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 West Ridge (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 West Ridge. 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.
Name Variations for West Ridge ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
For example, a typical abbreviation for West Ridge: W. Ridge
You might be interested in other communities that are also named West Ridge. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for West Ridge.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
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 hospitals and doctors 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.
West Ridge is located in Hawkins County.
To see how the shape of Tennessee's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Hawkins County: Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Sullivan, Washington, Lee (VA) & Scott (VA).
Below are the counties that are near West Ridge. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to West Ridge:
- Hawkins County (The home county of West Ridge)
- The following are listed by their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Solitude ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Solitude is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Solitude
- Mount Carmel
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Rotherwood
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Rotherwood is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rotherwood
- Green Village
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Green Village is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Village
- Block City
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Block City is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Block City
- Waycross
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Waycross is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waycross
- Estimated population in 2014: 4,091 people
- Frisco
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Frisco is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frisco
- Greenvale
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Greenvale is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenvale
- Church Hill
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- New Canton
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- New Canton is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Canton
- Blossom
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Blossom is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blossom
- Greenland
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Greenland is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenland
- Chimneytop ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Chimneytop is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chimneytop
- Carter County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Watauga
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Watauga is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watauga
- Population from the 2020 Census: 373 people
- Central
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Central is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central
- Pine Crest
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Pine Crest is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Crest
- Biltmore
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Biltmore is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biltmore
- Elizabethton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hunter
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hunter is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunter
- Gap Run
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Gap Run is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gap Run
- Siam
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Siam is located in Carter County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siam
- Greene County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Jearoldstown
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Jearoldstown is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jearoldstown
- Milburnton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Milburnton is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milburnton
- Centersville
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Centersville is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centersville
- Baileyton
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Rheatown
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Rheatown is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rheatown
- Morelock ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Morelock is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morelock
- Fairview
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Fairview is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
- Ottway
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Ottway is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottway
- Romeo
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Romeo is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romeo
- Afton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Albany
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Albany is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albany
- Bolton Estates
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Bolton Estates is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolton Estates
- Estimated population in 2014: 5,152 people
- Horse Creek
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Horse Creek is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horse Creek
- Estimated population in 2014: 284 people
- Hancock County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Willis
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Willis is located in Hancock County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willis
- Estimated population in 2014: 387 people
- Kyles Ford
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Trent Valley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Trent Valley is located in Hancock County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trent Valley
- Estimated population in 2014: 4,157 people
- Sullivan County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Beartown
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Beartown is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beartown
- Cherokee Village
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Cherokee Village is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherokee Village
- Morrison City
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Morrison City is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morrison City
- Borden Village
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Borden Village is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borden Village
- Kingsport
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Horace ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Horace is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horace
- Beechwood Village
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Beechwood Village is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beechwood Village
- Blair Gap
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Blair Gap is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blair Gap
- Estimated population in 2014: 1,870 people
- Bloomingdale
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Bloomingdale is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
- Population from the 2010 Census: 9,888 people
- Colonial Heights
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Kendrick Creek ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Kendrick Creek is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kendrick Creek
- Orebank
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Orebank is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orebank
- Fordtown
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Fordtown is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fordtown
- Unicoi County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Bumpus Cove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Bumpus Cove is located in Unicoi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bumpus Cove
- Estimated population in 2014: 729 people
- Whispering Pines
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Whispering Pines is located in Unicoi County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whispering Pines
- Unicoi
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Erwin
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Washington County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Fall Branch
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Harmony
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Harmony is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony
- Wheelocktown ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Wheelocktown is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheelocktown
- Gray
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Spurgeon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Spurgeon is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spurgeon
- Population from the 2010 Census: 3,957 people
- Ducktown
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Ducktown is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ducktown
- Estimated population in 2014: 457 people
- Locust Mount
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Locust Mount is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Mount
- Oak Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Oak Grove is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
- Big Sandy
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Big Sandy is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Sandy
- Estimated population in 2014: 542 people
- Bowmantown
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Bowmantown is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowmantown
- Population from the 2010 Census: 302 people
- Flourville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Flourville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flourville
- Leesburg
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Leesburg is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leesburg
- Mill Brook
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Mill Brook is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Brook
- Harlan County (KY)
- Holmes Mill
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Holmes Mill is located in Harlan County (KY)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holmes Mill
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to West Ridge, see our County-by-County Page for West Ridge.
Cemeteries Near West Ridge ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of West Ridge.
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 West Ridge - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for West Ridge covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Liberty Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Click Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Phipps Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Foust Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Bellamy Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Wills Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Hawkins Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bellamy Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Bellamy Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Kinkead Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Cloud Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Continue List (806 more) ...
- Bear Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Click Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Martin Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
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.<2>
While we didn't find West Ridge in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of West Ridge.
These communities are listed based on their distance from West Ridge, with the one closest to West Ridge listed first.
- Solitude ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Solitude is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Solitude
- Rotherwood
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Rotherwood is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rotherwood
- Church Hill
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Butterfly ‑ Historic
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Butterfly is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butterfly
- Kingsport
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- New Canton
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- New Canton is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Canton
- Harbour
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Harbour is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbour
- Cloverbottom ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Cloverbottom is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverbottom
- Horace ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Horace is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horace
- Mole
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Mole is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mole
- Eden Ridge ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Eden Ridge is located in Sullivan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden Ridge
- Opossum ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Opossum is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Opossum
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Blossom
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Blossom is located in Hawkins County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blossom
- Lovelace
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Lovelace is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovelace
- Fall Branch
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around West Ridge. See our List of 1890's Communities around West Ridge.
Newspapers Published in West Ridge ...
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 12 newspapers that have been published in the area around West Ridge.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of West Ridge, there are papers which were published within 5 miles [8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for West Ridge.
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 West Ridge:
- Websites specific to Tennessee
- Pages specific to Hawkins County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Carter County
- Greene County
- Hancock County
- Sullivan County
- Unicoi County
- Washington County
- Harlan County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Tennessee
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> | 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 West Ridge, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | 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- West Ridge) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |