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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 Williamsport (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 Williamsport. 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.

Williamsport is located in Lycoming County and is the County Seat.

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 Lycoming County: Bradford, Clinton, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Sullivan, Tioga & Union.

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

  • Lycoming County     (The home county of Williamsport)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Williamsport, with the one closest to Williamsport listed first.
    • Faxon
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • South Williamsport
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Duboistown
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Duboistown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duboistown
      • Duboistown is located in Lycoming County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,170 people
    • Garden View
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden View have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden View
      • Garden View is located in Lycoming County
    • Newberry
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newberry. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newberry
      • Newberry is located in Lycoming County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Newberry
      • From Williamsport to Newberry
    • Grimesville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Montoursville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montoursville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montoursville
      • Montoursville is located in Lycoming County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,393 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Montoursville <1>
    • Fairlawn
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Maple Hill
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Warrensville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Picture Rocks
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Picture Rocks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Picture Rocks
      • Picture Rocks is located in Lycoming County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 643 people
    • Linden
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Collomsville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Bradford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Williamsport, with the one closest to Williamsport listed first.
    • Canton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Minnequa
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Minnequa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minnequa
      • Minnequa is located in Bradford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Minnequa
      • From Williamsport to Minnequa
  • Centre County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Williamsport, with the one closest to Williamsport listed first.
    • Livonia
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Livonia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Livonia
      • Livonia is located in Centre County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Livonia
      • From Williamsport to Livonia
    • Fiedler
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fiedler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiedler
      • Fiedler is located in Centre County
    • Rebersburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Woodward
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Clinton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Williamsport, with the one closest to Williamsport listed first.
    • Rauchtown
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Avis
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avis
      • Avis is located in Clinton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,476 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avis <1>
    • McElhattan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Youngdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Loganton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loganton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loganton
      • Loganton is located in Clinton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 475 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Loganton <1>
    • Dunnstown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dunnstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunnstown
      • Dunnstown is located in Clinton County
    • Swissdale
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Swissdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swissdale
      • Swissdale is located in Clinton County
    • Castanea
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Greenburr
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Rote
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rote. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rote
      • Rote is located in Clinton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rote
      • From Williamsport to Rote
    • Lock Haven
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Flemington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flemington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flemington
      • Flemington is located in Clinton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,312 people
    • Farrandsville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Columbia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Williamsport, with the one closest to Williamsport listed first.
    • Jerseytown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Iola
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Millville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Coles Mill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Eyers Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eyers Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eyers Grove
      • Eyers Grove is located in Columbia County
    • Greenwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Jackson
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Welliversville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Mordansville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Waller
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waller have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waller
      • Waller is located in Columbia County
    • Buckhorn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Montour County
  • Northumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Williamsport, with the one closest to Williamsport listed first.
    • Dewart
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Watsontown
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • McEwensville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Turbotville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Turbotville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turbotville
      • Turbotville is located in Northumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 662 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Turbotville <1>
    • Milton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milton
      • Milton is located in Northumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,550 people
    • Potts Grove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Chulasky
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chulasky. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chulasky
      • Chulasky is located in Northumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Chulasky
      • From Williamsport to Chulasky
    • Northumberland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Riverside
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverside have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
      • Riverside is located in Northumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,839 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Riverside <1>
    • Sunbury
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Keefers
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Keefers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keefers
      • Keefers is located in Northumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Keefers
      • From Williamsport to Keefers
    • Rushtown
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rushtown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushtown
      • Rushtown is located in Northumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rushtown
      • From Williamsport to Rushtown
    • Snydertown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snydertown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snydertown
      • Snydertown is located in Northumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 316 people
  • Snyder County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Williamsport, with the one closest to Williamsport listed first.
    • Penns Creek
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Penns Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penns Creek
      • Penns Creek is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Penns Creek <1>
    • Kratzerville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kratzerville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kratzerville
      • Kratzerville is located in Snyder County
    • Shamokin Dam
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Hummels Wharf
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hummels Wharf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hummels Wharf
      • Hummels Wharf is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hummels Wharf <1>
    • Globe Mills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Kreamer
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kreamer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kreamer
      • Kreamer is located in Snyder County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kreamer <1>
  • Sullivan County
  • Tioga County
  • Union County

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

Cemeteries Near Williamsport ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Williamsport.

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

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

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

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

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Williamsport had a population of 27,132 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Williamsport had a population of 28,156 people.

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

  • South Williamsport
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Duboistown
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Duboistown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duboistown
    • Duboistown is located in Lycoming County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,170 people
  • Newberry
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Newberry. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newberry
    • Newberry is located in Lycoming County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Newberry
    • From Williamsport to Newberry
  • Montoursville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montoursville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montoursville
    • Montoursville is located in Lycoming County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,393 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Montoursville <1>
  • Nisbet
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nisbet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nisbet
    • Nisbet is located in Lycoming County
  • Maple Hill
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Loyalsock ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loyalsock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyalsock
    • Loyalsock is located in Lycoming County
  • Farragut
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Farragut have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farragut
    • Farragut is located in Lycoming County
  • Warrensville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Picture Rocks
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Picture Rocks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Picture Rocks
    • Picture Rocks is located in Lycoming County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 643 people
  • Linden
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Bastress
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bastress have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bastress
    • Bastress is located in Lycoming County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Elimsport
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elimsport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elimsport
      • Elimsport is located in Lycoming County
    • Alvira ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alvira. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvira
      • Alvira is located in Union County
      • Former name for Alvira:
      • Wisetown
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Alvira
      • From Williamsport to Alvira
    • Powys
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powys have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powys
      • Powys is located in Lycoming County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Williamsport ...

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 51 newspapers that have been published in the area around Williamsport.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Williamsport. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Williamsport and those printed in the larger area surrounding Williamsport.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<5> of Williamsport.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Williamsport:

The official website for Williamsport: www.cityofwilliamsport.org/

The official website for Lycoming County: www.lyco.org/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>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>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>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Williamsport) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Williamsport. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.2450, Longitude: -77.0043    
<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 Williamsport, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025