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 Oakfield (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 Oakfield. 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 northeast 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 north.
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 north 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.
Oakfield 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 Oakfield. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Oakfield:
- Erie County (The home county of Oakfield)
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakfield, with the one closest to Oakfield listed first.
- Ferry Village
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Ferry Village is located in Erie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferry Village
- Grandyle Village
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Grandyle Village is located in Erie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandyle Village
- Kenmore
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Tonawanda
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Buffalo
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Amherst
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Getzville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Sloan
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Sloan is located in Erie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sloan
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,522 people
- Williamsville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Cheektowaga
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Lackawanna
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Athol Springs
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Chautauqua County
- Irving
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Genesee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakfield, with the one closest to Oakfield listed first.
- Amherst
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Amherst is located in Genesee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amherst
- Corfu
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Basom
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Indian Falls
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Indian Falls is located in Genesee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Falls
- Alabama
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Alabama is located in Genesee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alabama
- Niagara County
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakfield, with the one closest to Oakfield listed first.
- Black Creek Village
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Black Creek Village is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Creek Village
- North Tonawanda
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- North Tonawanda is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Tonawanda
- Population from the 2020 Census: 30,050 people
- Park Village
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Park Village is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Village
- Martinsville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Martinsville is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinsville
- Saint Johnsburg
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Saint Johnsburg is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johnsburg
- Wurlitzer Park Village
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Bergholtz
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Bergholtz is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bergholtz
- Hoffman
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Hoffman is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoffman
- Niagara Falls
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Pletchers Corners
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Pletchers Corners is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pletchers Corners
- Colonial Village
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Colonial Village is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
- Varsity Village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Varsity Village is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Varsity Village
- Wyoming County
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakfield, with the one closest to Oakfield listed first.
- Folsomdale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Folsomdale is located in Wyoming County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Folsomdale
- Harris Corners
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- 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 Oakfield, see our County-by-County Page for Oakfield.
Cemeteries Near Oakfield ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Oakfield.
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 Oakfield - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Oakfield covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Oakfield, with the one closest to Oakfield listed first.
- Ft. Erie Coloured Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ft. Erie Coloured Cemetery
- The Ft. Erie Coloured Cemetery has also been known as:
- Curtis Road Cemetery
- Dennahower Coloured Cemetery
- Frenchman's Creek Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- McAffee Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Black Creek Pioneer Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- St. John's Anglican Church Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood Cemetery
- The Greenwood Cemetery has also been known as:
- Greenwood Municipal Cemetery
- White Haven Road Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Maple Grove Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- St. Stevens Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Byer Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Byer Cemetery
- The Byer Cemetery has also been known as:
- Bossert Cemetery
- Byers Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2416562 <2>
- United Brethren Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for United Brethren Cemetery
- The United Brethren Cemetery has also been known as:
- Beam United Brethren Cemetery
- Beams Mills Cemetery
- St. Paul's Anglican Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (296 more) ...
- Mt. Olivet Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Lapp Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lapp Cemetery
- The Lapp Cemetery has also been known as:
- Lapp Family Burying Ground
- Lapp Family Cemetery
- Lapp / Hershey / Sayler Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2413956 <2>
- St. Joseph's Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
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>
While we didn't find Oakfield in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Oakfield.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Oakfield, with the one closest to Oakfield listed first.
- Kenmore
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Tonawanda
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Buffalo
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- North Tonawanda
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- North Tonawanda is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Tonawanda
- Population from the 2020 Census: 30,050 people
- La Salle
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- La Salle is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Salle
- Eggertsville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Martinsville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Martinsville is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinsville
- Saint Johnsburg
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Saint Johnsburg is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Johnsburg
- Niagara Falls
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Snyder
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Snyder is located in Erie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snyder
- Hoffman
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Hoffman is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoffman
- Bergholtz
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Bergholtz is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bergholtz
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Sloan
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Sloan is located in Erie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sloan
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,522 people
- Getzville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Beach Ridge
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Beach Ridge is located in Niagara County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beach Ridge
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Oakfield. See our List of 1890's Communities around Oakfield.
Newspapers Published in Oakfield ...
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 74 newspapers that have been published in the area around Oakfield.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Oakfield, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Oakfield.
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 Oakfield:
- Websites specific to New York
- Pages specific to Erie County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Chautauqua County
- Genesee County
- Niagara County
- Wyoming 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> | 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 Oakfield, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Oakfield) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |