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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 Balltown (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 Balltown. 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.

Balltown is located in Forest County.

To see how the shape of Pennsylvania's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Forest County: Clarion, Elk, Jefferson, Venango & Warren.

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

  • Forest County     (The home county of Balltown)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balltown, with the one closest to Balltown listed first.
    • Iron City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iron City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iron City
      • Iron City is located in Forest County
    • Sheffield Junction
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Marienville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Roses
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Roses. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roses
      • Roses is located in Forest County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Roses
      • From Balltown to Roses
    • Gilfoyle
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Trunkeyville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Fagundus
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fagundus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fagundus
      • Fagundus is located in Forest County
    • Redclyffe
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Redclyffe. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redclyffe
      • Redclyffe is located in Forest County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Redclyffe
      • From Balltown to Redclyffe
    • Tionesta
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Clarington
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
  • Clarion County
  • Crawford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balltown, with the one closest to Balltown listed first.
    • Titusville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Vrooman
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vrooman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vrooman
      • Vrooman is located in Crawford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Vrooman
      • From Balltown to Vrooman
    • Gresham
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Hydetown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Spartansburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spartansburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spartansburg
      • Spartansburg is located in Crawford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spartansburg <3>
  • Elk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balltown, with the one closest to Balltown listed first.
    • Russell City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Russell City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russell City
      • Russell City is located in Elk County
    • Windy City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Windy City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windy City
      • Windy City is located in Elk County
    • James City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for James City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for James City
      • James City is located in Elk County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for James City <3>
    • Millstone
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Hallton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hallton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallton
      • Hallton is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hallton
      • From Balltown to Hallton
    • Lake City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Wilcox
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Ridgway
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ridgway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgway
      • Ridgway is located in Elk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,708 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ridgway <3>
    • Whistletown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Johnsonburg
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Streights
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Streights. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Streights
      • Streights is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Streights
      • From Balltown to Streights
    • Horton City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horton City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton City
      • Horton City is located in Elk County
  • Jefferson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balltown, with the one closest to Balltown listed first.
    • Sigel
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Schoffner Corner
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Munderf
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Howe
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Howe. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howe
      • Howe is located in Jefferson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Howe
      • From Balltown to Howe
    • Warsaw
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warsaw have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warsaw
      • Warsaw is located in Jefferson County
    • Corsica
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corsica have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corsica
      • Corsica is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 342 people
    • Hazen
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Brockway
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brockway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brockway
      • Brockway is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,020 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brockway <3>
    • Brookville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookville
      • Brookville is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,762 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brookville <3>
    • Allens Mills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • McKean County
  • Venango County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balltown, with the one closest to Balltown listed first.
    • Pleasantville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • President
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Pithole City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pithole City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pithole City
      • Pithole City is located in Venango County
    • Coal Hill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Coal Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coal Hill
      • Coal Hill is located in Venango County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Coal Hill
      • From Balltown to Coal Hill
    • Plumer
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Petroleum Center
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Fertigs
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fertigs. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fertigs
      • Fertigs is located in Venango County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fertigs
      • From Balltown to Fertigs
    • Colonial Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colonial Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
      • Colonial Village is located in Venango County
    • Hasson Heights
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hasson Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hasson Heights
      • Hasson Heights is located in Venango County
    • McClintock
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McClintock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McClintock
      • McClintock is located in Venango County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to McClintock
      • From Balltown to McClintock
    • Rouseville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rouseville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rouseville
      • Rouseville is located in Venango County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 468 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rouseville <3>
    • Rynd Farm
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rynd Farm. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rynd Farm
      • Rynd Farm is located in Venango County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rynd Farm
      • From Balltown to Rynd Farm
    • Hill City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill City
      • Hill City is located in Venango County
  • Warren County
  • Chautauqua County (NY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Balltown, with the one closest to Balltown listed first.
    • Kiantone
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Busti
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Balltown ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Balltown.

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

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

  • Whig Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whig Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whig Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cherry Grove Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cherry Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cherry Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Forest Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Forest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Forest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Roses Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Roses Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Roses Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brookston Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Economite Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Economite Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Economite Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fagundas Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Moriah Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moriah Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moriah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gorman Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gorman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gorman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Mary's Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Mt. Collins Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Collins Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Collins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Irvine Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Irvine Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Irvine Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (106 more) ...
    • Oakland Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakland Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Josephs Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Josephs Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Josephs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Morrison Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morrison Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morrison Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Balltown had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Mayburg
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mayburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayburg
    • Mayburg is located in Forest County
  • Whig Hill
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whig Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whig Hill
    • Whig Hill is located in Forest County
  • Kellettville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kellettville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellettville
    • Kellettville is located in Forest County
  • Cherry Grove
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherry Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Grove
    • Cherry Grove is located in Warren County
  • Pigeon
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pigeon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pigeon
    • Pigeon is located in Forest County
  • Penoke
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Penoke have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penoke
    • Penoke is located in Forest County
  • Byromtown
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Byromtown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Byromtown
    • Byromtown is located in Forest County
  • Guitonville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guitonville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guitonville
    • Guitonville is located in Forest County
  • Marienville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Sheffield Junction
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Donaldson
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Barnes
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Barnes. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barnes
    • Barnes is located in Warren County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Barnes
    • From Balltown to Barnes
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Starr
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Starr have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Starr
      • Starr is located in Forest County
    • Williams
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williams have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williams
      • Williams is located in Forest County
    • Roses
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Roses. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roses
      • Roses is located in Forest County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Roses
      • From Balltown to Roses

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

Newspapers Published in Balltown ...

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 73 newspapers that have been published in the area around Balltown.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Balltown, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Balltown.

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 either offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Balltown:

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

The official website for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: https://www.pa.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>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Balltown, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Balltown) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Balltown. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.6011, Longitude: -79.1738       In this case, the coordinates for Balltown have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 15 Jul 2025