RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of New York >> Erie County >> Lawtons >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Lawtons (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 Lawtons. 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.

Lawtons is located in Erie County.

To see how the shape of New York's counties may 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 Lawtons. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Lawtons:

  • Erie County     (The home county of Lawtons)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lawtons, with the one closest to Lawtons listed first.
    • Shirley
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Shirley is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
    • North Collins
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Brant
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Pontiac
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Pontiac is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pontiac
    • Morton Corners
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Morton Corners is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morton Corners
    • Wyandale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Wyandale is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyandale
    • Eden
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Angola
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Farnham
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake Erie Beach
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Lake Erie Beach is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Erie Beach
    • Concord
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Concord is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
    • Derby
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Angola-on-the-Lake
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Angola-on-the-Lake is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Angola-on-the-Lake
  • Cattaraugus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lawtons, with the one closest to Lawtons listed first.
    • Gowanda
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Gowanda is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gowanda
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,524 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gowanda <1>
    • Perrysburg
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Cottage
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Cottage is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottage
    • Persia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Persia is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
    • Brooklyn
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Brooklyn is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooklyn
    • Otto
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • South Dayton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Cattaraugus
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Eddyville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Eddyville is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eddyville
    • Leon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Axeville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Axeville is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Axeville
    • Conewango
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Conewango is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conewango
    • Little Valley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
  • Chautauqua County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lawtons, with the one closest to Lawtons listed first.
    • Irving
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Parcells Corners
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Parcells Corners is located in Chautauqua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parcells Corners
    • Wango
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Wango is located in Chautauqua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wango
    • Silver Creek
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Forestville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Sheridan
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Cherry Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Dunkirk
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Dunkirk is located in Chautauqua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunkirk
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,701 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dunkirk <1>
    • Fredonia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Cassadaga
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Moons
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Moons is located in Chautauqua County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moons
    • Sinclairville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Kennedy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Wyoming County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lawtons, with the one closest to Lawtons listed first.
    • Arcade
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Curriers
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Curriers is located in Wyoming County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curriers
    • Java Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Java Center
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Harris Corners
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Harris Corners is located in Wyoming County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris Corners

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

Cemeteries Near Lawtons ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Lawtons.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Lawtons - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Lawtons covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Friends Meetinghouse Burial Grounds
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Holy Spirit Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Versailles Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Pine Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Huson Family Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Maltbie Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Pine Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Brant Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Holy Cross Lutheran Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Broadway Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Dittman Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Rathburn Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (244 more) ...
    • Rugg-Town / West Perrysburg Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jolls Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Knight Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Lawtons had a population of 300 people in 1895 with railroad service and no post office.

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

  • Collins
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Shirley
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Shirley is located in Erie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shirley
  • Versailles
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • North Collins
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Marshfield
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Marshfield is located in Erie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshfield
  • Gowanda
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Gowanda is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gowanda
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,524 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gowanda <1>
  • Collins Center
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Langford
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Langford is located in Erie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langford
  • Brant
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Perrysburg
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Pontiac
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Pontiac is located in Erie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pontiac
  • New Oregon
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • New Oregon is located in Erie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Oregon
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Clarksburg
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Clarksburg is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarksburg
    • Dayton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Morton Corners
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Morton Corners is located in Erie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morton Corners

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

Newspapers Published in Lawtons ...

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 98 newspapers that have been published in the area around Lawtons.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Lawtons, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Lawtons.

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 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 Lawtons:

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 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.
<3>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 Lawtons, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 from Point A (ie- Lawtons) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.