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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 Harrisburg (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 Harrisburg. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

Harrisburg is located in Lewis 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 Lewis County: Herkimer, Jefferson, Oneida, Oswego & Saint Lawrence.

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

  • Lewis County     (The home county of Harrisburg)
  • Jefferson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
    • Carthage
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carthage have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carthage
      • Carthage is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,256 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Carthage <3>
    • West Carthage
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Carthage have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Carthage
      • West Carthage is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,901 people
    • Herrings
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herrings have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herrings
      • Herrings is located in Jefferson County
      • Estimated population in 2017: 90 people
    • East Rodman
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Deferiet
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deferiet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deferiet
      • Deferiet is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 278 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deferiet <3>
    • Great Bend
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Worth Center
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Worth
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Black River
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Natural Bridge
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Calcium
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Calcium have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calcium
      • Calcium is located in Jefferson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Calcium <3>
    • Watertown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Lorraine
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Oneida County
  • Oswego County
  • Saint Lawrence County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Harrisburg, with the one closest to Harrisburg listed first.
    • Jayville ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jayville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jayville
      • Jayville is located in Saint Lawrence County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jayville
      • From Harrisburg to Jayville
    • Somerville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Somerville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somerville
      • Somerville is located in Saint Lawrence County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Somerville
      • From Harrisburg to Somerville

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

Cemeteries Near Harrisburg ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Harrisburg.

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

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

  • Gallup Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gallup Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gallup Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rural Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rural Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rural Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Battle Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Battle Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Battle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bent Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bent Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bent Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Plank Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Plank Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Plank Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Swinburne Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swinburne Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swinburne Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ashback Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Ebblie Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ebblie Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ebblie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Union Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (144 more) ...

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Harrisburg had a population of 49 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Windecker
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Windecker have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windecker
    • Windecker is located in Lewis County
  • Denmark
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Denmark. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denmark
    • Denmark is located in Lewis County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Denmark
    • From Harrisburg to Denmark
  • Copenhagen
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Copenhagen have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Copenhagen
    • Copenhagen is located in Lewis County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 767 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Copenhagen <3>
  • Castorland
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Castorland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castorland
    • Castorland is located in Lewis County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Castorland <3>
  • Lowville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Naumburg
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Naumburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naumburg
    • Naumburg is located in Lewis County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Naumburg
    • From Harrisburg to Naumburg
  • Deer River
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deer River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer River
    • Deer River is located in Lewis County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deer River <3>
  • New Boston
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Rector
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • West Martinsburg
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Parkers
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Parkers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkers
    • Parkers is located in Lewis County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Parkers
    • From Harrisburg to Parkers
  • New Bremen
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Bremen have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Bremen
    • New Bremen is located in Lewis County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Harrisburg ...

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 105 newspapers that have been published in the area around Harrisburg.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Harrisburg, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Harrisburg.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Harrisburg:

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

The official website for Lewis County: www.lewiscountyny.org/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Harrisburg) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Harrisburg. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.8425, Longitude: -75.6029       In this case, the coordinates for Harrisburg have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>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.
<6>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 Harrisburg, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025