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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 Swan Lake (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 Swan Lake. 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 Swan Lake ...

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 occur.

Another variation: Swanlake.

  • A typical abbreviation for Swan Lake: Swan Lk.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Swan Lake. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Swan Lake.

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 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.

Swan Lake is located in Sullivan 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 Sullivan County: Delaware, Orange, Ulster, Pike (PA) & Wayne (PA).

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

  • Sullivan County     (The home county of Swan Lake)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swan Lake, with the one closest to Swan Lake listed first.
    • Liberty
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Harris
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • White Sulphur Springs
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Hurleyville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Mongaup Valley
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Kauneonga Lake
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Briscoe
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Briscoe is located in Sullivan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briscoe
    • Divine Corners
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Divine Corners is located in Sullivan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Divine Corners
    • Youngsville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Smallwood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Parksville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Aden
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Aden is located in Sullivan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aden
    • Jeffersonville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Delaware County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swan Lake, with the one closest to Swan Lake listed first.
    • Cooks Falls
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Cooks Falls is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Falls
    • Butternut Grove
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Butternut Grove is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butternut Grove
    • Rock Valley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Rock Valley is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Valley
    • Horton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Horton is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton
    • Chiloway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Chiloway is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chiloway
    • Pea Brook
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Pea Brook is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pea Brook
    • Peakville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Peakville is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peakville
    • Corbett
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Corbett is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corbett
    • Gregorytown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Gregorytown is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gregorytown
    • Shinhopple
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Arena ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Arena is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arena
    • Downsville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Harvard
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Harvard is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvard
  • Orange County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swan Lake, with the one closest to Swan Lake listed first.
    • Paradise
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Paradise is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
    • Cuddebackville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Port Orange
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Port Orange is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Orange
    • Otisville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Huguenot
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Sparrow Bush
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Finchville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Finchville is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchville
    • Shin Hollow
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Shin Hollow is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shin Hollow
    • Pine Bush
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Port Jervis
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Washington Heights
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Washington Heights is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Heights
    • Middletown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Searsville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Searsville is located in Orange County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Searsville
  • Ulster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swan Lake, with the one closest to Swan Lake listed first.
    • Spring Glen
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Ellenville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Cragsmoor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Cragsmoor is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cragsmoor
    • Napanoch
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Bull Run
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Bull Run is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bull Run
    • Wawarsing
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Port Ben
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Port Ben is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Ben
    • Walker Valley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Belle Ayr
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Belle Ayr is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle Ayr
    • Branch
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Branch is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Branch
    • Crawford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Crawford is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crawford
    • Kerhonkson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Ulsterville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Ulsterville is located in Ulster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ulsterville
  • Pike County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swan Lake, with the one closest to Swan Lake listed first.
    • Masthope
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Masthope is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Masthope
    • Westcolang
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Westcolang is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westcolang
    • Lackawaxen
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Parkers Glen
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Parkers Glen is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkers Glen
    • Millrift
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Millrift is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millrift
    • Rowland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Matamoras
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Kimble
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Kimble is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimble
    • Milford
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Wilsonville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Wilsonville is located in Pike County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilsonville
    • Lords Valley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Wayne County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swan Lake, with the one closest to Swan Lake listed first.
    • Damascus
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Milanville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Milanville is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milanville
    • Boyds Mills
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Boyds Mills is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyds Mills
    • Calkins
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Calkins is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calkins
    • Laurella
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Laurella is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurella
    • Carley Brook
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Carley Brook is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carley Brook
    • Siko
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Siko is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siko
    • Dyberry
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Dyberry is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dyberry
    • Honesdale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • High Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • High Lake is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Lake
    • Tanners Falls
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Tanners Falls is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tanners Falls
    • Hawley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Hawley is located in Wayne County (PA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,138 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hawley <1>
    • Bethany
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Swan Lake ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Swan Lake.

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 Swan Lake - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Swan Lake covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Fulton Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Soule Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Van Keuren Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Stewart Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Brookside Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Liberty Soldiers Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Laurel Hill Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Lyon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • White Sulphur Springs Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Pintler Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • General Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (135 more) ...
    • Fayerweather Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Bethel Evergreen Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Old Bethel Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)

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.<2>

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

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

  • Bushville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Bushville is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushville
  • Liberty
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • White Sulphur Springs
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • White Lake
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Mongaup Valley
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Maplewood
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Maplewood is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maplewood
  • Hurleyville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Briscoe
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Briscoe is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briscoe
  • Bethel
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Loch Sheldrake
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Divine Corners
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Divine Corners is located in Sullivan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Divine Corners
  • Youngsville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Parksville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Monticello
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • South Fallsburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Swan Lake ...

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 62 newspapers that have been published in the area around Swan Lake.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Swan Lake, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Swan Lake.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Swan Lake:

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>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 Swan Lake, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Swan Lake) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.