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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 Dunkirk (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 Dunkirk. 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 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 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.

Dunkirk is located in Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua County: Cattaraugus, Erie, Erie (PA) & Warren (PA).

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

  • Chautauqua County     (The home county of Dunkirk)
  • Cattaraugus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dunkirk, with the one closest to Dunkirk listed first.
    • Cottage
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottage
      • Cottage is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cottage
      • From Dunkirk to Cottage
    • South Dayton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Perrysburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perrysburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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>
    • Gowanda
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Persia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
      • Persia is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Persia
      • From Dunkirk to Persia
    • Conewango
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Axeville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Cattaraugus
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cattaraugus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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>
    • Otto
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Randolph
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Brooklyn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • East Randolph
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Randolph. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Randolph
      • East Randolph is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Estimated population in 2012: 615 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to East Randolph
      • From Dunkirk to East Randolph
    • Eddyville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • 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.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eddyville
      • Eddyville is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eddyville
      • From Dunkirk to Eddyville
  • Erie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dunkirk, with the one closest to Dunkirk listed first.
    • Farnham
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farnham have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farnham
      • Farnham is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 372 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Farnham <1>
    • Lake Erie Beach
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Erie Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Erie Beach
      • Lake Erie Beach is located in Erie County
    • Brant
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Angola-on-the-Lake
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Angola-on-the-Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Angola-on-the-Lake
      • Angola-on-the-Lake is located in Erie County
    • Angola
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • North Collins
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Collins have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Collins
      • North Collins is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,194 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Collins <1>
    • Pontiac
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Shirley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Shirley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
      • Shirley is located in Erie County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Shirley
      • From Dunkirk to Shirley
    • Derby
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Eden
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Wanakah
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Morton Corners
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Water Valley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Erie County (PA)

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

Cemeteries Near Dunkirk ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dunkirk.

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

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

  • Willowbrook Park Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Willowbrook Park Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Willowbrook Park Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Hedwigs Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Hedwigs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Hedwigs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Holy Trinity Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Trinity Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Trinity Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest Hill Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Josephs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Josephs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Hyacinth's Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Hyacinth's Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Hyacinth's Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Anthony Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Anthony Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Anthony Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Newell Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Newell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Newell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • West Main Street Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Main Street Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Main Street Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Webster Road Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Webster Road Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Webster Road Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Laona Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Laona Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Laona Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (150 more) ...
    • Sheridan Center Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sheridan Center Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sheridan Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Abbey Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Abbey Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Abbey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Christian Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Christian Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Christian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Dunkirk had a population of 9,416 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Dunkirk had a population of 11,701 people.

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

  • Fredonia
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Laona
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Laona have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laona
    • Laona is located in Chautauqua County
  • Sheridan
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Shumla
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shumla have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumla
    • Shumla is located in Chautauqua County
  • Arkwright
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arkwright have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arkwright
    • Arkwright is located in Chautauqua County
  • Brocton
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brocton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brocton
    • Brocton is located in Chautauqua County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,382 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brocton <1>
  • Lily Dale
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lily Dale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lily Dale
    • Lily Dale is located in Chautauqua County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lily Dale <1>
  • Forestville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Portland
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Cassadaga
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Griswold
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • 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 Chautauqua County
  • Silver Creek
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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>
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Burnhams
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burnhams have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnhams
      • Burnhams is located in Chautauqua County
    • Stockton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stockton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stockton
      • Stockton is located in Chautauqua County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stockton <1>
    • Hamlet
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlet
      • Hamlet is located in Chautauqua County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Dunkirk ...

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 159 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dunkirk.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Dunkirk. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Dunkirk and those printed in the larger area surrounding Dunkirk.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<6> of Dunkirk.

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 Dunkirk:

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

The official website for Chautauqua County: www.co.chautauqua.ny.us/

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>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.
<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 Dunkirk, 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' (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- Dunkirk) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Dunkirk. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.4814, Longitude: -79.3340    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025