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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 Big Tree (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 Big Tree. 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 and doctors 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.

Big Tree is located in Erie County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Erie County: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Niagara & Wyoming.

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

  • Erie County     (The home county of Big Tree)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Tree, with the one closest to Big Tree listed first.
    • Blasdell
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Armor
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armor
      • Armor is located in Erie County
    • Scranton
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scranton
      • Scranton is located in Erie County
    • Athol Springs
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Bay View
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bay View. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay View
      • Bay View is located in Erie County
    • Orchard Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orchard Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard Park
      • Orchard Park is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,116 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Orchard Park <1>
    • Webster Corners
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webster Corners
      • Webster Corners is located in Erie County
      • Webster Corners has also been known as:
      • Websters Corners
    • Lackawanna
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Hamburg
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Ellicott
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ellicott have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellicott
      • Ellicott is located in Erie County
    • Water Valley
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Water Valley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Water Valley
      • Water Valley is located in Erie County
    • Wanakah
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wanakah
      • Wanakah is located in Erie County
  • Cattaraugus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Tree, with the one closest to Big Tree listed first.
    • Gowanda
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gowanda
      • Gowanda is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,524 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gowanda <1>
    • Brooklyn
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooklyn
      • Brooklyn is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Yorkshire
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire
      • Yorkshire is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Perrysburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perrysburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perrysburg
      • Perrysburg is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Estimated population in 2012: 394 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Perrysburg <1>
    • Delevan
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delevan have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delevan
      • Delevan is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,039 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Delevan <1>
    • Cottage
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cottage. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottage
      • Cottage is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Persia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Persia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
      • Persia is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Otto
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Elton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elton
      • Elton is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Machias
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Cattaraugus
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cattaraugus have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cattaraugus
      • Cattaraugus is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 900 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cattaraugus <1>
    • Eddyville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eddyville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eddyville
      • Eddyville is located in Cattaraugus County
  • Chautauqua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Tree, with the one closest to Big Tree listed first.
    • Irving
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Silver Creek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Creek
      • Silver Creek is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,439 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silver Creek <1>
    • Parcells Corners
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parcells Corners
      • Parcells Corners is located in Chautauqua County
    • Forestville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Wango
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wango. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wango
      • Wango is located in Chautauqua County
    • Sheridan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Genesee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Tree, with the one closest to Big Tree listed first.
    • Amherst
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst
      • Amherst is located in Genesee County
    • Corfu
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Griswold
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Griswold. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswold
      • Griswold is located in Genesee County
    • Sawens
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sawens. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sawens
      • Sawens is located in Genesee County
    • Indian Falls
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Indian Falls. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Falls
      • Indian Falls is located in Genesee County
    • Alexander
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Basom
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • North Pembroke
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for North Pembroke. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Pembroke
      • North Pembroke is located in Genesee County
    • Alabama
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alabama
      • Alabama is located in Genesee County
  • Niagara County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Tree, with the one closest to Big Tree listed first.
    • Park Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Village
      • Park Village is located in Niagara County
    • North Tonawanda
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Tonawanda
      • North Tonawanda is located in Niagara County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 30,050 people
    • Martinsville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Martinsville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinsville
      • Martinsville is located in Niagara County
    • Hoffman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoffman
      • Hoffman is located in Niagara County
    • Wurlitzer Park Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wurlitzer Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wurlitzer Park Village
      • Wurlitzer Park Village is located in Niagara County
    • Black Creek Village
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Black Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Creek Village
      • Black Creek Village is located in Niagara County
    • Saint Johnsburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johnsburg
      • Saint Johnsburg is located in Niagara County
    • Bergholtz
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bergholtz. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bergholtz
      • Bergholtz is located in Niagara County
    • Pendleton Center
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pendleton Center. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pendleton Center
      • Pendleton Center is located in Niagara County
    • Rapids
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rapids have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rapids
      • Rapids is located in Niagara County
    • Raymond
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
      • Raymond is located in Niagara County
    • Niagara Falls
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Wyoming County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Tree, with the one closest to Big Tree listed first.
    • Folsomdale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Folsomdale
      • Folsomdale is located in Wyoming County
    • Harris Corners
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris Corners
      • Harris Corners is located in Wyoming County
    • Java Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Curriers
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curriers
      • Curriers is located in Wyoming County
    • Java Center
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • North Java
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Johnsonburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsonburg
      • Johnsonburg is located in Wyoming County
    • Varysburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Arcade
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Attica
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Smiths Corner
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Corner
      • Smiths Corner is located in Wyoming County

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

Cemeteries Near Big Tree ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Tree.

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

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

  • Hillcrest Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Sheldon Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sheldon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sheldon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lakeside Memorial Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lakeside Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lakeside Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Holy Cross Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Holy Cross Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Cross Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Cross Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Howard Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Prospect Lawn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Paul's Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Mols Hill Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mols Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mols Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Angle Road Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Angle Road Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Angle Road Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (328 more) ...

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Big Tree had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Blasdell
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Windom
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Windom have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windom
    • Windom is located in Erie County
  • Armor
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armor
    • Armor is located in Erie County
  • Bay View
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bay View. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay View
    • Bay View is located in Erie County
  • Athol Springs
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Hamburg
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Webster Corners
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webster Corners
    • Webster Corners is located in Erie County
    • Webster Corners has also been known as:
    • Websters Corners
  • Clover Bank
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clover Bank have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Bank
    • Clover Bank is located in Erie County
  • Water Valley
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Water Valley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Water Valley
    • Water Valley is located in Erie County
  • Ellicott
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ellicott have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellicott
    • Ellicott is located in Erie County
  • Ebenezer
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ebenezer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ebenezer
    • Ebenezer is located in Erie County
  • West Seneca
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (19 more) ...
    • Eden Valley
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eden Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden Valley
      • Eden Valley is located in Erie County
    • North Boston
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for North Boston. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Boston
      • North Boston is located in Erie County
    • East Seneca
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Seneca have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Seneca
      • East Seneca is located in Erie County

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

Newspapers Published in Big Tree ...

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 322 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Tree.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Big Tree, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Big Tree.

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 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 Big Tree:

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

The official website for Erie County: www.erie.gov/

The official website for State of New York: https://www.ny.gov/

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>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.
<3>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.
<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 Big Tree, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Big Tree) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Big Tree. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.7698, Longitude: -78.8114       In this case, the coordinates for Big Tree have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025