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 Willis Park (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 Willis Park. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Willis Park is located in York 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 York County: Baltimore (MD), Carroll (MD), Harford (MD), Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin & Lancaster.
Below are the counties that are near Willis Park. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Willis Park:
- York County (The home county of Willis Park)
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- North York
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- North York is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North York
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,254 people
- Park Village
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Park Village is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Village
- York
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- West York
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Emigsville
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Grantley
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Grantley is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grantley
- Valley View
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Valley View is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley View
- Shiloh
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Shiloh is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiloh
- East York
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- East York is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East York
- Avondale
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Avondale is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avondale
- Spry
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Spry is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spry
- Weigelstown
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Weigelstown is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weigelstown
- Dover
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Adams County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- East Berlin
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Abbottstown
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Lake Meade
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Lake Meade is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Meade
- Hampton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Hampton is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hampton
- Midway
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Midway is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
- Edgegrove
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Edgegrove is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgegrove
- McSherrystown
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- New Oxford
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Newchester
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Newchester is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newchester
- York Springs
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Brush Run
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Brush Run is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brush Run
- Latimore
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Latimore is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latimore
- Heidlersburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Heidlersburg is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heidlersburg
- Cumberland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Lisburn
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Lisburn is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisburn
- Allenview
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Allenview is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenview
- Lower Allen
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Lower Allen is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Allen
- New Cumberland
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Camp Hill
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lemoyne
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Shiremanstown
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Shiremanstown is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiremanstown
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,641 people
- Mechanicsburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Sporting Hill
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Sporting Hill is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sporting Hill
- Trindle Springs
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Trindle Springs is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trindle Springs
- Wormleysburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Roxbury
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Roxbury is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxbury
- West Fairview
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- West Fairview is located in Cumberland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Fairview
- Dauphin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Royalton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Royalton is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Royalton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,019 people
- Middletown
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Highspire
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Clifton
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Clifton is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clifton
- Steelton
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Bachmanville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Bachmanville is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bachmanville
- Hummelstown
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Lawnton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Lawnton is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawnton
- Paxtang
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Paxtang is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paxtang
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,546 people
- Rutherford
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Rutherford is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutherford
- Penbrook
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Penbrook is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penbrook
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,976 people
- Bloomburg Village
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Bloomburg Village is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomburg Village
- Colonial Park
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Colonial Park is located in Dauphin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Park
- Lancaster County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Billmeyer ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Billmeyer is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Billmeyer
- Falmouth
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Falmouth is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth
- Marietta
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Maytown
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Columbia
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Washington Borough
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Washington Borough is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Borough
- Elizabethtown
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Florin
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Florin is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florin
- Rheems
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Rheems is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rheems
- Ironville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Ironville is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ironville
- Aberdeen
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Aberdeen is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen
- Mount Joy
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Central Manor
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Central Manor is located in Lancaster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Manor
- Lebanon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Lawn
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Campbelltown
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Colebrook
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Colebrook is located in Lebanon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colebrook
- Mount Gretna
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Timber Hills
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Timber Hills is located in Lebanon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timber Hills
- Mount Gretna Heights
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Mount Gretna Heights is located in Lebanon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Gretna Heights
- Palmyra
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Fontana
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Fontana is located in Lebanon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fontana
- Burd Coleman Village
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Burd Coleman Village is located in Lebanon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burd Coleman Village
- Quentin
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Annville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Cornwall
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Miners Village
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Miners Village is located in Lebanon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miners Village
- Perry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Marysville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Perdix
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Perdix is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perdix
- Cove
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Cove is located in Perry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove
- Baltimore County (MD)
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Freeland
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Maryland Line
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Maryland Line is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maryland Line
- Oakland
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Oakland is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
- Eklo
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Eklo is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eklo
- Gorsuch Mills
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Gorsuch Mills is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gorsuch Mills
- Trump
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Trump is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trump
- Walker
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Walker is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Shane
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Shane is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shane
- Parkton
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Shamburg ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Shamburg is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shamburg
- Stablersville
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Stablersville is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stablersville
- White Hall
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Mount Carmel
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Mount Carmel is located in Baltimore County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Carmel
- Carroll County (MD)
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Lineboro
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Lineboro is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lineboro
- Young Mans Fancy
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Young Mans Fancy is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Young Mans Fancy
- Roller
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Roller is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roller
- Manchester
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Reeds Village
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Reeds Village is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reeds Village
- Rockbrook Village
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Rockbrook Village is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockbrook Village
- Hampstead
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Carrollton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Carrollton is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carrollton
- Frizzellburg
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Frizzellburg is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frizzellburg
- Frizzellburg has also been known as:
- Frizels
- Harney
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Harney is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harney
- Tyrone
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Tyrone is located in Carroll County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyrone
- Westminster
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Harford County (MD)
- The following are listed by their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Shawsville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Shawsville is located in Harford County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shawsville
- Cambria
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Cambria is located in Harford County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambria
- Federal Hill
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Federal Hill is located in Harford County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Federal Hill
- Pylesville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Whiteford
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Street
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Jarrettsville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Sharon
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Sharon is located in Harford County (MD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Willis Park, see our County-by-County Page for Willis Park.
Cemeteries Near Willis Park ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Willis Park.
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 Willis Park - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Willis Park covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- Greenmount Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Prospect Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Lebanon Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Wolf Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- St. Mary's - St. Patrick's Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Mt. Rose Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Holy Saviour Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Neimans Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Shiloh Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shiloh Cemetery
- The Shiloh Cemetery has also been known as:
- Shiloh Lutheran Church Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #328782 <2>
- Wolf Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Stump Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Strickler - Miller Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Continue List (313 more) ...
- Susquehanna Memorial Gardens
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Locust Grove Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Suburban Memorial Gardens
(5 miles [8 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>
While we didn't find Willis Park in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Willis Park.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Willis Park, with the one closest to Willis Park listed first.
- West York
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- York
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Grantley
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Grantley is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grantley
- Emigsville
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Graybill
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Graybill is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graybill
- Brillhart
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Brillhart is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brillhart
- Spry
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Spry is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spry
- Weigelstown
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Weigelstown is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weigelstown
- Ore Valley
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Ore Valley is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ore Valley
- Stonybrook
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Stonybrook is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonybrook
- Eastmont
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Eastmont is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastmont
- Dover
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Thomasville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bair
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bair is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bair
- Zions View
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Zions View is located in York County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zions View
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Willis Park. See our List of 1890's Communities around Willis Park.
Newspapers Published in Willis Park ...
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 73 newspapers that have been published in the area around Willis Park.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Willis Park, there are papers which were published within Less than 2 miles<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Willis Park.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Willis Park:
- Websites specific to Pennsylvania
- Pages specific to York County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Adams County
- Cumberland County
- Dauphin County
- Lancaster County
- Lebanon County
- Perry County
- Baltimore County
- Carroll County
- Harford 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 Willis Park, 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Willis Park) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |