RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> Commonwealth of Pennsylvania >> Cumberland County >> Donnellytown >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Donnellytown (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 Donnellytown. 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.

Donnellytown is located in Cumberland County.

To see how the shape of Pennsylvania's counties may 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 Donnellytown. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Donnellytown:

  • Cumberland County     (The home county of Donnellytown)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • New Kingstown
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Middlesex
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Middlesex is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlesex
    • Schlusser
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Schlusser is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schlusser
    • Good Hope
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Good Hope is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good Hope
    • Mechanicsburg
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Roxbury
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Roxbury is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxbury
    • Trindle Springs
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Trindle Springs is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trindle Springs
    • Sporting Hill
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Sporting Hill is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sporting Hill
    • Caprivi
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Caprivi is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caprivi
    • Carlisle
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Enola
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Shiremanstown
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Shiremanstown is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiremanstown
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,641 people
  • Adams County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Latimore
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Latimore is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latimore
    • Gargol
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Gargol is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gargol
    • Idaville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Idaville is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Idaville
    • York Springs
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Gardners
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Lake Meade
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Lake Meade is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Meade
    • Aspers
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Aspers is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aspers
      • Aspers has also been known as:
      • Bendersville Station
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Aspers <1>
    • Bendersville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Heidlersburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Heidlersburg is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heidlersburg
    • Guernsey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Guernsey is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guernsey
    • Hampton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Hampton is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hampton
    • Biglerville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
  • Allegheny County
    • Bloomfield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Bloomfield is located in Allegheny County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,255 people
  • Dauphin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Dauphin
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Fort Hunter
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Fort Hunter is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Hunter
    • Harrisburg
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Hillside Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Hillside Village is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillside Village
    • Lucknow
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Lucknow is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lucknow
    • Edgemont
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Penbrook
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Penbrook is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penbrook
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,976 people
    • Stone Glen
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Stone Glen is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone Glen
    • Bloomburg Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Bloomburg Village is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomburg Village
    • Old Colonial Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Old Colonial Village is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Colonial Village
    • Paxtang
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Paxtang is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paxtang
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,546 people
    • Progress
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Progress is located in Dauphin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Progress
  • Franklin County
    • Mowersville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Mowersville is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mowersville
  • Juniata County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Thompsontown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Locust Run
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Locust Run is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Run
    • Mexico
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Mexico is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mexico
    • Seven Stars
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Seven Stars is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Stars
    • Old Port
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Old Port is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Port
    • Port Royal
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Knousetown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Knousetown is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knousetown
    • McAlisterville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Doyles Mills
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Doyles Mills is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doyles Mills
    • Mifflin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Mifflin is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mifflin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 606 people
    • Mifflintown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Swales
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Swales is located in Juniata County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swales
  • Lancaster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Falmouth
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Falmouth is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth
    • Aberdeen
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Aberdeen is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen
    • Elizabethtown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Billmeyer ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Billmeyer is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Billmeyer
    • Rheems
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Rheems is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rheems
    • Maytown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Lebanon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Campbelltown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Palmyra
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Syner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Syner is located in Lebanon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Syner
    • Fort Indiantown Gap
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Fort Indiantown Gap is located in Lebanon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Indiantown Gap
    • Lawn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Annville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Northumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Malta
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Malta is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malta
    • Mandata
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Mandata is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mandata
  • Perry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Mecks Corner
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Mecks Corner is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mecks Corner
    • Cove
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Cove is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove
    • Falling Spring
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Falling Spring is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falling Spring
    • Rose Glen
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Rose Glen is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Glen
    • Duncannon
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Perdix
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Perdix is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perdix
    • Marysville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Alinda
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Alinda is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alinda
    • Blain
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Landisburg
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Elliottsburg
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Elliottsburg is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliottsburg
    • Bailey
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Bailey is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bailey
  • Snyder County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Aline
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Aline is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aline
    • McKees Half Falls
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • McKees Half Falls is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McKees Half Falls
    • Hoffer
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Hoffer is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoffer
    • Chapman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Chapman is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapman
    • Shadle
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Shadle is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shadle
    • Mount Pleasant Mills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Pallas
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Pallas is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pallas
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Donnellytown, with the one closest to Donnellytown listed first.
    • Siddonsburg
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Siddonsburg is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siddonsburg
    • Andersontown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Andersontown is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Andersontown
    • Rudytown ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Rudytown is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rudytown
    • New Market
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • New Market is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Market
    • Dillsburg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Nauvoo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Nauvoo is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nauvoo
    • Uniontown
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Uniontown is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Uniontown
    • Marsh Run
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Marsh Run is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marsh Run
    • Mount Top
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Mount Top is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Top
    • Lewisberry
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Quaker Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Quaker Village is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quaker Village
    • Redland Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Redland Village is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redland Village

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

Cemeteries Near Donnellytown ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Donnellytown.

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 Donnellytown - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Longsdorf Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Letort Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Letort Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Letort Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northeast of Carlisle.
    • The Letort Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Kutz Cemetery
    • Kutz's Cemetery
    • Letort UMC Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1965543 <2>
  • War of 1812 Memorial Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Cumberland County Home Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Mt. Zion UMC Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Snyders Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Union Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Ashland Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Bakers Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Westminister Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Mt. Zion Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (179 more) ...
    • Chestnut Hill Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • St. Johns Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Enola Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enola Cemetery
      • The Enola Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Brick Church Cemetery
      • Zion Evangelical Church Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2206443 <2>

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.<3>

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

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

  • Wertzville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Wertzville is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wertzville
  • Carlisle Springs
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Carlisle Springs is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlisle Springs
  • New Kingstown
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Keystone
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Keystone is located in Perry County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keystone
  • Middlesex
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Middlesex is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlesex
  • Hogestown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Hogestown is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hogestown
  • Shermans Dale
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Dillsburg Junction
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Dillsburg Junction is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillsburg Junction
  • Dellville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Dellville is located in Perry County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dellville
  • Trindle Springs
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Trindle Springs is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trindle Springs
  • Mechanicsburg
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Good Hope
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Good Hope is located in Cumberland County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good Hope
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Carlisle
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Cove
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Cove is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove
    • Falling Spring
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Falling Spring is located in Perry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falling Spring

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

Newspapers Published in Donnellytown ...

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 183 newspapers that have been published in the area around Donnellytown.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Donnellytown, there are papers which were published within 12 miles [19.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Donnellytown.

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 Donnellytown:

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>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.
<3>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 Donnellytown, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Donnellytown) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.