RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> Commonwealth of Pennsylvania >> Jefferson County >> Summerville >> 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 Summerville (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 Summerville. 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 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.

Summerville is located in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County: Armstrong, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest & Indiana.

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

  • Jefferson County     (The home county of Summerville)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Summerville, with the one closest to Summerville listed first.
    • Baxter
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baxter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baxter
      • Baxter is located in Jefferson County
    • Ohl
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Corsica
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corsica have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corsica
      • Corsica is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 342 people
    • Langville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Pansy
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Brookville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookville
      • Brookville is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,762 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brookville <2>
    • Worthville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Howe
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Howe. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howe
      • Howe is located in Jefferson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Howe
      • From Summerville to Howe
    • Coolspring
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Green Valley
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Valley
      • Green Valley is located in Jefferson County
    • Timblin
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timblin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timblin
      • Timblin is located in Jefferson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
    • Fuller
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fuller. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fuller
      • Fuller is located in Jefferson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fuller
      • From Summerville to Fuller
  • Armstrong County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Summerville, with the one closest to Summerville listed first.
    • Millville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • McWilliams
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McWilliams have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McWilliams
      • McWilliams is located in Armstrong County
    • South Bethlehem
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Bethlehem have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Bethlehem
      • South Bethlehem is located in Armstrong County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 443 people
    • Eddyville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Putneyville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Dayton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dayton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
      • Dayton is located in Armstrong County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 503 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dayton <2>
    • Deanville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Muff
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Dee
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dee
      • Dee is located in Armstrong County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dee
      • From Summerville to Dee
    • Echo
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Tidal
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tidal. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tidal
      • Tidal is located in Armstrong County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tidal
      • From Summerville to Tidal
    • Barnards
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Barnards. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barnards
      • Barnards is located in Armstrong County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Barnards
      • From Summerville to Barnards
  • Butler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Summerville, with the one closest to Summerville listed first.
    • Bruin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Petrolia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Fairview
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
      • Fairview is located in Butler County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 186 people
    • Karns City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Kepples Corners
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Clarion County
  • Clearfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Summerville, with the one closest to Summerville listed first.
    • Stanley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Stanley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanley
      • Stanley is located in Clearfield County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Stanley
      • From Summerville to Stanley
    • Helvetia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Sandy
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy
      • Sandy is located in Clearfield County
    • Troutville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • DuBois
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Luthersburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Treasure Lake
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Treasure Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Treasure Lake
      • Treasure Lake is located in Clearfield County
    • Rockton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Laborde
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Burnside
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burnside have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnside
      • Burnside is located in Clearfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
    • Mahaffey
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mahaffey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mahaffey
      • Mahaffey is located in Clearfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 348 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mahaffey <2>
    • Bower
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bower have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bower
      • Bower is located in Clearfield County
  • Elk County
  • Forest County
  • Indiana County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Summerville, with the one closest to Summerville listed first.
    • Trade City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Smicksburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smicksburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smicksburg
      • Smicksburg is located in Indiana County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 42 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Smicksburg <2>
    • Georgeville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Marchand
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Mottarns Mill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Rossiter
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Elkin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elkin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkin
      • Elkin is located in Indiana County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elkin
      • From Summerville to Elkin
    • Beyer
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Johnsonburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Rochester Mills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Savan
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Savan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savan
      • Savan is located in Indiana County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Savan
      • From Summerville to Savan
    • Plumville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plumville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plumville
      • Plumville is located in Indiana County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 286 people
  • Lawrence County
    • Big Run
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Run have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Run
      • Big Run is located in Lawrence County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 594 people
  • Venango County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Summerville, with the one closest to Summerville listed first.
    • Fertigs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fertigs. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fertigs
      • Fertigs is located in Venango County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fertigs
      • From Summerville to Fertigs
    • Nickleville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Coal Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Coal Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coal Hill
      • Coal Hill is located in Venango County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Coal Hill
      • From Summerville to Coal Hill
    • Hill City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill City
      • Hill City is located in Venango County
    • President
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Emlenton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emlenton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emlenton
      • Emlenton is located in Venango County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 567 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emlenton <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Summerville ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Summerville.

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

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

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

  • Vandervort Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vandervort Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vandervort Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Carrier Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Westview Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Westview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Westview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Smith Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Conifer Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Conifer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Conifer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Paradise Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Paradise Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Paradise Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Nicholas Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Nicholas Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Nicholas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Asbury Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Asbury Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Asbury Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Coolspring Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (140 more) ...

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Summerville had a population of 338 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Summerville had a population of 501 people.

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

  • Heathville
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heathville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heathville
    • Heathville is located in Jefferson County
  • Ohl
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Content
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Content have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Content
    • Content is located in Jefferson County
  • Baxter
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baxter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baxter
    • Baxter is located in Jefferson County
  • Shannondale
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shannondale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shannondale
    • Shannondale is located in Clarion County
  • Corsica
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corsica have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corsica
    • Corsica is located in Jefferson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 342 people
  • McGarey
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McGarey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGarey
    • McGarey is located in Jefferson County
  • Stanton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stanton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanton
    • Stanton is located in Jefferson County
  • Coder
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coder have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coder
    • Coder is located in Jefferson County
  • Kingsville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kingsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsville
    • Kingsville is located in Clarion County
  • Crates
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Crates. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crates
    • Crates is located in Clarion County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Crates
    • From Summerville to Crates
  • Langville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Pansy
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Truittsburg
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Truittsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Truittsburg
      • Truittsburg is located in Clarion County
    • North Freedom
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Freedom have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Freedom
      • North Freedom is located in Armstrong County

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

Newspapers Published in Summerville ...

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 56 newspapers that have been published in the area around Summerville.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Summerville, there are papers which were published within 16 miles [25.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Summerville.

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 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 Summerville:

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>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.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Summerville) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Summerville. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.1150, Longitude: -79.1849    
<5>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.
<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 Summerville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.