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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 Big Spring (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 Big Spring. 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 Big Spring ...

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 Big Spring: Big Spg. (or less commonly used: Big Spng. or Big Sprng.)

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 hospitals and doctors 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.

Big Spring is located in Cumberland 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 Cumberland County: Adams, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry & York.

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

  • Cumberland County     (The home county of Big Spring)
  • Adams County
  • Allegheny County
    • Bloomfield
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloomfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
      • Bloomfield is located in Allegheny County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,255 people
  • Dauphin County
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Spring, with the one closest to Big Spring listed first.
    • Mowersville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Orrstown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Pinola
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pinola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinola
      • Pinola is located in Franklin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pinola
      • From Big Spring to Pinola
    • Roxbury
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Green Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Pleasant Hall
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Brownsville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownsville
      • Brownsville is located in Franklin County
    • Caledonia Park
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caledonia Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caledonia Park
      • Caledonia Park is located in Franklin County
    • Mount Union
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Union have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Union
      • Mount Union is located in Franklin County
    • Fayetteville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fayetteville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayetteville
      • Fayetteville is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fayetteville <1>
    • Newbridge
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newbridge. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbridge
      • Newbridge is located in Franklin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Newbridge
      • From Big Spring to Newbridge
    • Concord
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Doylestown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doylestown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doylestown
      • Doylestown is located in Franklin County
  • Fulton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Spring, with the one closest to Big Spring listed first.
    • Burnt Cabins
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Fort Littleton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Littleton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Littleton
      • Fort Littleton is located in Fulton County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fort Littleton <1>
    • Knobsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Huntingdon County
  • Juniata County
  • Mifflin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Spring, with the one closest to Big Spring listed first.
    • Kistler
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kistler have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kistler
      • Kistler is located in Mifflin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 315 people
    • Newton Hamilton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newton Hamilton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton Hamilton
      • Newton Hamilton is located in Mifflin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 198 people
    • Anderson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Anderson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
      • Anderson is located in Mifflin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Anderson
      • From Big Spring to Anderson
    • Mattawana
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Perry County
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Spring, with the one closest to Big Spring listed first.
    • Uniontown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Uniontown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Uniontown
      • Uniontown is located in York County
    • Dillsburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dillsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillsburg
      • Dillsburg is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,579 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dillsburg <1>
    • Mount Top
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Siddonsburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Wellsville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wellsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellsville
      • Wellsville is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 253 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wellsville <1>
    • Andersontown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Roler
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Roler. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roler
      • Roler is located in York County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Roler
      • From Big Spring to Roler
    • Harmony Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Nauvoo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Rudytown ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rudytown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rudytown
      • Rudytown is located in York County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rudytown
      • From Big Spring to Rudytown
    • Alpine
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alpine. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpine
      • Alpine is located in York County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Alpine
      • From Big Spring to Alpine
    • Davidsburg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Lewisberry
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Carroll County (MD)
    • Harney
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Harney. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harney
      • Harney is located in Carroll County (MD)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Harney
      • From Big Spring to Harney
  • Frederick County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Spring, with the one closest to Big Spring listed first.
    • Emmitsburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emmitsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmitsburg
      • Emmitsburg is located in Frederick County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,270 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emmitsburg <1>
    • Sabillasville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sabillasville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabillasville
      • Sabillasville is located in Frederick County (MD)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sabillasville <1>
  • Washington County (MD)

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

Cemeteries Near Big Spring ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Spring.

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

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

  • John Graham Memorial Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the John Graham Memorial Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the John Graham Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Newville Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Newville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Newville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Prospect Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prospect Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prospect Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Green Spring Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Hanna Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hanna Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hanna Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spring Hill Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Veterans Memorial Park
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Veterans Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Veterans Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cumberland Valley Memorial Gardens
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • McClures Gap Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McClures Gap Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McClures Gap Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pioneer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pioneer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Westminister Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Westminister Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Westminister Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Tabor Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Tabor Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Tabor Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (202 more) ...
    • Mt. Holly Springs Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Holly Springs Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Holly Springs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Myers Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Myers Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Myers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Goodyear Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Goodyear Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Goodyear Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 Big Spring had a population of 263 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Stoughstown
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stoughstown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoughstown
    • Stoughstown is located in Cumberland County
  • Walnut Bottom
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walnut Bottom have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Bottom
    • Walnut Bottom is located in Cumberland County
  • Oakville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakville
    • Oakville is located in Cumberland County
  • Hays Grove
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hays Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hays Grove
    • Hays Grove is located in Cumberland County
  • Longsdorf
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Longsdorf have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longsdorf
    • Longsdorf is located in Cumberland County
  • Dickinson
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dickinson have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dickinson
    • Dickinson is located in Cumberland County
  • Newville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Green Spring
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Spring have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Spring
    • Green Spring is located in Cumberland County
  • Lees Cross Roads
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Huntsdale
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Mount Rock
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Rock
    • Mount Rock is located in Cumberland County
  • Kerrsville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kerrsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kerrsville
    • Kerrsville is located in Cumberland County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Montsera
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Montsera. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montsera
      • Montsera is located in Cumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Montsera
      • From Big Spring to Montsera
    • Heberlig
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heberlig have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heberlig
      • Heberlig is located in Cumberland County
    • Middle Spring
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middle Spring have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middle Spring
      • Middle Spring is located in Cumberland County

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

Newspapers Published in Big Spring ...

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 74 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Spring.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Big Spring, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Big Spring.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Big Spring:

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

The official website for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: https://www.pa.gov/

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>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>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.
<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 Big Spring, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Big Spring) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Big Spring. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.1299, Longitude: -77.4053       In this case, the coordinates for Big Spring have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025