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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 Mechanicsburg (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 Mechanicsburg. 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 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.

Mechanicsburg is located in Bland 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 Bland County: Giles, Pulaski, Smyth, Tazewell, Wythe & Mercer (WV).

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

  • Bland County     (The home county of Mechanicsburg)
  • Carroll County
  • Floyd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • Indian Valley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Duncan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Duncan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan
      • Duncan is located in Floyd County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Duncan
      • From Mechanicsburg to Duncan
  • Giles County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • Thessalia
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Poplar Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Shumate
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Shumate. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumate
      • Shumate is located in Giles County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Shumate
      • From Mechanicsburg to Shumate
    • Narrows
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Narrows have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Narrows
      • Narrows is located in Giles County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,949 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Narrows <1>
    • Glen Lyn
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Glen Lyn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Lyn
      • Glen Lyn is located in Giles County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 97 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Glen Lyn
      • From Mechanicsburg to Glen Lyn
    • Lurich
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lurich. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lurich
      • Lurich is located in Giles County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lurich
      • From Mechanicsburg to Lurich
    • Bluff City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Pearisburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Rich Creek
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Goodwins Ferry
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goodwins Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodwins Ferry
      • Goodwins Ferry is located in Giles County
    • Pembroke
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Mountain Lake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Newport
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Grayson County
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • Childress
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Childress. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Childress
      • Childress is located in Montgomery County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Childress
      • From Mechanicsburg to Childress
    • Prices Fork
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • McBryde Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McBryde Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBryde Village
      • McBryde Village is located in Montgomery County
    • Merrimac
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merrimac have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merrimac
      • Merrimac is located in Montgomery County
    • Riner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Sundance Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sundance Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sundance Village
      • Sundance Village is located in Montgomery County
    • Blacksburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Christiansburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Rogers
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rogers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogers
      • Rogers is located in Montgomery County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rogers
      • From Mechanicsburg to Rogers
  • Pulaski County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • Sassin ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sassin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sassin
      • Sassin is located in Pulaski County
    • Hilton Village
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hilton Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton Village
      • Hilton Village is located in Pulaski County
    • Pulaski
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Wurno
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wurno. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wurno
      • Wurno is located in Pulaski County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wurno
      • From Mechanicsburg to Wurno
    • Dublin
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dublin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dublin
      • Dublin is located in Pulaski County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,578 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dublin <1>
    • Newbern
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Draper
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Mack Creek Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mack Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mack Creek Village
      • Mack Creek Village is located in Pulaski County
    • Parrott
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Cowan
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cowan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowan
      • Cowan is located in Pulaski County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cowan
      • From Mechanicsburg to Cowan
    • Fairlawn
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Snowville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • Radford City
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • New Town
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Town
      • New Town is located in Radford City
    • Radford Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Radford Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radford Village
      • Radford Village is located in Radford City
    • Radford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Radford have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radford
      • Radford is located in Radford City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,255 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Radford <1>
    • Sunset Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunset Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunset Village
      • Sunset Village is located in Radford City
    • Mill Village
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mill Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Village
      • Mill Village is located in Radford City
    • Simpkins Village
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Simpkins Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simpkins Village
      • Simpkins Village is located in Radford City
  • Tazewell County
  • Wythe County
  • Logan County (WV)
  • McDowell County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • Anawalt
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anawalt have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anawalt
      • Anawalt is located in McDowell County (WV)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 172 people
    • Elkhorn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Mercer County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • East River ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East River
      • East River is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Oakvale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Blake ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blake
      • Blake is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Willowton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Willowton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willowton
      • Willowton is located in Mercer County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Willowton
      • From Mechanicsburg to Willowton
    • Bethel ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bethel have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethel
      • Bethel is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Edison
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • El Centro ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for El Centro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Centro
      • El Centro is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Elgood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Bluefield
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Oak Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oak Grove. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
      • Oak Grove is located in Mercer County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Oak Grove
      • From Mechanicsburg to Oak Grove
    • Princeton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Johnston Town
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Johnston Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnston Town
      • Johnston Town is located in Mercer County (WV)
    • Athens
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • Monroe County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • Peterstown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Ballard
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Assurance
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Assurance. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Assurance
      • Assurance is located in Monroe County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Assurance
      • From Mechanicsburg to Assurance
    • Wikel
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wikel. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wikel
      • Wikel is located in Monroe County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wikel
      • From Mechanicsburg to Wikel
  • Summers County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mechanicsburg, with the one closest to Mechanicsburg listed first.
    • Mercers Saltworks ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mercers Saltworks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mercers Saltworks
      • Mercers Saltworks is located in Summers County (WV)
    • Pipestem
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • True
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for True. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for True
      • True is located in Summers County (WV)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to True
      • From Mechanicsburg to True
    • Forest Hill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Mechanicsburg ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg.

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

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

  • Goshen Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Goshen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Goshen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hoges Chapel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hoges Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hoges Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hoges Chapel Methodist Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hoges Chapel Methodist Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hoges Chapel Methodist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hidden Valley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hidden Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hidden Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Walkers Creek Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walkers Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walkers Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clark Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clark Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clark Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bivins Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bivins Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bivins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clark Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clark Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clark Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beamer Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beamer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beamer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hales Chapel Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hales Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hales Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shrader Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shrader Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shrader Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • The Brick Church Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Brick Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Brick Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (524 more) ...
    • Temple Hill Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Temple Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Temple Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Pinehurst Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pinehurst Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pinehurst Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Oakwood Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)

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 Mechanicsburg had a population of 176 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Holly Brook
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holly Brook have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holly Brook
    • Holly Brook is located in Bland County
  • Point Pleasant
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Point Pleasant have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Pleasant
    • Point Pleasant is located in Bland County
  • Kimberling
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kimberling have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimberling
    • Kimberling is located in Bland County
  • Altoona Mines ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altoona Mines have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altoona Mines
    • Altoona Mines is located in Pulaski County
  • Sassin ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sassin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sassin
    • Sassin is located in Pulaski County
  • Pulaski
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Thessalia
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Rocky Gap
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Hicksville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Max Meadows
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • East River ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East River
    • East River is located in Mercer County (WV)
  • Ingleside
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ingleside have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ingleside
    • Ingleside is located in Mercer County (WV)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Poplar Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Wabash ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wabash have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wabash
      • Wabash is located in Giles County
    • Shumate
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Shumate. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumate
      • Shumate is located in Giles County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Shumate
      • From Mechanicsburg to Shumate

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Mechanicsburg ...

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 49 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mechanicsburg.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Mechanicsburg. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Mechanicsburg and those printed in the larger area surrounding Mechanicsburg.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<6> of Mechanicsburg.

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 either 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 Mechanicsburg:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Mechanicsburg. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Bland County: www.bland.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>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.
<3>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.
<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 Mechanicsburg, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Mechanicsburg) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Mechanicsburg. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.1494, Longitude: -80.9420       In this case, the coordinates for Mechanicsburg have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025