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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 Bowmansville (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 Bowmansville. 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 doctors and 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.

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

  • Erie County     (The home county of Bowmansville)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bowmansville, with the one closest to Bowmansville listed first.
    • Harris Hill
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris Hill
      • Harris Hill is located in Erie County
    • Depew
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Lancaster
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Williamsville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsville
      • Williamsville is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,171 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Williamsville <1>
    • Cheektowaga
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Looneyville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Looneyville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Looneyville
      • Looneyville is located in Erie County
    • Clarence Center
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarence Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarence Center
      • Clarence Center is located in Erie County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarence Center <1>
    • Blossom
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blossom
      • Blossom is located in Erie County
    • Swormville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swormville
      • Swormville is located in Erie County
    • Amherst
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Elma
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Sloan
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sloan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sloan
      • Sloan is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,522 people
  • Cattaraugus County
    • Yorkshire
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire
      • Yorkshire is located in Cattaraugus County
  • Genesee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bowmansville, with the one closest to Bowmansville listed first.
    • Amherst
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst
      • Amherst is located in Genesee County
    • Corfu
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Indian Falls
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Falls
      • Indian Falls is located in Genesee County
    • Sawens
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sawens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sawens
      • Sawens is located in Genesee County
    • Griswold
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Griswold have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswold
      • Griswold is located in Genesee County
    • Basom
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • North Pembroke
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Pembroke have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Pembroke
      • North Pembroke is located in Genesee County
    • Alabama
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alabama
      • Alabama is located in Genesee County
    • Wheatville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatville
      • Wheatville is located in Genesee County
    • Alexander
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Bushville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushville
      • Bushville is located in Genesee County
    • Ridgewood Village
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ridgewood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgewood Village
      • Ridgewood Village is located in Genesee County
  • Niagara County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bowmansville, with the one closest to Bowmansville listed first.
    • Park Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Village
      • Park Village is located in Niagara County
    • Rapids
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rapids have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rapids
      • Rapids is located in Niagara County
    • Raymond
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
      • Raymond is located in Niagara County
    • Hoffman
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoffman
      • Hoffman is located in Niagara County
    • North Tonawanda
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Tonawanda
      • North Tonawanda is located in Niagara County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 30,050 people
    • Wurlitzer Park Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wurlitzer Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wurlitzer Park Village
      • Wurlitzer Park Village is located in Niagara County
    • Pendleton Center
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pendleton Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pendleton Center
      • Pendleton Center is located in Niagara County
    • Dysinger
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dysinger have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dysinger
      • Dysinger is located in Niagara County
    • South Lockport
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Lockport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Lockport
      • South Lockport is located in Niagara County
    • Saint Johnsburg
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johnsburg
      • Saint Johnsburg is located in Niagara County
    • Lockport Junction
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lockport Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lockport Junction
      • Lockport Junction is located in Niagara County
    • Lockport
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Orleans County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bowmansville, with the one closest to Bowmansville listed first.
    • Lakewood Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakewood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood Village
      • Lakewood Village is located in Orleans County
    • Jeddo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeddo
      • Jeddo is located in Orleans County
    • Medina
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • West Barre
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Barre
      • West Barre is located in Orleans County
    • Eagle Harbor
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Harbor
      • Eagle Harbor is located in Orleans County
    • Lyndonville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Wyoming County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bowmansville, with the one closest to Bowmansville listed first.
    • Folsomdale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Folsomdale
      • Folsomdale is located in Wyoming County
    • Harris Corners
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris Corners
      • Harris Corners is located in Wyoming County
    • Attica
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Java Village
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Varysburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Johnsonburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsonburg
      • Johnsonburg is located in Wyoming County
    • Java Center
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • North Java
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Curriers
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curriers
      • Curriers is located in Wyoming County
    • Dale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Arcade
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Smiths Corner
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • 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 Bowmansville, see our County-by-County Page for Bowmansville.

Newspapers Published in Bowmansville ...

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 71 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bowmansville.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Bowmansville, there are papers which were published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Bowmansville.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Bowmansville:

Cemeteries Near Bowmansville ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bowmansville.

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

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

  • Transit Rural Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Transit Rural Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Transit Rural Cemetery
  • Harris Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • War of 1812 Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the War of 1812 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the War of 1812 Cemetery
  • St. Augustines Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Augustines Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Augustines Cemetery
  • John Wolf Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the John Wolf Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the John Wolf Cemetery
  • Powers Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Powers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Powers Cemetery
  • St. Michaels Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Michaels Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Michaels Cemetery
  • Pine Lawn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • St. Adalbert's Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Adalbert's Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Adalbert's Cemetery
  • Halter Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Halter Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Halter Cemetery
  • Clarence Center Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clarence Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clarence Center Cemetery
  • Continue List   (371 more) ...
    • Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • United German & French RC Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the United German & French RC Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Cheektowaga.
      • The United German & French RC Cemetery has also been known as:
      • United Catholic Cemetery
      • United German & French Cemetery
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the United German & French RC Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1966051 <4>
    • Holy Rest Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Bowmansville had a population of 125 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Harris Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris Hill
    • Harris Hill is located in Erie County
  • Lancaster
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • East Lancaster
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Lancaster have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Lancaster
    • East Lancaster is located in Erie County
  • Williamsville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsville
    • Williamsville is located in Erie County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,171 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Williamsville <1>
  • Cheektowaga
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Forks
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forks
    • Forks is located in Erie County
  • Blossom
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blossom
    • Blossom is located in Erie County
  • Looneyville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Looneyville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Looneyville
    • Looneyville is located in Erie County
  • Clarence
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarence
    • Clarence is located in Erie County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarence <1>
  • Clarence Center
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarence Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarence Center
    • Clarence Center is located in Erie County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clarence Center <1>
  • East Amherst
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Amherst have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Amherst
    • East Amherst is located in Erie County
  • Snyder
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snyder have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snyder
    • Snyder is located in Erie County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Sloan
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sloan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sloan
      • Sloan is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,522 people
    • Doyle
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doyle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doyle
      • Doyle is located in Erie County
    • Gardenville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gardenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardenville
      • Gardenville 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 Bowmansville. See our List of 1890's Communities around Bowmansville.

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Bowmansville. 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>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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Bowmansville) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bowmansville. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.9384, Longitude: -78.6848       In this case, the coordinates for Bowmansville have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Bowmansville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024