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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 Columbus (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 Columbus. 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 southeast 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 south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Columbus is located in Warren 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 Warren County: Cattaraugus (NY), Chautauqua (NY), Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, McKean & Venango.

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

  • Warren County     (The home county of Columbus)
  • Crawford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Spartansburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spartansburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 <2>
    • Vrooman
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vrooman
      • Vrooman is located in Crawford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Vrooman
      • From Columbus to Vrooman
    • Canadohta Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canadohta Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canadohta Lake
      • Canadohta Lake is located in Crawford County
    • Centerville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centerville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
      • Centerville is located in Crawford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Centerville <2>
    • Lincolnville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Riceville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Riceville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riceville
      • Riceville is located in Crawford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Riceville
      • From Columbus to Riceville
    • Rootville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rootville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rootville
      • Rootville is located in Crawford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rootville
      • From Columbus to Rootville
    • Tryonville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Brown Hill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brown Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brown Hill
      • Brown Hill is located in Crawford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Brown Hill
      • From Columbus to Brown Hill
    • Hydetown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Titusville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Gresham
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Townville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Townville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Townville
      • Townville is located in Crawford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 306 people
  • Erie County
  • Forest County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Fagundus
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fagundus have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fagundus
      • Fagundus is located in Forest County
    • Trunkeyville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Venango County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Columbus, with the one closest to Columbus listed first.
    • Pleasantville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Pithole City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pithole City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pithole City
      • Pithole City is located in Venango County
    • Petroleum Center
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Plumer
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Chautauqua County (NY)

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

Cemeteries Near Columbus ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Columbus.

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

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

  • Curtis Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Curtis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Curtis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Westlawn Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Westlawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Westlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pine Grove Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • East Clymer Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the East Clymer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the East Clymer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brooks Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brooks Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brooks Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Town Line Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Town Line Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Town Line Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wheelock Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wheelock Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wheelock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spring Creek Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spring Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Holland Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Bear Lake Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bear Lake Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bear Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clymer Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clymer Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clymer Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tillotson Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tillotson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tillotson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (172 more) ...

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 Columbus had a population of 292 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Corry
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Spring Creek
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Creek
    • Spring Creek is located in Warren County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spring Creek <2>
  • Bear Lake
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Wheelock
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheelock have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheelock
    • Wheelock is located in Erie County
  • West Spring Creek
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Clymer
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clymer have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clymer
    • Clymer is located in Chautauqua County (NY)
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Clymer <2>
  • Lottsville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lottsville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lottsville
    • Lottsville is located in Warren County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Lottsville
    • From Columbus to Lottsville
  • Elgin
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Concord
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Concord have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Concord
    • Concord is located in Erie County
  • Cutting
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cutting have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cutting
    • Cutting is located in Chautauqua County (NY)
  • Spartansburg
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spartansburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 <2>
  • East Branch
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • North Clymer
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Watts Flats
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Watts Flats have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watts Flats
      • Watts Flats is located in Chautauqua County (NY)
    • Panama
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Panama have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Panama
      • Panama is located in Chautauqua County (NY)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 441 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Panama <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Columbus ...

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 52 newspapers that have been published in the area around Columbus.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Columbus, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Columbus.

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 helpful 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 Columbus:

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

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Columbus, 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- Columbus) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Columbus. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.9408, Longitude: -79.5821    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025