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 The Plains (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 The Plains. 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 doctors 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.
The Plains is located in Washington 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 Washington County: Essex, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren, Addison (VT), Bennington (VT) & Rutland (VT).
Below are the counties that are near The Plains. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to The Plains:
- Washington County (The home county of The Plains)
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Cambridge
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Anaquassacook
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Anaquassacook is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anaquassacook
- Coila
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Coila is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coila
- Battenville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Battenville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Battenville
- Center White Creek
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Center White Creek is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center White Creek
- East Greenwich
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- East Greenwich is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Greenwich
- White Creek
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Center Cambridge
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Center Cambridge is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Cambridge
- Fly Summit
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Fly Summit is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fly Summit
- Archdale
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Archdale is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Archdale
- Greenwich
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Greenwich is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,698 people
- Salem
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Cossayuna
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Albany County
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Cohoes
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Green Island
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Watervliet
(28 miles [45.1 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
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Menands
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Newtonville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Rensselaer County
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Eagle Bridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Buskirk
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Hoosick Junction
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Hoosick Junction is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoosick Junction
- Walloomsac
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Walloomsac is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walloomsac
- Hoosick Falls
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Johnsonville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Hoosick
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Petersburg Junction
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Petersburg Junction is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg Junction
- Potter Hill
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Potter Hill is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potter Hill
- Valley Falls
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Boyntonville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Boyntonville is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyntonville
- Schaghticoke
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Pittstown
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Pittstown is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittstown
- Saratoga County
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Schuylerville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Northumberland
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Northumberland is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northumberland
- Victory Mills
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Village of Victory
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Village of Victory is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Village of Victory
- Population from the 2020 Census: 574 people
- Village of Victory has also been known as:
- Victory village
- Grangerville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Grangerville is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grangerville
- Gates
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Gates is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gates
- Jewell Corner
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jewell Corner is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jewell Corner
- Stillwater
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Deans Corners
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Deans Corners is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deans Corners
- Gansevoort
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Cedar Bluffs
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Cedar Bluffs is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Bluffs
- Ketchums Corners
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Ketchums Corners is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ketchums Corners
- Stillwater Center
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Stillwater Center is located in Saratoga County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stillwater Center
- Schenectady County
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Alplaus
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Aqueduct
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Aqueduct is located in Schenectady County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aqueduct
- East Glenville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- East Glenville is located in Schenectady County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Glenville
- Warren County
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Glens Falls
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- West Glens Falls
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- West Glens Falls is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Glens Falls
- Queensbury
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lake Luzerne
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Brayton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Brayton is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brayton
- Berkshire County (MA)
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Williamstown
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Williamstown is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamstown
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,631 people
- Greylock
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Greylock is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greylock
- Briggsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Briggsville is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briggsville
- North Adams
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- North Adams is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Adams
- Population from the 2020 Census: 12,737 people
- Zylonite
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Zylonite is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zylonite
- Franklin County (MA)
- Monroe
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Monroe is located in Franklin County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monroe
- Population from the 2020 Census: 115 people
- Bennington County (VT)
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Arlington
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Arlington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,204 people
- Shaftsbury
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Shaftsbury
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Shaftsbury is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaftsbury
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,411 people
- Arlington
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- North Bennington
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- North Bennington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bennington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,694 people
- South Shaftsbury
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- South Shaftsbury is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Shaftsbury
- Kansas
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Kansas is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kansas
- Sandgate
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Sandgate is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandgate
- Population from the 2020 Census: 380 people
- Paper Mill Village
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Paper Mill Village is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paper Mill Village
- Bennington
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Bennington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bennington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 14,897 people
- Old Bennington
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Old Bennington is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Bennington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
- Sunderland
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Sunderland is located in Bennington County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunderland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 947 people
- Bennington
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Rutland County (VT)
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Pawlet
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Pawlet
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Pawlet is located in Rutland County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pawlet
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,359 people
- Danby
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Danby is located in Rutland County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danby
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,308 people
- Wells
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Danby Four Corners
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Danby Four Corners is located in Rutland County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danby Four Corners
- Wells
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Wells is located in Rutland County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,151 people
- Mount Tabor
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Mount Tabor is located in Rutland County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Tabor
- Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
- Windham County (VT)
- The following are listed by their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Somerset
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Somerset is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somerset
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3 people
- Stratton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Stratton is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stratton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 197 people
- Stratton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Stratton is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stratton
- Podunk
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Podunk is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Podunk
- West Wardsboro
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Dover
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Dover is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,057 people
- West Dover
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- West Dover is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Dover
- Wardsboro
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Wardsboro is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wardsboro
- Population from the 2020 Census: 828 people
- Wilmington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Wilmington is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,786 people
- Wilmington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Jamaica
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Jamaica is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamaica
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,025 people
- Wardsboro
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Goose City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Goose City is located in Windham County (VT)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goose City
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to The Plains, see our County-by-County Page for The Plains.
Cemeteries Near The Plains ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of The Plains.
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 The Plains - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for The Plains covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Woodland Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Binninger Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- LeBarron-Harrington Farm Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Stanley Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Guber Farm Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Rhoda Blowers Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Camden Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Quaker Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Rosewood Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Fuller Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Josiah Fuller Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Shaftsbury Hollow Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (440 more) ...
- Aylesworth Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- West Arlington Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Evergreen Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
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 The Plains in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of The Plains.
These communities are listed based on their distance from The Plains, with the one closest to The Plains listed first.
- Cambridge
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Coila
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Coila is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coila
- Shushan
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Center White Creek
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Center White Creek is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center White Creek
- Battenville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Battenville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Battenville
- Archdale
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Archdale is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Archdale
- Fly Summit
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Fly Summit is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fly Summit
- Center Cambridge
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Center Cambridge is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Cambridge
- East Greenwich
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- East Greenwich is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Greenwich
- White Creek
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- West Cambridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- West Cambridge is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Cambridge
- Eagle Bridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Continue List (18 more) ...
- Greenwich
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Greenwich is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,698 people
- South Cambridge
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- South Cambridge is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Cambridge
- Hoosick Junction
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Hoosick Junction is located in Rensselaer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoosick Junction
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around The Plains. See our List of 1890's Communities around The Plains.
Newspapers Published in The Plains ...
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 68 newspapers that have been published in the area around The Plains.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of The Plains, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for The Plains.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 The Plains:
- Websites specific to New York
- Pages specific to Washington County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Albany County
- Rensselaer County
- Saratoga County
- Schenectady County
- Warren County
- Berkshire County
- Franklin County
- Bennington County
- Rutland County
- Windham 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 The Plains, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <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- The Plains) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |