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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 Rich Valley (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 Rich Valley. 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 Rich Valley ...

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 Rich Valley: Rich Vly. (or less commonly used: Rich Vally. or Rich Vlly.)

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 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.

Rich Valley is located in Cameron 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 Cameron County: Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, McKean & Potter.

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

  • Cameron County     (The home county of Rich Valley)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rich Valley, with the one closest to Rich Valley listed first.
    • Weber City
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weber City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weber City
      • Weber City is located in Cameron County
    • Emporium
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emporium have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emporium
      • Emporium is located in Cameron County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,770 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emporium <2>
    • Beechwood
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beechwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beechwood
      • Beechwood is located in Cameron County
    • Cameron
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron
      • Cameron is located in Cameron County
    • Huntley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntley
      • Huntley is located in Cameron County
    • Driftwood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Clearfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rich Valley, with the one closest to Rich Valley listed first.
    • Tyler
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tyler have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyler
      • Tyler is located in Clearfield County
    • Pottersdale
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pottersdale
      • Pottersdale is located in Clearfield County
    • Winterburn
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winterburn
      • Winterburn is located in Clearfield County
  • Clinton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rich Valley, with the one closest to Rich Valley listed first.
    • Hammersley Fork
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hammersley Fork have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hammersley Fork
      • Hammersley Fork is located in Clinton County
    • Bitumen
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bitumen
      • Bitumen is located in Clinton County
    • Cooks Run
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cooks Run have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Run
      • Cooks Run is located in Clinton County
    • Westport
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Elk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rich Valley, with the one closest to Rich Valley listed first.
    • Grant
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grant
      • Grant is located in Elk County
    • Saint Marys
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Marys have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Marys
      • Saint Marys is located in Elk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,157 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Marys <2>
    • Streights
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Streights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Streights
      • Streights is located in Elk County
    • Caledonia
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caledonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caledonia
      • Caledonia is located in Elk County
    • Johnsonburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsonburg
      • Johnsonburg is located in Elk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,264 people
    • Byrnedale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Dagus Mines
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dagus Mines
      • Dagus Mines is located in Elk County
    • Wilcox
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Kylers Corners
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kylers Corners
      • Kylers Corners is located in Elk County
    • Scattertown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scattertown
      • Scattertown is located in Elk County
    • Ridgway
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ridgway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgway
      • Ridgway is located in Elk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,708 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ridgway <2>
    • Challenge
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Challenge
      • Challenge is located in Elk County
    • Horton City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horton City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton City
      • Horton City is located in Elk County
  • McKean County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rich Valley, with the one closest to Rich Valley listed first.
    • Gardeau
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardeau
      • Gardeau is located in McKean County
    • Clermont
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clermont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clermont
      • Clermont is located in McKean County
    • Crosby
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crosby
      • Crosby is located in McKean County
    • Hutchins
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hutchins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hutchins
      • Hutchins is located in McKean County
    • Port Allegany
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Smethport
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smethport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smethport
      • Smethport is located in McKean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,518 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Smethport <2>
    • Freeman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
      • Freeman is located in McKean County
    • Mount Jewett
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Coontown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coontown
      • Coontown is located in McKean County
    • Kanesholm
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanesholm
      • Kanesholm is located in McKean County
    • Wrights Corners
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wrights Corners
      • Wrights Corners is located in McKean County
    • Big Shanty
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Shanty have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Shanty
      • Big Shanty is located in McKean County
    • Kane
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kane
      • Kane is located in McKean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,421 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kane <2>
  • Potter County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rich Valley, with the one closest to Rich Valley listed first.
    • Austin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Roulette
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Inez
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inez
      • Inez is located in Potter County
    • Williston
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williston
      • Williston is located in Potter County
    • Coudersport
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Hebron
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hebron have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron
      • Hebron is located in Potter County
    • Sweden Valley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweden Valley
      • Sweden Valley is located in Potter County
    • Millport
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millport
      • Millport is located in Potter County
    • Shinglehouse
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Oswayo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oswayo
      • Oswayo is located in Potter County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people

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

Newspapers Published in Rich Valley ...

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 42 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rich Valley.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rich Valley, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rich Valley.

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 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 Rich Valley:

Cemeteries Near Rich Valley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rich Valley.

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

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

  • Rich Valley Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Newton Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Newton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Newton Cemetery
  • St. Marks Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marks Cemetery
  • Pine St. Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine St. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine St. Cemetery
  • Hicks Run Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hicks Run Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hicks Run Cemetery
  • Mason Hill Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mason Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mason Hill Cemetery
  • Wyle Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wyle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wyle Cemetery
  • Norwich Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norwich Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norwich Cemetery
  • Forksville Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forksville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forksville Cemetery
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
  • Johnson Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Johnson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Johnson Cemetery
  • Grove Hill Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grove Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grove Hill Cemetery
  • Continue List   (73 more) ...
    • St. Joseph Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Cemetery
    • Costello Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Costello Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Costello Cemetery
    • Clermont Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clermont Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clermont Cemetery

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>

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

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

  • Beechwood
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beechwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beechwood
    • Beechwood is located in Cameron County
  • Truman
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Truman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Truman
    • Truman is located in Cameron County
  • Emporium
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emporium have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emporium
    • Emporium is located in Cameron County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,770 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emporium <2>
  • Rathbun
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rathbun have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rathbun
    • Rathbun is located in Elk County
  • Sizerville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sizerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sizerville
    • Sizerville is located in Cameron County
  • Gardeau
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardeau
    • Gardeau is located in McKean County
  • Norwich
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norwich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwich
    • Norwich is located in McKean County
  • Cameron
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron
    • Cameron is located in Cameron County
  • Sterling Run
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sterling Run have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterling Run
    • Sterling Run is located in Cameron County
  • Dents Run
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dents Run have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dents Run
    • Dents Run is located in Elk County
  • Colegrove
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colegrove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colegrove
    • Colegrove is located in McKean County
  • Grant
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grant
    • Grant is located in Elk County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Austin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Clermont
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clermont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clermont
      • Clermont is located in McKean County
    • Instanter
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Instanter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Instanter
      • Instanter is located in Elk County

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

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

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

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Rich Valley) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rich Valley. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.5353, Longitude: -78.3222       In this case, the coordinates for Rich Valley have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Rich Valley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024