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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 Smith Mills (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 Smith Mills. 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.

Name Variations for Smith Mills ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Smith Mills: Smith Mls. (or less commonly used: Smith Mlls.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 hospitals and doctors 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.

Smith Mills is located in Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua County: Cattaraugus, Erie, Erie (PA) & Warren (PA).

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

  • Chautauqua County     (The home county of Smith Mills)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smith Mills, with the one closest to Smith Mills listed first.
    • Parcells Corners
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parcells Corners
      • Parcells Corners is located in Chautauqua County
    • Silver Creek
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Creek
      • Silver Creek is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,439 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silver Creek <2>
    • Forestville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Sheridan
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Dunkirk
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunkirk
      • Dunkirk is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,701 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dunkirk <2>
    • Fredonia
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Cherry Creek
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherry Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Creek
      • Cherry Creek is located in Chautauqua County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 431 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cherry Creek <2>
    • Cassadaga
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Sinclairville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Brocton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brocton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brocton
      • Brocton is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,382 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brocton <2>
    • Portland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • South Stockton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Stockton
      • South Stockton is located in Chautauqua County
    • Gerry
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Cattaraugus County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smith Mills, with the one closest to Smith Mills listed first.
    • Perrysburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perrysburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perrysburg
      • Perrysburg is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Estimated population in 2012: 394 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Perrysburg <2>
    • Gowanda
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gowanda
      • Gowanda is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,524 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gowanda <2>
    • South Dayton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Persia
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Persia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
      • Persia is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Cattaraugus
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cattaraugus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cattaraugus
      • Cattaraugus is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 900 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cattaraugus <2>
    • Otto
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Brooklyn
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooklyn
      • Brooklyn is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Conewango
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conewango
      • Conewango is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Axeville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Axeville
      • Axeville is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Eddyville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eddyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eddyville
      • Eddyville is located in Cattaraugus County
    • East Randolph
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Randolph have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Randolph
      • East Randolph is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Estimated population in 2012: 615 people
    • Randolph
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Little Valley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  • Erie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Smith Mills, with the one closest to Smith Mills listed first.
    • Farnham
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farnham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farnham
      • Farnham is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 372 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Farnham <2>
    • Brant
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Erie Beach
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Erie Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Erie Beach
      • Lake Erie Beach is located in Erie County
    • Angola
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Angola-on-the-Lake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Angola-on-the-Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Angola-on-the-Lake
      • Angola-on-the-Lake is located in Erie County
    • North Collins
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Collins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Collins
      • North Collins is located in Erie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,194 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Collins <2>
    • Pontiac
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pontiac
      • Pontiac is located in Erie County
    • Derby
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Derby have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Derby
      • Derby is located in Erie County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Derby <2>
    • Eden
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Morton Corners
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morton Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morton Corners
      • Morton Corners is located in Erie County
    • Wyandale
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyandale
      • Wyandale is located in Erie County
    • Concord
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
      • Concord is located in Erie County
    • Water Valley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Water Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Water Valley
      • Water Valley is located in Erie County

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

Newspapers Published in Smith Mills ...

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 120 newspapers that have been published in the area around Smith Mills.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Smith Mills, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Smith Mills.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Smith Mills:

Cemeteries Near Smith Mills ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Smith Mills.

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

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

  • Smith Mills Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith Mills Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith Mills Cemetery
  • Balltown Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Balltown Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Balltown Cemetery
  • Rathburn Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rathburn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rathburn Cemetery
  • Evergreen Lawn Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Lawn Cemetery
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Perrysburg Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Perrysburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Perrysburg Cemetery
  • Rugg-Town / West Perrysburg Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Prospect Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prospect Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prospect Cemetery
  • Glenwood Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Glenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Glenwood Cemetery
  • Mt. Carmel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Carmel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Carmel Cemetery
  • Pope Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pope Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pope Hill Cemetery
  • Ball Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ball Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ball Hill Cemetery
  • Continue List   (193 more) ...
    • Versailles Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Abbey Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Abbey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Abbey Cemetery
    • Cottage Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cottage Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cottage 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.<5>

While we didn't find Smith Mills in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Smith Mills.

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

  • Nashville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nashville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashville
    • Nashville is located in Chautauqua County
  • Forestville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Silver Creek
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Creek
    • Silver Creek is located in Chautauqua County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,439 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silver Creek <2>
  • Wango
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wango have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wango
    • Wango is located in Chautauqua County
  • Cottage
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cottage have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottage
    • Cottage is located in Cattaraugus County
  • Perrysburg
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perrysburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perrysburg
    • Perrysburg is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Estimated population in 2012: 394 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Perrysburg <2>
  • Versailles
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Versailles have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Versailles
    • Versailles is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Versailles <2>
  • Irving
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irving have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irving
    • Irving is located in Chautauqua County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irving <2>
  • Sheridan
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Brant
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Farnham
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farnham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farnham
    • Farnham is located in Erie County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 372 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Farnham <2>
  • Hamlet
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlet
    • Hamlet is located in Chautauqua County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Markhams
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Markhams have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Markhams
      • Markhams is located in Cattaraugus County
    • Dayton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dayton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
      • Dayton is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dayton <2>
    • Gowanda
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gowanda
      • Gowanda is located in Cattaraugus County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,524 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gowanda <2>

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Smith Mills. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Chautauqua County: www.co.chautauqua.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>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- Smith Mills) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Smith Mills. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.4951, Longitude: -79.1056       In this case, the coordinates for Smith Mills have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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 Smith Mills, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024