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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 Findley Lake (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 Findley Lake. 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.

Name Variations for Findley Lake ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Another variation: Findley's Lake.

  • A typical abbreviation for Findley Lake: Findley Lk.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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.

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

  • Chautauqua County     (The home county of Findley Lake)
  • Crawford County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Findley Lake, with the one closest to Findley Lake listed first.
    • Spartansburg
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spartansburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spartansburg
      • Spartansburg is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spartansburg <2>
    • Canadohta Lake
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canadohta Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canadohta Lake
      • Canadohta Lake is located in Crawford County (PA)
    • Lincolnville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Riceville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Riceville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riceville
      • Riceville is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Riceville
      • From Findley Lake to Riceville
    • Rootville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rootville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rootville
      • Rootville is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rootville
      • From Findley Lake to Rootville
    • Brown Hill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Centerville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
      • Centerville is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Centerville <2>
    • Vrooman
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vrooman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vrooman
      • Vrooman is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Vrooman
      • From Findley Lake to Vrooman
    • Cambridge Springs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cambridge Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambridge Springs
      • Cambridge Springs is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,665 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cambridge Springs <2>
    • Tryonville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Venango
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Venango have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Venango
      • Venango is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Venango <2>
    • Woodcock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodcock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodcock
      • Woodcock is located in Crawford County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 147 people
  • Erie County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Findley Lake, with the one closest to Findley Lake listed first.
    • Hornby
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hornby. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hornby
      • Hornby is located in Erie County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hornby
      • From Findley Lake to Hornby
    • North East
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Freeport
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Phillipsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Wattsburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wattsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wattsburg
      • Wattsburg is located in Erie County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 381 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wattsburg <2>
    • Arbuckle
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arbuckle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arbuckle
      • Arbuckle is located in Erie County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Arbuckle
      • From Findley Lake to Arbuckle
    • Beaver Dam
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Corry
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Elgin
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Lawrence Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawrence Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawrence Park
      • Lawrence Park is located in Erie County (PA)
    • Wesleyville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Union City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Union City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union City
      • Union City is located in Erie County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,097 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Union City <2>
    • Erie
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Warren County (PA)

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

Cemeteries Near Findley Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Findley Lake.

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

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

  • Findley Lake Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Findley Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Findley Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • West Mina Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Mina Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Mina Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Matthias Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Matthias Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Matthias Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • French Creek Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Mina Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mina Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mina Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Marks Corners Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Marks Corners Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Marks Corners Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Taft Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Taft Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Taft Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • South Ripley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Ripley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Ripley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cutting Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cutting Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cutting Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenfield Baptist Church Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Clymer Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clymer Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clymer Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Northville Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Northville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Northville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (143 more) ...
    • Phillips Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Phillips Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Phillips Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • East Clymer Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Clymer Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Clymer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Holland Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)

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 Findley Lake had a population of 545 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Mina
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mina have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mina
    • Mina is located in Chautauqua County
  • French Creek
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • South Ripley
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Ripley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ripley
    • South Ripley is located in Chautauqua County
  • Marvin
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marvin
    • Marvin is located in Chautauqua County
  • Cutting
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cutting have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cutting
    • Cutting is located in Chautauqua County
  • Hornby
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hornby. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hornby
    • Hornby is located in Erie County (PA)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Hornby
    • From Findley Lake to Hornby
  • Sherman
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Clymer
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clymer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clymer
    • Clymer is located in Chautauqua County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clymer <2>
  • North Clymer
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • North East
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • State Line
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for State Line have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line
    • State Line is located in Chautauqua County
  • Phillipsville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (19 more) ...
    • Wattsburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wattsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wattsburg
      • Wattsburg is located in Erie County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 381 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wattsburg <2>
    • Moorhead
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moorhead have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moorhead
      • Moorhead is located in Erie County (PA)
    • Wheelock
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheelock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheelock
      • Wheelock is located in Erie County (PA)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Findley Lake ...

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 115 newspapers that have been published in the area around Findley Lake.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Findley Lake. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Findley Lake and those printed in the larger area surrounding Findley Lake.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<6> of Findley Lake.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Findley Lake:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Findley Lake. 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>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>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 Findley Lake, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Findley Lake) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Findley Lake. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.1195, Longitude: -79.7353    









 

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In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025