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 Melrose (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 Melrose. 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 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.
Melrose is located in Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer County: Berkshire (MA), Albany, Columbia, Greene, Saratoga, Washington & Bennington (VT).
Below are the counties that are near Melrose. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Melrose:
- Rensselaer County (The home county of Melrose)
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Pleasantdale
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Pleasantdale is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasantdale
- Schaghticoke
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Raymertown
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Raymertown is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymertown
- Lansingburgh
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Lansingburgh is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lansingburgh
- Valley Falls
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Pittstown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Pittstown is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittstown
- Johnsonville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Sycaway
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Sycaway is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycaway
- Brunswick
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Quackenkill
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Quackenkill is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quackenkill
- Boyntonville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Boyntonville is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyntonville
- Troy
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Troy is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Troy
- Population from the 2020 Census: 48,804 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Troy <1>
- Albany County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Cohoes
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Green Island
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Watervliet
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Watervliet is located in Albany County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watervliet
- Population from the 2020 Census: 9,807 people
- Former names for Watervliet:
- Gibbonsville
- Port Schuyler
- West Troy
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Watervliet <1>
- Latham
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Newtonville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Loudonville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Menands
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Colonie
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Lisha Kill
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Lisha Kill is located in Albany County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisha Kill
- Roessleville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- West Albany
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- West Albany is located in Albany County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Albany
- Albany
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Columbia County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- North Chatham
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- North Chatham is located in Columbia County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Chatham
- Riders Mills
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Riders Mills is located in Columbia County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riders Mills
- New Britain ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- New Britain is located in Columbia County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Britain
- Niverville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Chatham Center
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Chatham Center is located in Columbia County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham Center
- Valatie
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Canaan
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Rock City
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Rock City is located in Columbia County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock City
- Fulton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Mills Corners
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Mills Corners is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mills Corners
- Union Mills
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Union Mills is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Mills
- Montgomery County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Cranesville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Hagaman
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Rockton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Rockton is located in Montgomery County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockton
- Amsterdam
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Harrower
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Harrower is located in Montgomery County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrower
- Wallins Corners
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Wallins Corners is located in Montgomery County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wallins Corners
- Saratoga County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Waterford
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Halfmoon
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Mechanicville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Stillwater
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Willow Glen
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Willow Glen is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Glen
- Clifton Park
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Halfmoon Beach
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Halfmoon Beach is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halfmoon Beach
- Coons
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Coons is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coons
- Stillwater Center
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Stillwater Center is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stillwater Center
- Country Knolls
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Country Knolls is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Knolls
- Round Lake
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Elnora
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Elnora is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elnora
- Schenectady County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Niskayuna
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Aqueduct
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Aqueduct is located in Schenectady County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aqueduct
- Alplaus
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- East Glenville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- East Glenville is located in Schenectady County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Glenville
- Stoodley Corners
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Stoodley Corners is located in Schenectady County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoodley Corners
- Schenectady
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Scotia
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Rotterdam
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Rotterdam Junction
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Glenville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Pattersonville - Rotterdam Junction
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Princetown
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Princetown is located in Schenectady County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Princetown
- Washington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Crandall Corners
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Crandall Corners is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crandall Corners
- North Easton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- North Easton is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Easton
- Center Cambridge
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Center Cambridge is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Cambridge
- Fly Summit
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Fly Summit is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fly Summit
- Archdale
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Archdale is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Archdale
- Center White Creek
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Center White Creek is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center White Creek
- Cambridge
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Coila
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Coila is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coila
- Greenwich
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Greenwich is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,698 people
- White Creek
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Battenville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Battenville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Battenville
- Anaquassacook
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Anaquassacook is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anaquassacook
- Berkshire County (MA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Williamstown
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Williamstown is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamstown
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,631 people
- Greylock
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Greylock is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greylock
- Hancock
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Hancock is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
- Population from the 2020 Census: 695 people
- New Ashford
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- New Ashford is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Ashford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 223 people
- North Adams
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- North Adams is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Adams
- Population from the 2020 Census: 12,737 people
- Briggsville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Briggsville is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briggsville
- Adams
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Adams is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,955 people
- Renfrew
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Renfrew is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renfrew
- Zylonite
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Zylonite is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zylonite
- Arnoldville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Arnoldville is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnoldville
- Cheshire
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Cheshire is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheshire
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,105 people
- Farnams
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Farnams is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farnams
- Bennington County (VT)
- The following are listed by their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Bennington
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Bennington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bennington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 14,897 people
- North Bennington
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- North Bennington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bennington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,694 people
- Old Bennington
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Old Bennington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Bennington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
- Paper Mill Village
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Paper Mill Village is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paper Mill Village
- Pownal Center
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Pownal Center is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pownal Center
- Bennington
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Pownal
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Pownal is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pownal
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,386 people
- South Shaftsbury
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- South Shaftsbury is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Shaftsbury
- Shaftsbury
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Shaftsbury is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaftsbury
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,411 people
- Shaftsbury
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Woodford Hollow
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Woodford Hollow is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford Hollow
- Arlington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Arlington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,204 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Melrose, see our County-by-County Page for Melrose.
Cemeteries Near Melrose ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Melrose.
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 Melrose - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Melrose covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Brookins Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Maplewood Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Old Cooksborough Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- St. Michaels Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Halfmoon - Middletown Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Waterford Rural Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterford Rural Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Waterford Rural Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northwest of Waterford.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #66654 <2>
- St. Josephs Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- St. John Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Aikens Corners Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- St. Johns Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Elmwood Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Continue List (489 more) ...
- Union Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Fonda Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fonda Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Fonda Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<3> to the northwest of Cohoes.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2326760 <2>
- Van Schaick Family Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Schaick Family Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Van Schaick Family Cemetery is located in Cohoes.
- The Van Schaick Family Cemetery has also been known as:
- Van Schaick Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2462966 <2>
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.<4>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Melrose had a population of 159 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Melrose, with the one closest to Melrose listed first.
- Reynolds
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Reynolds is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynolds
- Halfmoon
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Waterford
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Lansingburgh
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Lansingburgh is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lansingburgh
- Haynersville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Haynersville is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haynersville
- Raymertown
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Raymertown is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymertown
- Tomhannock
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Tomhannock is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tomhannock
- Schaghticoke
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Crescent
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Crescent is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
- Valley Falls
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Mechanicville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Cohoes
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (19 more) ...
- Stillwater
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Pittstown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Pittstown is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittstown
- East Saratoga Junciton
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Melrose. See our List of 1890's Communities around Melrose.
Newspapers Published in Melrose ...
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 317 newspapers that have been published in the area around Melrose.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Melrose, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Melrose.
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 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 Melrose:
- Websites specific to New York
- Pages specific to Rensselaer County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Albany County
- Columbia County
- Fulton County
- Montgomery County
- Saratoga County
- Schenectady County
- Washington County
- Berkshire County
- Bennington County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for New York
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> | 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 from Point A (ie- Melrose) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | 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 Melrose, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |