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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 Olean (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 Olean. 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 northwest 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 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 west 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.

Olean is located in Cattaraugus 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 Cattaraugus County: Allegany, Chautauqua, Erie, Wyoming, McKean (PA) & Warren (PA).

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

  • Cattaraugus County     (The home county of Olean)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Olean, with the one closest to Olean listed first.
    • Saint Bonaventure
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Bonaventure have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Bonaventure
      • Saint Bonaventure is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Bonaventure <2>
    • Allegany
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allegany have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allegany
      • Allegany is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,685 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Allegany <2>
    • Weston Mills
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weston Mills
      • Weston Mills is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Four Mile
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Four Mile have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Mile
      • Four Mile is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Rock City
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock City
      • Rock City is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Portville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Portville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Portville
      • Portville is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 941 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Portville <2>
    • Chipmunk
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chipmunk have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipmunk
      • Chipmunk is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Humphrey
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Humphrey
      • Humphrey is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Limestone
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Ischua
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ischua
      • Ischua is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Carrollton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carrollton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carrollton
      • Carrollton is located in Cattaraugus County
    • New Ireland ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for New Ireland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Ireland
      • New Ireland is located in Cattaraugus County
      • New Ireland has also been known as:
      • Irish Town
      • Little Ireland
  • Allegany County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Olean, with the one closest to Olean listed first.
    • West Clarksville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Clarksville
      • West Clarksville is located in Allegany County
    • Bowler
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowler
      • Bowler is located in Allegany County
    • Little Genesee
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Cuba
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cuba have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuba
      • Cuba is located in Allegany County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,460 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cuba <2>
    • Bolivar
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Richburg
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Kossuth
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kossuth
      • Kossuth is located in Allegany County
    • Lyons Corners
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyons Corners
      • Lyons Corners is located in Allegany County
    • Black Creek
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Friendship
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship
      • Friendship is located in Allegany County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Friendship <2>
    • Vosburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vosburg
      • Vosburg is located in Allegany County
    • Alma
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alma
      • Alma is located in Allegany County
  • McKean County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Olean, with the one closest to Olean listed first.
    • Eldred
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldred
      • Eldred is located in McKean County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 754 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eldred <2>
    • Duke Center
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duke Center
      • Duke Center is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Derrick City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Summit
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
      • Summit is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Tuna
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tuna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuna
      • Tuna is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Dallas City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dallas City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dallas City
      • Dallas City is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Foster Brook
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foster Brook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foster Brook
      • Foster Brook is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Myrtle
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myrtle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myrtle
      • Myrtle is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Sawyer City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sawyer City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sawyer City
      • Sawyer City is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Wrights Corners
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrights Corners
      • Wrights Corners is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Bradford
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Rew
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rew
      • Rew is located in McKean County (PA)
  • Potter County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Olean, with the one closest to Olean listed first.
    • Shinglehouse
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Honeoye
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Honeoye have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honeoye
      • Honeoye is located in Potter County (PA)
    • East Sharon
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Sharon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Sharon
      • East Sharon is located in Potter County (PA)
    • Millport
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millport
      • Millport is located in Potter County (PA)
    • Williston
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williston
      • Williston is located in Potter County (PA)
    • Chrystal
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chrystal have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chrystal
      • Chrystal is located in Potter County (PA)
    • Oswayo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oswayo
      • Oswayo is located in Potter County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
    • Hebron
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hebron have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron
      • Hebron is located in Potter County (PA)
    • Roulette
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Ellisburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellisburg
      • Ellisburg is located in Potter County (PA)
    • Coudersport
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Warren County (PA)
    • Kinzua ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinzua
      • Kinzua is located in Warren County (PA)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Olean ...

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 130 newspapers that have been published in the area around Olean.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Olean. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Olean and those printed in the larger area surrounding Olean.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<4> of Olean.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Olean:

Cemeteries Near Olean ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Olean.

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

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

  • Mt. View Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. View Cemetery
  • St. Bonaventure Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Portville Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Portville Cemetery is located outside and to the northeast of Weston Mills.
    • The Portville Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Haskell Cemetery
    • Oakley Hill Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Portville Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #65704 <5>
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • B'nai B'rith Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the B'nai B'rith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the B'nai B'rith Cemetery
  • Allegany Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Chestnut Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • East Portville Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Portville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Portville Cemetery
  • Fivemile Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fivemile Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fivemile Cemetery
  • Hinsdale Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • West Genesee Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Genesee Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Genesee Cemetery
  • Maple Grove Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Grove Cemetery
  • Continue List   (175 more) ...
    • Lamphier Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lamphier Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lamphier Cemetery
    • Oak Hill Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
    • Evergreen Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery

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 Olean had a population of 7,358 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Olean had a population of 13,371 people.

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

  • Allegany
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allegany have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allegany
    • Allegany is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,685 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Allegany <2>
  • Westons Mills
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westons Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westons Mills
    • Westons Mills is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westons Mills <2>
  • Four Mile
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Four Mile have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Mile
    • Four Mile is located in Cattaraugus County
  • Haymaker
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Haymaker have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haymaker
    • Haymaker is located in McKean County (PA)
  • Portville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Portville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Portville
    • Portville is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 941 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Portville <2>
  • Hinsdale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hinsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinsdale
    • Hinsdale is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hinsdale <2>
  • Chipmunk
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chipmunk have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chipmunk
    • Chipmunk is located in Cattaraugus County
  • Bullis Mills
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bullis Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bullis Mills
    • Bullis Mills is located in McKean County (PA)
  • Haskell Flats
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Haskell Flats have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haskell Flats
    • Haskell Flats is located in Cattaraugus County
  • Vandalia
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vandalia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandalia
    • Vandalia is located in Cattaraugus County
  • South Vandalia
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Vandalia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Vandalia
    • South Vandalia is located in Cattaraugus County
  • Eldred
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldred
    • Eldred is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 754 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eldred <2>
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Bells Camp
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bells Camp have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bells Camp
      • Bells Camp is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Red Rock
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Rock
      • Red Rock is located in McKean County (PA)
    • Duke Center
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duke Center
      • Duke Center is located in McKean County (PA)

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

The official website for Olean: www.cityofolean.com/

The official website for Cattaraugus County: www.co.cattaraugus.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>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- Olean) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Olean. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.0799, Longitude: -78.4375    
<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 Olean, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024