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 Thomas (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 Thomas. 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 doctors and hospitals 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.
Thomas is located in Washington County.
To see how the shape of Pennsylvania's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Washington County: Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Westmoreland, Brooke (WV), Hancock (WV), Marshall (WV) & Ohio (WV).
Below are the counties that are near Thomas. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Thomas:
- Washington County (The home county of Thomas)
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Gilkeson
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Gilkeson is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilkeson
- McMurray
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Thompsonville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Thompsonville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thompsonville
- Dunningsville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Dunningsville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunningsville
- Finleyville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Eighty Four
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Gastonville
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Gastonville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gastonville
- Canonsburg
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Strabane
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Houston
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- McGovern
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- McGovern is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGovern
- Meadow Lands
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Baidland
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Baidland is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baidland
- Allegheny County
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Library
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Upper Saint Clair
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Bethel Park
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Brightwood
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Brightwood is located in Allegheny County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brightwood
- Cochrans Mill
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Cochrans Mill is located in Allegheny County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cochrans Mill
- Bridgeville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Essen
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Essen is located in Allegheny County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Essen
- Morgan
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Morgan is located in Allegheny County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
- Mount Lebanon
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Castle Shannon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Woodville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Woodville is located in Allegheny County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodville
- Jefferson Hills
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Jefferson Hills is located in Allegheny County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson Hills
- Population from the 2020 Census: 11,136 people
- Jefferson Hills has also been known as:
- Jefferson
- Pleasant Hills
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Beaver County
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- South Heights
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- South Heights is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Heights
- Population from the 2020 Census: 437 people
- Gringo
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Gringo is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gringo
- Ambridge
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Crestmont Village
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Crestmont Village is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crestmont Village
- New Sheffield
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- New Sheffield is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Sheffield
- Harshaville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Harshaville is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harshaville
- Aliquippa
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Comettsburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Comettsburg is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comettsburg
- Frankfort Springs
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Frankfort Springs is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankfort Springs
- Population from the 2020 Census: 121 people
- Baden
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Economy
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Economy is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Economy
- Population from the 2020 Census: 9,022 people
- Kendall
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Kendall is located in Beaver County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kendall
- Conway
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Butler County
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Seven Fields
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Seven Fields is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Fields
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,740 people
- Valencia
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Belle Vernon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Fairhope
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Fairhope is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairhope
- Lynnwood
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Lynnwood is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynnwood
- Newell
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Newell is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 492 people
- Arnold City
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Arnold City is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnold City
- Brownstown
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Brownstown is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownstown
- Chamouni
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Chamouni is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamouni
- Fayette City
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Fayette City is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayette City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 569 people
- La Belle
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- La Belle is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Belle
- Kenneth
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Kenneth is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kenneth
- Luzerne
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Luzerne is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luzerne
- Alicia
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Alicia is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alicia
- Brownsville
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Greene County
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Clarksville
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- West Union
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- West Union is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Union
- Chartiers
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Chartiers is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chartiers
- Lippincott
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Lippincott is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lippincott
- Rices Landing
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Jefferson
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Jefferson is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 249 people
- Swarts
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Swarts is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swarts
- Morrisville
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Morrisville is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morrisville
- Waynesburg
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Carmichaels
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Cumberland Village
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Cumberland Village is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumberland Village
- Khedive
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Khedive is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Khedive
- Stringtown
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Stringtown is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stringtown
- Westmoreland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Monessen
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Webster
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Webster is located in Westmoreland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webster
- Gibsonton
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Gibsonton is located in Westmoreland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibsonton
- North Belle Vernon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- North Belle Vernon is located in Westmoreland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Belle Vernon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,842 people
- Sutersville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Blackburn ‑ Historic
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Blackburn is located in Westmoreland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackburn
- Shaner
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Shaner is located in Westmoreland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaner
- West Newton
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Herminie
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Rillton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Smithton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Larimer
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Larimer is located in Westmoreland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Larimer
- Trafford
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Jefferson County (OH)
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Mingo Junction
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Brilliant
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Brilliant is located in Jefferson County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brilliant
- Deandale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Deandale is located in Jefferson County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deandale
- Georges Run
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Georges Run is located in Jefferson County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Georges Run
- Steubenville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Toronto
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Alikanna
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Alikanna is located in Jefferson County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alikanna
- Gould
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Gould is located in Jefferson County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould
- New Alexandria
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- New Alexandria is located in Jefferson County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Alexandria
- Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
- Brooke County (WV)
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Bethany
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Hooverson Heights
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Hooverson Heights is located in Brooke County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hooverson Heights
- Dutch Town
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Dutch Town is located in Brooke County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dutch Town
- Follansbee
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Lower Ferry ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Lower Ferry is located in Brooke County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Ferry
- Shank Town
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Shank Town is located in Brooke County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shank Town
- Wellsburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Middle Ferry ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Middle Ferry is located in Brooke County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middle Ferry
- Beech Bottom
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Beech Bottom is located in Brooke County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Bottom
- Population from the 2020 Census: 462 people
- Windsor Heights
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Windsor Heights is located in Brooke County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor Heights
- Population from the 2020 Census: 375 people
- Hancock County (WV)
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Weirton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Zalia
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Zalia is located in Hancock County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zalia
- Marshall County (WV)
- Dallas
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Dallas is located in Marshall County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dallas
- Ohio County (WV)
- The following are listed by their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Potomac
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Potomac is located in Ohio County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potomac
- West Liberty
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Point Mills
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Point Mills is located in Ohio County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Mills
- Valley Grove
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Clinton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Clinton is located in Ohio County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinton
- Triadelphia
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Thomas, see our County-by-County Page for Thomas.
Cemeteries Near Thomas ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Thomas.
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 Thomas - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Thomas covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Munntown Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Forest Lawn Gardens
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Finleyville Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- St. Michaels Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Chartiers Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chartiers Hill Cemetery
- The Chartiers Hill Cemetery has also been known as:
- Chartiers Hill Presbyterian Cemetery
- Hill Church Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #44570 <2>
- United Presbyterian Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- St. Vladimer Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Polish Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- St. Patrick Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Patrick Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Patrick Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northwest of Canonsburg.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #46220 <2>
- St. Patricks Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Payne Place Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Continue List (439 more) ...
- St. Johns Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Calvary Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- National Cemetery of the Alleghenies
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
Nearby Communities in 1895 ...
We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Thomas had a population of 67 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Thomas, with the one closest to Thomas listed first.
- Gilkeson
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Gilkeson is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilkeson
- Venetia
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Bower Hill
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Bower Hill is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bower Hill
- McMurray
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Thompsonville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Thompsonville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thompsonville
- Wylandville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Wylandville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wylandville
- Dunningsville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Dunningsville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunningsville
- Van Emman
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Van Emman is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Emman
- Eighty Four
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Lawrence
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Lawrence is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawrence
- Kammerer
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Kammerer is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kammerer
- Finleyville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Morganza
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Morganza is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morganza
- Gastonville
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Gastonville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gastonville
- Library
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Thomas. See our List of 1890's Communities around Thomas.
Newspapers Published in Thomas ...
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 46 newspapers that have been published in the area around Thomas.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Thomas, there are papers which were published within 9 miles [14.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Thomas.
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 Thomas:
- Websites specific to Pennsylvania
- Pages specific to Washington County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Allegheny County
- Beaver County
- Butler County
- Fayette County
- Greene County
- Westmoreland County
- Jefferson County
- Brooke County
- Hancock County
- Marshall County
- Ohio County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Pennsylvania
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
| <3> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Thomas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Thomas) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |