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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 Bethel (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 Bethel. 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.

Bethel is located in Sullivan County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Sullivan County: Delaware, Orange, Ulster, Pike (PA) & Wayne (PA).

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

  • Sullivan County     (The home county of Bethel)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Kauneonga Lake
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Smallwood
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Mongaup Valley
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Briscoe
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Briscoe is located in Sullivan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briscoe
    • Falls Mills
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Falls Mills is located in Sullivan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falls Mills
    • Cochecton Center
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Harris
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jeffersonville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • White Sulphur Springs
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Youngsville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Squirrels Corners
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Squirrels Corners is located in Sullivan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Squirrels Corners
    • Hortonville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Cochecton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Delaware County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Rock Valley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Rock Valley is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Valley
    • Butternut Grove
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Butternut Grove is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butternut Grove
    • Cooks Falls
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Cooks Falls is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Falls
    • Pea Brook
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Pea Brook is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pea Brook
    • Horton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Horton is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton
    • Chiloway
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Chiloway is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chiloway
    • Peakville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Peakville is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peakville
    • Gregorytown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Gregorytown is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gregorytown
    • Corbett
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Corbett is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corbett
    • Harvard
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Harvard is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvard
    • Shinhopple
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Downsville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Cadosia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Cadosia is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cadosia
  • Orange County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Paradise
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Paradise is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
    • Cuddebackville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Port Orange
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Port Orange is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Orange
    • Sparrow Bush
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Huguenot
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Otisville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Finchville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Finchville is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchville
    • Port Jervis
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Shin Hollow
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Shin Hollow is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shin Hollow
    • South Centerville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • South Centerville is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Centerville
    • Washington Heights
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Washington Heights is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Heights
    • Middletown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • East Middletown
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • East Middletown is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Middletown
  • Ulster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Spring Glen
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Ellenville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Cragsmoor
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Cragsmoor is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cragsmoor
    • Walker Valley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Napanoch
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Wawarsing
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Port Ben
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Port Ben is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Ben
    • Bull Run
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Bull Run is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bull Run
    • Crawford
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Crawford is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crawford
    • Ulsterville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Ulsterville is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ulsterville
    • Branch
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Branch is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Branch
    • Kerhonkson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Belle Ayr
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Belle Ayr is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Ayr
  • Sussex County (NJ)
    • Colesville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Colesville is located in Sussex County (NJ)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colesville
  • Pike County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Masthope
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Masthope is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Masthope
    • Westcolang
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Westcolang is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westcolang
    • Lackawaxen
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Rowland
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Parkers Glen
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Parkers Glen is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkers Glen
    • Kimble
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Kimble is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimble
    • Millrift
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Millrift is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millrift
    • Wilsonville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Wilsonville is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilsonville
    • Matamoras
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Lords Valley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Milford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Paupack
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Tafton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Susquehanna County (PA)
    • Forest City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Wayne County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bethel, with the one closest to Bethel listed first.
    • Damascus
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Milanville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Milanville is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milanville
    • Boyds Mills
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Boyds Mills is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyds Mills
    • Calkins
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Calkins is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calkins
    • Laurella
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Laurella is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurella
    • Carley Brook
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Carley Brook is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carley Brook
    • Siko
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Siko is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siko
    • Dyberry
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Dyberry is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dyberry
    • Hawley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Hawley is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,138 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hawley <1>
    • Honesdale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Tanners Falls
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Tanners Falls is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tanners Falls
    • Bethany
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Seelyville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Seelyville is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seelyville

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

Cemeteries Near Bethel ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bethel.

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

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

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

  • Bethel Evergreen Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Old Bethel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Temple Beth El Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Pintler Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Stewart Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Lyon Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Mongaup Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Van Keuren Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Soule Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Fayerweather Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Fosterdale Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Laurel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (130 more) ...
    • Fulton Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Laurel Hill Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Nearing Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)

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.<2>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Bethel had a population of 154 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • White Lake
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Mongaup Valley
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Briscoe
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Briscoe is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briscoe
  • Kenoza Lake
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Fosterdale
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Cochecton Center
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Maplewood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Maplewood is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maplewood
  • Bushville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Bushville is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushville
  • Falls Mills
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Falls Mills is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falls Mills
  • Jeffersonville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Lava
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Lava is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lava
  • White Sulphur Springs
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Youngsville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Monticello
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Cochecton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Bethel ...

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 47 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bethel.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bethel, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bethel.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Bethel:

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>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 Bethel, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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- Bethel) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.