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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 Dayton (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 Dayton. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

Dayton is located in Rockingham 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 Rockingham County: Albemarle, Augusta, Greene, Page, Shenandoah, Hardy (WV) & Pendleton (WV).

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

  • Rockingham County     (The home county of Dayton)
  • Albemarle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dayton, with the one closest to Dayton listed first.
    • Boonesville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Cedarmere
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cedarmere. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarmere
      • Cedarmere is located in Albemarle County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cedarmere
      • From Dayton to Cedarmere
    • Mountfair
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • White Hall
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Foothill Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foothill Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foothill Village
      • Foothill Village is located in Albemarle County
    • Crozet
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Free Union
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Decca ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Decca have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decca
      • Decca is located in Albemarle County
    • Yancey Mills
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Earlysville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Augusta County
  • Greene County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dayton, with the one closest to Dayton listed first.
    • Cedarmere ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cedarmere. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarmere
      • Cedarmere is located in Greene County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cedarmere
      • From Dayton to Cedarmere
    • Amicus
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Amicus. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amicus
      • Amicus is located in Greene County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Amicus
      • From Dayton to Amicus
    • Kinderhook
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Stanardsville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stanardsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanardsville
      • Stanardsville is located in Greene County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 393 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stanardsville <3>
  • Harrisonburg City
  • Highland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dayton, with the one closest to Dayton listed first.
    • Palo Alto
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Palo Alto. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo Alto
      • Palo Alto is located in Highland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Palo Alto
      • From Dayton to Palo Alto
    • McDowell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Madison County
  • Nelson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dayton, with the one closest to Dayton listed first.
    • Afton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Durrett Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Durrett Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durrett Town
      • Durrett Town is located in Nelson County
    • Onan
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Page County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dayton, with the one closest to Dayton listed first.
    • Shenandoah
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shenandoah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shenandoah
      • Shenandoah is located in Page County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,334 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shenandoah <3>
    • Verbena
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Verbena. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verbena
      • Verbena is located in Page County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Verbena
      • From Dayton to Verbena
    • Leaksville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Stanley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stanley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanley
      • Stanley is located in Page County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,676 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stanley <3>
    • Marksville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Shenandoah County
  • Staunton City
  • Waynesboro City
  • Hardy County (WV)
    • Peru
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Peru. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
      • Peru is located in Hardy County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Peru
      • From Dayton to Peru
  • Pendleton County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Dayton, with the one closest to Dayton listed first.
    • Brandywine
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Propstburg
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sugar Grove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Fort Seybert
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Moyers
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Moyers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moyers
      • Moyers is located in Pendleton County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Moyers
      • From Dayton to Moyers
    • Franklin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Ruddle
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ruddle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruddle
      • Ruddle is located in Pendleton County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ruddle
      • From Dayton to Ruddle
    • Zigler
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Zigler. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zigler
      • Zigler is located in Pendleton County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Zigler
      • From Dayton to Zigler
    • Kline
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kline. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kline
      • Kline is located in Pendleton County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kline
      • From Dayton to Kline
    • Harper
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Dayton ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dayton.

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

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

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Dayton had a population of 286 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Dayton had a population of 1,642 people.

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

  • Bridgewater
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Dale Enterprise
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dale Enterprise have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dale Enterprise
    • Dale Enterprise is located in Rockingham County
  • Rushville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rushville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushville
    • Rushville is located in Rockingham County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Rushville
    • From Dayton to Rushville
  • Pleasant Valley
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Valley
    • Pleasant Valley is located in Rockingham County
  • Hinton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Mount Clinton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Clinton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Clinton
    • Mount Clinton is located in Rockingham County
  • Mount Crawford
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • North River
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Peach Grove ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peach Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peach Grove
    • Peach Grove is located in Rockingham County
  • Spring Creek
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Friedens
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friedens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friedens
    • Friedens is located in Rockingham County
  • Lilly
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Dayton ...

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 80 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dayton.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Dayton. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Dayton and those printed in the larger area surrounding Dayton.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<5> of Dayton.

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 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 Dayton:

The official website for Dayton: www.townofdaytonva.us/

The official website for Rockingham County: www.co.rockingham.va.us/

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Dayton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Dayton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Dayton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.4165, Longitude: -78.9436    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025