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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 Big Stone Gap (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 Big Stone Gap. 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 Big Stone Gap ...

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.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Big Stone Gap was originally named Mineral City

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.

A Few Details for Big Stone Gap ...

While it's still very early in our research, we found that:

  • It was incorporated on April 7, 1882.

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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Big Stone Gap is located in Wise County.

To see how the shape of Virginia's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wise County: Harlan (KY), Letcher (KY), Pike (KY), Dickenson, Lee, Russell & Scott.

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

  • Wise County     (The home county of Big Stone Gap)
  • Dickenson County
  • Lee County
  • Norton City
    • Norton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norton
      • Norton is located in Norton City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,985 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norton <1>
  • Russell County
  • Scott County
  • Washington County
  • Harlan County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Lynch
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Benham
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benham have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benham
      • Benham is located in Harlan County (KY)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 417 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Benham <1>
    • Holmes Mill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holmes Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holmes Mill
      • Holmes Mill is located in Harlan County (KY)
    • Cumberland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cumberland have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumberland
      • Cumberland is located in Harlan County (KY)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,854 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cumberland <1>
    • Chad
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Closplint
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Closplint have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Closplint
      • Closplint is located in Harlan County (KY)
    • Louellen
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Dizney
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Totz
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Totz have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Totz
      • Totz is located in Harlan County (KY)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Totz <1>
    • Kenvir
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kenvir have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kenvir
      • Kenvir is located in Harlan County (KY)
    • Redbud
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Short Town
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Short Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Short Town
      • Short Town is located in Harlan County (KY)
    • Cranks
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Knott County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Redfox
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Littcarr
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Littcarr have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littcarr
      • Littcarr is located in Knott County (KY)
    • Pine Top
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Sassafras
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sassafras have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sassafras
      • Sassafras is located in Knott County (KY)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sassafras <1>
  • Leslie County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Yeaddiss
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yeaddiss have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yeaddiss
      • Yeaddiss is located in Leslie County (KY)
    • Cutshin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cutshin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cutshin
      • Cutshin is located in Leslie County (KY)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cutshin
      • From Big Stone Gap to Cutshin
  • Letcher County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Partridge
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Partridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Partridge
      • Partridge is located in Letcher County (KY)
    • Eolia
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eolia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eolia
      • Eolia is located in Letcher County (KY)
    • Oven Fork
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Kings Creek
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Linefork
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Gordon
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gordon have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
      • Gordon is located in Letcher County (KY)
    • Ermine
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ermine have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ermine
      • Ermine is located in Letcher County (KY)
    • West Whitesburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Whitesburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitesburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitesburg
      • Whitesburg is located in Letcher County (KY)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,813 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitesburg <1>
    • Bellcraft
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Mayking
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Uz
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Hot Spot
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Perry County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Delphia
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delphia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delphia
      • Delphia is located in Perry County (KY)
    • Slemp
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Slemp have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slemp
      • Slemp is located in Perry County (KY)
    • Cornettsville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornettsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornettsville
      • Cornettsville is located in Perry County (KY)
    • Scuddy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scuddy have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scuddy
      • Scuddy is located in Perry County (KY)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scuddy <1>
    • Vicco
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vicco have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vicco
      • Vicco is located in Perry County (KY)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 295 people
    • Happy
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Happy have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Happy
      • Happy is located in Perry County (KY)
    • Viper
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Viper have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viper
      • Viper is located in Perry County (KY)
    • Acup
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jeff
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jeff have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeff
      • Jeff is located in Perry County (KY)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jeff <1>
  • Pike County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Dorton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Myra
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Myra have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myra
      • Myra is located in Pike County (KY)
  • Hancock County (TN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Willis
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willis have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willis
      • Willis is located in Hancock County (TN)
      • Estimated population in 2014: 387 people
    • Kyles Ford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Hawkins County (TN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Waycross
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waycross have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waycross
      • Waycross is located in Hawkins County (TN)
      • Estimated population in 2014: 4,091 people
    • Frisco
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Frisco. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frisco
      • Frisco is located in Hawkins County (TN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Frisco
      • From Big Stone Gap to Frisco
    • Block City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Block City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Block City
      • Block City is located in Hawkins County (TN)
    • Green Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Village
      • Green Village is located in Hawkins County (TN)
    • Mount Carmel
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Rotherwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Solitude ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Solitude. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Solitude
      • Solitude is located in Hawkins County (TN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Solitude
      • From Big Stone Gap to Solitude
    • Church Hill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Church Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Church Hill
      • Church Hill is located in Hawkins County (TN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,643 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Church Hill <1>
    • New Canton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Greenland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Surgoinsville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Blossom
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Blossom. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blossom
      • Blossom is located in Hawkins County (TN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Blossom
      • From Big Stone Gap to Blossom
  • Sullivan County (TN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Big Stone Gap, with the one closest to Big Stone Gap listed first.
    • Beartown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Morrison City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morrison City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morrison City
      • Morrison City is located in Sullivan County (TN)
    • Cherokee Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherokee Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherokee Village
      • Cherokee Village is located in Sullivan County (TN)
    • Bloomingdale
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bloomingdale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingdale
      • Bloomingdale is located in Sullivan County (TN)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 9,888 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bloomingdale
      • From Big Stone Gap to Bloomingdale
    • Horace ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horace have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horace
      • Horace is located in Sullivan County (TN)
    • Borden Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Borden Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borden Village
      • Borden Village is located in Sullivan County (TN)
    • Kingsport
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Beechwood Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beechwood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beechwood Village
      • Beechwood Village is located in Sullivan County (TN)
    • Orebank
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Rock City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock City
      • Rock City is located in Sullivan County (TN)
    • Blair Gap
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blair Gap have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blair Gap
      • Blair Gap is located in Sullivan County (TN)
      • Estimated population in 2014: 1,870 people
    • Colonial Heights
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colonial Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Heights
      • Colonial Heights is located in Sullivan County (TN)
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 6,934 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colonial Heights <1>
    • Harrtown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrtown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrtown
      • Harrtown is located in Sullivan County (TN)
      • Estimated population in 2014: 4,365 people

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

Cemeteries Near Big Stone Gap ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Stone Gap.

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 Big Stone Gap covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Glencoe Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Oak View Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak View Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tannery Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tannery Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tannery Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wells Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wells Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wells Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Williams Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Williams Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Williams Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lane Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lane Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lane Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Carroll Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Carroll Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Carroll Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Robinette Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Robinette Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Robinette Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gilley Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gilley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gilley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Morris Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morris Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morris Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Big Spring Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Big Spring Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Big Spring Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wilson Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (1223 more) ...
    • Hobbs Cemetery
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hobbs Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hobbs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wampler Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wampler Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wampler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wade Cemetery
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wade Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wade Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Big Stone Gap had a population of 396 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Big Stone Gap had a population of 5,104 people.

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

  • Olinger
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Olinger have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olinger
    • Olinger is located in Lee County
  • Duffield
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Rye Cove
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rye Cove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rye Cove
    • Rye Cove is located in Scott County
  • Duncan Mill
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Duncan Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan Mill
    • Duncan Mill is located in Scott County
  • Dryden
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Natural Tunnel
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Natural Tunnel have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Natural Tunnel
    • Natural Tunnel is located in Scott County
  • Lipps
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lipps have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lipps
    • Lipps is located in Wise County
  • Partridge
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Partridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Partridge
    • Partridge is located in Letcher County (KY)
  • Pattonsville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pattonsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pattonsville
    • Pattonsville is located in Scott County
  • Fort Blackmore
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Ely
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ely have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ely
    • Ely is located in Lee County
  • Stickleyville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Clinchport
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Oven Fork
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Wood
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood
      • Wood is located in Scott County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Big Stone Gap ...

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 29 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Stone Gap.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Big Stone Gap. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Big Stone Gap and those printed in the larger area surrounding Big Stone Gap.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<6> of Big Stone Gap.

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 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 Big Stone Gap:

The official website for Big Stone Gap: www.bigstonegap.org/

The official website for Wise County: www.wisecounty.org/

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.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>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.
<3>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.
<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>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 Big Stone Gap, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Big Stone Gap) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Big Stone Gap. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 36.8697, Longitude: -82.7741    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025