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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 Boston (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 Boston. 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.

Boston 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 Boston. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Boston:

  • Erie County     (The home county of Boston)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Boston, with the one closest to Boston listed first.
    • Patchin
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patchin
      • Patchin is located in Erie County
    • North Boston
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Boston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Boston
      • North Boston is located in Erie County
    • Wyandale
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyandale
      • Wyandale is located in Erie County
    • Footes
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Footes
      • Footes is located in Erie County
    • Concord
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
      • Concord is located in Erie County
    • Ellicott
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ellicott have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellicott
      • Ellicott is located in Erie County
    • Jewettville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jewettville
      • Jewettville is located in Erie County
    • Hamburg
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Water Valley
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Water Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Water Valley
      • Water Valley is located in Erie County
    • Armor
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armor
      • Armor is located in Erie County
    • Morton Corners
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morton Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morton Corners
      • Morton Corners is located in Erie County
    • Eden
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Allegany County
  • Cattaraugus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Boston, with the one closest to Boston listed first.
    • Brooklyn
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooklyn
      • Brooklyn is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Yorkshire
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire
      • Yorkshire is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Gowanda
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • 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 <2>
    • Delevan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delevan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Perrysburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perrysburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Otto
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Machias
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Persia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Persia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
      • Persia is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Eddyville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eddyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eddyville
      • Eddyville is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Bird
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bird
      • Bird is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Elton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elton
      • Elton is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Cattaraugus
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cattaraugus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
  • Chautauqua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Boston, with the one closest to Boston listed first.
    • Parcells Corners
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parcells Corners
      • Parcells Corners is located in Chautauqua County
    • Silver Creek
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Forestville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Sheridan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Cherry Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherry Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Creek
      • Cherry Creek is located in Chautauqua County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 431 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cherry Creek <2>
  • Genesee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Boston, with the one closest to Boston listed first.
    • Amherst
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst
      • Amherst is located in Genesee County
    • Griswold
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Griswold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswold
      • Griswold is located in Genesee County
    • Corfu
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Sawens
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sawens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sawens
      • Sawens is located in Genesee County
    • Alexander
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Niagara County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Boston, with the one closest to Boston listed first.
    • Park Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Village
      • Park Village is located in Niagara County
    • North Tonawanda
      (29 miles [46.7 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
    • Hoffman
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoffman
      • Hoffman is located in Niagara County
    • Wurlitzer Park Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wurlitzer Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wurlitzer Park Village
      • Wurlitzer Park Village is located in Niagara County
  • Wyoming County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Boston, with the one closest to Boston listed first.
    • Java Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Curriers
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curriers
      • Curriers is located in Wyoming County
    • Arcade
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Java Center
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Harris Corners
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris Corners
      • Harris Corners is located in Wyoming County
    • North Java
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Folsomdale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Folsomdale
      • Folsomdale is located in Wyoming County
    • Johnsonburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsonburg
      • Johnsonburg is located in Wyoming County
    • Varysburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Smiths Corner
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths Corner
      • Smiths Corner is located in Wyoming County
    • Attica
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Gainesville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gainesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gainesville
      • Gainesville is located in Wyoming County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gainesville <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Boston ...

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 287 newspapers that have been published in the area around Boston.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Boston, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Boston.

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 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 Boston:

Cemeteries Near Boston ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Boston.

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

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

  • Cobble Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cobble Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cobble Hill Cemetery
  • St. Paul Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Paul Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Paul Cemetery
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Maple Wood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Wood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Wood Cemetery
  • Sibley Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sibley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sibley Cemetery
  • Dittman Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dittman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dittman Cemetery
  • Concord Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Concord Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Concord Cemetery
  • Partridge Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Partridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Partridge Cemetery
  • Mols Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mols Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mols Hill Cemetery
  • St. Paul's Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Mortons Corners Rural Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
  • Continue List   (299 more) ...
    • Pratham Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pratham Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pratham Cemetery
    • Neischell Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Neischell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Neischell Cemetery
    • Griffins Mills Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Boston had a population of 230 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Patchin
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patchin
    • Patchin is located in Erie County
  • Colden
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colden
    • Colden is located in Erie County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colden <2>
  • New Oregon
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Oregon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Oregon
    • New Oregon is located in Erie County
  • Glenwood
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glenwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenwood
    • Glenwood is located in Erie County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glenwood <2>
  • North Boston
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Boston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Boston
    • North Boston is located in Erie County
  • Clarksburg
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarksburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarksburg
    • Clarksburg is located in Erie County
  • Wyandale
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyandale
    • Wyandale is located in Erie County
  • West Falls
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Falls
    • West Falls is located in Erie County
  • East Eden
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Eden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Eden
    • East Eden is located in Erie County
  • Langford
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Langford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langford
    • Langford is located in Erie County
  • Concord
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
    • Concord is located in Erie County
  • Marshfield
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marshfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshfield
    • Marshfield is located in Erie County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • East Concord
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Concord have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Concord
      • East Concord is located in Erie County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for East Concord <2>
    • Griffins Mills
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Griffins Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griffins Mills
      • Griffins Mills is located in Erie County
    • Jewettville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jewettville
      • Jewettville 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 Boston. See our List of 1890's Communities around Boston.

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Boston. 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>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Boston) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Boston. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.6289, Longitude: -78.7376    
<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 Boston, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024