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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 Elm (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 Elm. 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 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.

Elm is located in Lancaster 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 Lancaster County: Cecil (MD), Harford (MD), Berks, Chester, Dauphin, Lebanon & York.

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

  • Lancaster County     (The home county of Elm)
  • Berks County
  • Chester County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elm, with the one closest to Elm listed first.
    • Cambridge
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cambridge. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambridge
      • Cambridge is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cambridge
      • From Elm to Cambridge
    • Honey Brook
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Honey Brook have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honey Brook
      • Honey Brook is located in Chester County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,756 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Honey Brook <1>
    • Compass
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Suplee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Dampman
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Atglen
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Birdell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Birdell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birdell
      • Birdell is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Birdell
      • From Elm to Birdell
    • Cupola
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cupola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cupola
      • Cupola is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cupola
      • From Elm to Cupola
    • Elverson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Isabella
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Isabella. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isabella
      • Isabella is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Isabella
      • From Elm to Isabella
    • Rockville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rockville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockville
      • Rockville is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rockville
      • From Elm to Rockville
    • Lenover
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lenover. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenover
      • Lenover is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lenover
      • From Elm to Lenover
    • Loag
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Cumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elm, with the one closest to Elm listed first.
    • New Cumberland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Cumberland have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Cumberland
      • New Cumberland is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,300 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Cumberland <1>
    • Lemoyne
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lemoyne have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lemoyne
      • Lemoyne is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,632 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lemoyne <1>
    • Lower Allen
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lower Allen have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Allen
      • Lower Allen is located in Cumberland County
    • Wormleysburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wormleysburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wormleysburg
      • Wormleysburg is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,062 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wormleysburg <1>
    • Camp Hill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Lisburn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • West Fairview
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Dauphin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elm, with the one closest to Elm listed first.
    • Bachmanville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Hershey
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Union Deposit
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Grantville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Clifton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clifton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clifton
      • Clifton is located in Dauphin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Clifton
      • From Elm to Clifton
    • Hummelstown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hummelstown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hummelstown
      • Hummelstown is located in Dauphin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,814 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hummelstown <1>
    • Shellsville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Middletown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Royalton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Manadahill
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Manadahill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manadahill
      • Manadahill is located in Dauphin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Manadahill
      • From Elm to Manadahill
    • Skyline View
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Skyline View have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skyline View
      • Skyline View is located in Dauphin County
    • Rutherford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rutherford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutherford
      • Rutherford is located in Dauphin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rutherford
      • From Elm to Rutherford
    • Highspire
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
  • Lebanon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elm, with the one closest to Elm listed first.
    • Johnstown
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Johnstown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnstown
      • Johnstown is located in Lebanon County
    • Burd Coleman Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burd Coleman Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burd Coleman Village
      • Burd Coleman Village is located in Lebanon County
    • Miners Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Miners Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miners Village
      • Miners Village is located in Lebanon County
    • Cornwall
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornwall have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornwall
      • Cornwall is located in Lebanon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,382 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cornwall <1>
    • Mount Gretna Heights
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Gretna Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Gretna Heights
      • Mount Gretna Heights is located in Lebanon County
    • Quentin
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Schaefferstown
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Timber Hills
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timber Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timber Hills
      • Timber Hills is located in Lebanon County
    • Mount Gretna
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Gretna have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Gretna
      • Mount Gretna is located in Lebanon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Gretna <1>
    • Colebrook
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Lebanon
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Fontana
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fontana. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fontana
      • Fontana is located in Lebanon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fontana
      • From Elm to Fontana
    • Avon Heights
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avon Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon Heights
      • Avon Heights is located in Lebanon County
  • Luzerne County
    • Newtown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newtown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newtown
      • Newtown is located in Luzerne County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Newtown
      • From Elm to Newtown
  • Schuylkill County
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elm, with the one closest to Elm listed first.
    • Wrightsville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • East Prospect
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Prospect have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Prospect
      • East Prospect is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 912 people
    • Craley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Hallam
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hallam have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallam
      • Hallam is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,634 people
    • Yorkana
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yorkana have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkana
      • Yorkana is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
    • Starview
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • York Haven
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for York Haven have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York Haven
      • York Haven is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 691 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for York Haven <1>
    • New Bridgeville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Bittersville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Manchester
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Mount Wolf
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Wolf have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Wolf
      • Mount Wolf is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,380 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Wolf <1>
    • Stonybrook
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Stonybrook. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonybrook
      • Stonybrook is located in York County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Stonybrook
      • From Elm to Stonybrook
    • Goldsboro
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Goldsboro. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goldsboro
      • Goldsboro is located in York County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 938 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Goldsboro
      • From Elm to Goldsboro

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

Cemeteries Near Elm ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Elm.

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

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

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.<6>

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

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

  • Penryn
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Penryn have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penryn
    • Penryn is located in Lancaster County
  • Lexington
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lexington have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lexington
    • Lexington is located in Lancaster County
  • Brickerville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Manheim
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Fairland
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Limerock
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limerock have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limerock
    • Limerock is located in Lancaster County
  • Brunnerville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Elstonville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elstonville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elstonville
    • Elstonville is located in Lancaster County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Elstonville
    • From Elm to Elstonville
  • Lititz
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Mount Hope
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mount Hope. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Hope
    • Mount Hope is located in Lancaster County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Mount Hope
    • From Elm to Mount Hope
  • Sporting Hill
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Lancaster Junction
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Rexmont
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rexmont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rexmont
      • Rexmont is located in Lebanon County
    • Kissell Hill
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Clay
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Elm ...

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 146 newspapers that have been published in the area around Elm.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Elm, there are papers which were published within 11 miles [17.7 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Elm.

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 Elm:

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

The official website for Lancaster County: www.co.lancaster.pa.us/

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>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- Elm) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Elm. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.2039, Longitude: -76.3488    
<6>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 Elm, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025