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Wentworth
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wentworth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wentworth
      • Wentworth is located in Grafton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 976 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wentworth <3>
    • North Groton
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Rumney
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Lyme Center
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Quincy
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Quincy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quincy
      • Quincy is located in Grafton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Quincy
      • From North Dorchester to Quincy
    • Groton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Lyme
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Canaan Street
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Orange
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange
      • Orange is located in Grafton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 312 people
  • Belknap County
    • The following are listed by their distance from North Dorchester, with the one closest to North Dorchester listed first.
    • New Hampton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Hampton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Hampton
      • New Hampton is located in Belknap County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,234 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Hampton <3>
    • Meredith
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meredith have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meredith
      • Meredith is located in Belknap County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,476 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Meredith <3>
    • Center Harbor
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Center Harbor have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Harbor
      • Center Harbor is located in Belknap County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,097 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Center Harbor <3>
    • Gaza
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Interlaken Park
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Sanbornton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sanbornton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanbornton
      • Sanbornton is located in Belknap County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,012 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sanbornton <3>
    • Wildwood Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wildwood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood Village
      • Wildwood Village is located in Belknap County
    • Tilton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tilton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tilton
      • Tilton is located in Belknap County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,556 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tilton <3>
    • Winnisquam
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Carroll County
  • Merrimack County
  • Sullivan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from North Dorchester, with the one closest to North Dorchester listed first.
    • North Grantham
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Springfield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Springfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springfield
      • Springfield is located in Sullivan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,348 people
    • Meriden
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Grantham
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grantham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grantham
      • Grantham is located in Sullivan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,955 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grantham <3>
    • Twin Lakes Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Twin Lakes Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin Lakes Village
      • Twin Lakes Village is located in Sullivan County
    • Croydon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Georges Mills
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Mill Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Fernwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Plainfield
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Croydon Flat
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Lower Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lower Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Village
      • Lower Village is located in Sullivan County
  • Caledonia County (VT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from North Dorchester, with the one closest to North Dorchester listed first.
    • Ryegate Corner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Groton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Ryegate
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ryegate have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryegate
      • Ryegate is located in Caledonia County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,084 people
  • Orange County (VT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from North Dorchester, with the one closest to North Dorchester listed first.
    • Ely
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Fairlee
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Fairlee
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairlee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairlee
      • Fairlee is located in Orange County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 976 people
    • Thetford Center
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Thetford
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thetford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thetford
      • Thetford is located in Orange County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,525 people
    • Union Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Union Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Village
      • Union Village is located in Orange County (VT)
    • Bradford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Post Mills
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • West Fairlee
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Fairlee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Fairlee
      • West Fairlee is located in Orange County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 682 people
    • South Newbury
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Bradford
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bradford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
      • Bradford is located in Orange County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,684 people
    • Mill Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mill Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Village
      • Mill Village is located in Orange County (VT)
  • Windsor County (VT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from North Dorchester, with the one closest to North Dorchester listed first.
    • Pompanoosuc
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Lewiston ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Norwich
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norwich have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwich
      • Norwich is located in Windsor County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,401 people
    • Norwich
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norwich have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwich
      • Norwich is located in Windsor County (VT)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norwich <3>
    • Wilder
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilder have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilder
      • Wilder is located in Windsor County (VT)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wilder <3>
    • White River Junction
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • West Norwich
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Hartford
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Hartford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartford
      • Hartford is located in Windsor County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,566 people
    • Sharon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sharon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon
      • Sharon is located in Windsor County (VT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,533 people
    • North Hartland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Quechee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Quechee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quechee
      • Quechee is located in Windsor County (VT)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Quechee
      • From North Dorchester to Quechee

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

Cemeteries Near North Dorchester ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of North Dorchester.

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

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

  • Pleasant View Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • North Groton Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Groton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Groton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Highland Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Orange Common Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Orange Common Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Orange Common Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pratt Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pratt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pratt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pitman Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Hebron Village Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hebron Village Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hebron Village Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairlee Village Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Ely - South Fairlee Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ely - South Fairlee Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ely - South Fairlee Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Ridge Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • East Thetford Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Thetford Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Thetford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Linfield Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (306 more) ...
    • Cedar Grover Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Grover Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Grover Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • South Lawn Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Lawn Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wilmot Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilmot Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilmot Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, North Dorchester had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Cheever
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Dorchester
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • West Rumney
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Wentworth
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wentworth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wentworth
    • Wentworth is located in Grafton County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 976 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wentworth <3>
  • North Groton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Rumney
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Lyme Center
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Rumney Depot
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rumney Depot have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rumney Depot
    • Rumney Depot is located in Grafton County
  • Orfordville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orfordville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orfordville
    • Orfordville is located in Grafton County
  • Canaan Center
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canaan Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canaan Center
    • Canaan Center is located in Grafton County
  • Groton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Quincy
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Quincy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quincy
    • Quincy is located in Grafton County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Quincy
    • From North Dorchester to Quincy
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Lyme
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Canaan Street
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • West Plymouth
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Plymouth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Plymouth
      • West Plymouth is located in Grafton County

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

Newspapers Published in North Dorchester ...

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 95 newspapers that have been published in the area around North Dorchester.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of North Dorchester, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for North Dorchester.

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 North Dorchester:

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

The official website for State of New Hampshire: https://www.nh.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>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- North Dorchester) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in North Dorchester. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.8036, Longitude: -71.9676       In this case, the coordinates for North Dorchester have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>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.
<6>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 North Dorchester, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025