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 Blue Grass (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 Blue Grass. 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 and hospitals 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.
Blue Grass is located in Highland County.
To see how the shape of Virginia's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Highland County: Augusta, Bath, Pendleton (WV) & Pocahontas (WV).
Below are the counties that are near Blue Grass. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Blue Grass:
- Highland County (The home county of Blue Grass)
- The following are listed by their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- Possum Trot
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Possum Trot is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Possum Trot
- Monterey
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Hightown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Hightown is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightown
- Meadowdale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Meadowdale is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowdale
- McDowell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Palo Alto
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Palo Alto is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo Alto
- Clover Creek
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Clover Creek is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Creek
- Buckeye ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Buckeye is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckeye
- Augusta County
- The following are listed by their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- West Augusta
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- West Augusta is located in Augusta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Augusta
- Deerfield
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Deerfield is located in Augusta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
- Stokesville ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Stokesville is located in Augusta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stokesville
- Marble Valley
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Marble Valley is located in Augusta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marble Valley
- Mount Solon
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Parnassus
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Parnassus is located in Augusta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parnassus
- Chapin
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Chapin is located in Augusta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapin
- Churchville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Craigsville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Pond Gap ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Pond Gap is located in Augusta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pond Gap
- Bath County
- The following are listed by their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- Bolar
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Bolar is located in Bath County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolar
- Burnsville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Burnsville is located in Bath County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnsville
- Fort Lewis ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Fort Lewis is located in Bath County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lewis
- Yost
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Yost is located in Bath County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yost
- Rockingham County
- The following are listed by their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- Briery Branch
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Briery Branch is located in Rockingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briery Branch
- Ottobine
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Ottobine is located in Rockingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottobine
- Clover Hill
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Clover Hill is located in Rockingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Hill
- Spring Creek
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Spring Creek is located in Rockingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Creek
- Lilly
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Lilly is located in Rockingham County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lilly
- Pendleton County (WV)
- The following are listed by their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- Harper
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Harper is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harper
- Dry Run
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Dry Run is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
- Moyers
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Moyers is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moyers
- Zigler
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Zigler is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zigler
- Sugar Grove
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Sugar Grove is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
- Circleville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Franklin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Propstburg
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Propstburg is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Propstburg
- Brandywine
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Ruddle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Ruddle is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruddle
- Macksville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Macksville is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksville
- Fort Seybert
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Fort Seybert is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Seybert
- Onego
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Onego is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onego
- Pocahontas County (WV)
- The following are listed by their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- Thornwood
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Thornwood is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thornwood
- Frank
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Frank is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frank
- Arbovale
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Durbin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Green Bank
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Wildell
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Wildell is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildell
- Cass
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Sitlington
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Sitlington is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sitlington
- Frost
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Frost is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frost
- Randolph County (WV)
- The following are listed by their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- Whitmer
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Whitmer is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitmer
- Elkwater
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Elkwater is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkwater
- Valley Head
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Evenwood
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Evenwood is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evenwood
- Harperton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Harperton is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harperton
- Wymer
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Wymer is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wymer
- Huttonsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Lee Bell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Lee Bell is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Bell
- Mill Creek
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Mill Creek is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Creek
- Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
- Mingo
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Harman
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Beverly
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Blue Spring
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Blue Spring is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Spring
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Blue Grass, see our County-by-County Page for Blue Grass.
Cemeteries Near Blue Grass ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Blue Grass.
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 Blue Grass - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Blue Grass covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- Blue Grass Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Totten Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Mt. Hobart Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Fairview Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Yeager Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Griffin Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Goodsell Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- St. Mark Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Keller Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Hauchen Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Arbovale Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Burns Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (81 more) ...
- Simmons Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Bethel Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Pinecrest Memorial Gardens
(17 miles [27.4 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.<4>
While we didn't find Blue Grass in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Blue Grass.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Blue Grass, with the one closest to Blue Grass listed first.
- New Hampden
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- New Hampden is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Hampden
- Hightown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Hightown is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightown
- Monterey
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Doe Hill
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Doe Hill is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doe Hill
- Dry Run
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Dry Run is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
- Vanderpool
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Vanderpool is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vanderpool
- Meadowdale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Meadowdale is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowdale
- McDowell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Palo Alto
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Palo Alto is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo Alto
- Sugar Grove
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Sugar Grove is located in Pendleton County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
- Circleville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Mill Gap
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Mill Gap is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Gap
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Osceola
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Osceola is located in Randolph County (WV)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
- Clover Creek
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Clover Creek is located in Highland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Creek
- Franklin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Blue Grass. See our List of 1890's Communities around Blue Grass.
Newspapers Published in Blue Grass ...
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 13 newspapers that have been published in the area around Blue Grass.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Blue Grass, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Blue Grass.
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 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 Blue Grass:
- Websites specific to Virginia
- Pages specific to Highland County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Augusta County
- Bath County
- Rockingham County
- Pendleton County
- Pocahontas County
- Randolph County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Virginia
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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Blue Grass) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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 Blue Grass, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |