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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 Shelly (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 Shelly. 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 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.

Shelly is located in Bucks 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 Bucks County: Burlington (NJ), Hunterdon (NJ), Mercer (NJ), Warren (NJ), Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton & Philadelphia.

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

  • Bucks County     (The home county of Shelly)
  • Berks County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Red Lion
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Red Lion. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Lion
      • Red Lion is located in Berks County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Red Lion
      • From Shelly to Red Lion
    • Lyons
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyons have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyons
      • Lyons is located in Berks County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
    • Dale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Huffs Church
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Rittenhouse Gap
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Eshbach
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Bechtelsville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bechtelsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bechtelsville
      • Bechtelsville is located in Berks County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 949 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bechtelsville <3>
    • Landis Store
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Hancock
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hancock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
      • Hancock is located in Berks County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hancock
      • From Shelly to Hancock
    • Boyertown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boyertown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyertown
      • Boyertown is located in Berks County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,058 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boyertown <3>
    • Indian Springs Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Springs Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Springs Village
      • Indian Springs Village is located in Berks County
    • Topton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Carbon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Little Gap
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Little Gap. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Gap
      • Little Gap is located in Carbon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Little Gap
      • From Shelly to Little Gap
    • Hazard
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hazard. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazard
      • Hazard is located in Carbon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hazard
      • From Shelly to Hazard
    • Kittatinny
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kittatinny. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kittatinny
      • Kittatinny is located in Carbon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kittatinny
      • From Shelly to Kittatinny
    • Palmerton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palmerton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmerton
      • Palmerton is located in Carbon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,321 people
    • Bowmanstown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bowmanstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowmanstown
      • Bowmanstown is located in Carbon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 881 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bowmanstown <3>
    • Jonesville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Ashfield
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Germans
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Germans. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Germans
      • Germans is located in Carbon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Germans
      • From Shelly to Germans
    • Parryville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Weissport
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weissport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weissport
      • Weissport is located in Carbon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 396 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weissport <3>
    • Lehighton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Mertz Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mertz Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mertz Town
      • Mertz Town is located in Carbon County
  • Chester County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Fricks Lock
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fricks Lock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fricks Lock
      • Fricks Lock is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fricks Lock
      • From Shelly to Fricks Lock
    • Kenilworth
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kenilworth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kenilworth
      • Kenilworth is located in Chester County
    • Parker Ford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Pottstown Landing
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • South Pottstown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Pottstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Pottstown
      • South Pottstown is located in Chester County
    • Spring City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Seven Stars
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seven Stars have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Stars
      • Seven Stars is located in Chester County
    • Slonaker
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Slonaker. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slonaker
      • Slonaker is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Slonaker
      • From Shelly to Slonaker
    • Phoenixville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phoenixville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phoenixville
      • Phoenixville is located in Chester County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,910 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Phoenixville <3>
    • Bucktown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Pickering
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pickering. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pickering
      • Pickering is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pickering
      • From Shelly to Pickering
    • Coventryville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Delaware County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Radnor
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Radnor have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radnor
      • Radnor is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Radnor <3>
    • Saint Davids
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Wayne
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Indiana County
    • Ernest
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ernest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ernest
      • Ernest is located in Indiana County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 431 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ernest
      • From Shelly to Ernest
  • Lehigh County
  • Monroe County
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • East Greenville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Greenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Greenville
      • East Greenville is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,937 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for East Greenville <3>
    • Hoppenville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Pennsburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pennsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pennsburg
      • Pennsburg is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,853 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pennsburg <3>
    • Tylersport
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Palm
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Red Hill
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill
      • Red Hill is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,357 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Red Hill <3>
    • Pear Tree Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pear Tree Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pear Tree Village
      • Pear Tree Village is located in Montgomery County
    • Telford
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Fruitville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Franconia
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Green Lane
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Lane have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Lane
      • Green Lane is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 505 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Green Lane <3>
    • Perkiomenville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Northampton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Leithsville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leithsville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leithsville
      • Leithsville is located in Northampton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leithsville
      • From Shelly to Leithsville
    • Hellertown
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Seidersville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Star Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Star Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star Village
      • Star Village is located in Northampton County
    • Wassergass
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Lower Saucon
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lower Saucon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Saucon
      • Lower Saucon is located in Northampton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lower Saucon
      • From Shelly to Lower Saucon
    • Freemansburg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Steel City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Steel City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steel City
      • Steel City is located in Northampton County
    • Middletown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middletown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
      • Middletown is located in Northampton County
    • Hanover
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Wagnerville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • William Penn Manor
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Philadelphia County
  • Schuylkill County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly listed first.
    • Andreas
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Mantz
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mantz. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mantz
      • Mantz is located in Schuylkill County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mantz
      • From Shelly to Mantz
  • Hunterdon County (NJ)
  • Mercer County (NJ)
  • Warren County (NJ)

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

Cemeteries Near Shelly ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shelly.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Shelly, with the one closest to Shelly 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Shelly had a population of 33 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Hilltop
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilltop. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilltop
    • Hilltop is located in Bucks County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Hilltop
    • From Shelly to Hilltop
  • Brick Tavern
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brick Tavern have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brick Tavern
    • Brick Tavern is located in Bucks County
  • Locust Valley
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Locust Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Valley
    • Locust Valley is located in Lehigh County
  • Zionhill
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Steinsburg
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Steinsburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steinsburg
    • Steinsburg is located in Bucks County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Steinsburg
    • From Shelly to Steinsburg
  • Coopersburg
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Richlandtown
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richlandtown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richlandtown
    • Richlandtown is located in Bucks County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,294 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Richlandtown <3>
  • Milford Square
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Quakertown
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Passer
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Passer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Passer
    • Passer is located in Bucks County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Passer
    • From Shelly to Passer
  • Spinnerstown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spinnerstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spinnerstown
    • Spinnerstown is located in Bucks County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spinnerstown <3>
  • Trumbauersville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Limeport
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Friedensville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Rich Hill
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rich Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rich Hill
      • Rich Hill is located in Bucks County

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

Newspapers Published in Shelly ...

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 39 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shelly.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shelly, there are papers which were published within 9 miles [14.5 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Shelly.

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 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 Shelly:

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

The official website for Bucks County: www.buckscounty.org/

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>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Shelly, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Shelly) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Shelly. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.4807, Longitude: -75.3749    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 15 Jul 2025