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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 Modest Town (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 Modest Town. 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 doctors and hospitals 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.

Modest Town is located in Accomack 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 Accomack County: Somerset (MD), Lancaster, Middlesex, Northampton & Northumberland.

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

  • Accomack County     (The home county of Modest Town)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Modest Town, with the one closest to Modest Town listed first.
    • Nelsonia
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nelsonia
      • Nelsonia is located in Accomack County
    • Mappsville
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Gargatha
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gargatha. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gargatha
      • Gargatha is located in Accomack County
    • Groton Town
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Groton Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Groton Town
      • Groton Town is located in Accomack County
    • Metompkin
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metompkin
      • Metompkin is located in Accomack County
    • Bloxom
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloxom have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloxom
      • Bloxom is located in Accomack County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 366 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bloxom <1>
    • Hallwood
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallwood
      • Hallwood is located in Accomack County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
    • Hopeton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeton
      • Hopeton is located in Accomack County
    • Temperanceville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Whitesville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitesville
      • Whitesville is located in Accomack County
    • Parksley
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parksley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parksley
      • Parksley is located in Accomack County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 805 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Parksley <1>
    • Atlantic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Greenbush
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenbush
      • Greenbush is located in Accomack County
  • Northampton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Modest Town, with the one closest to Modest Town listed first.
    • Exmore
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exmore
      • Exmore is located in Northampton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,362 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Exmore <1>
    • Wardtown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wardtown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wardtown
      • Wardtown is located in Northampton County
    • Pleasant Cove Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Cove Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Cove Village
      • Pleasant Cove Village is located in Northampton County
    • Jamesville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamesville
      • Jamesville is located in Northampton County
    • Nassawadox
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Marionville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marionville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marionville
      • Marionville is located in Northampton County
    • Sheps End
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheps End
      • Sheps End is located in Northampton County
  • Somerset County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Modest Town, with the one closest to Modest Town listed first.
    • Rehobeth
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rehobeth have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rehobeth
      • Rehobeth is located in Somerset County (MD)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rehobeth <1>
    • Tulls Corner
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tulls Corner
      • Tulls Corner is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Lawsonia
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawsonia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawsonia
      • Lawsonia is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • West Pocomoke
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Pocomoke have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Pocomoke
      • West Pocomoke is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Annemessix Towne ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Annemessix Towne have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Annemessix Towne
      • Annemessix Towne is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Crisfield
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Crisfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crisfield
      • Crisfield is located in Somerset County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,534 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Crisfield <1>
    • Daugherty Town
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Daugherty Town have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Daugherty Town
      • Daugherty Town is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Costen
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Costen. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Costen
      • Costen is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Westover
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westover have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westover
      • Westover is located in Somerset County (MD)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westover <1>
    • Fairmount
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
      • Fairmount is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Manokin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Manokin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manokin
      • Manokin is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Upper Fairmount
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Upper Fairmount. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upper Fairmount
      • Upper Fairmount is located in Somerset County (MD)
    • Frenchtown - Rumbly
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenchtown - Rumbly
      • Frenchtown - Rumbly is located in Somerset County (MD)
  • Worcester County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Modest Town, with the one closest to Modest Town listed first.
    • Pocomoke City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pocomoke City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pocomoke City
      • Pocomoke City is located in Worcester County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,095 people
      • Former names for Pocomoke City:
      • New Town
      • Stevens Landing
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pocomoke City <1>
    • Stockton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stockton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stockton
      • Stockton is located in Worcester County (MD)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stockton <1>
    • Girdletree
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Girdletree have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Girdletree
      • Girdletree is located in Worcester County (MD)
    • Snow Hill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Hill
      • Snow Hill is located in Worcester County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,046 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Snow Hill <1>
    • Cedartown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cedartown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedartown
      • Cedartown is located in Worcester County (MD)

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

Cemeteries Near Modest Town ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Modest Town.

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

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

  • Bloxom Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bloxom Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bloxom Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wessells Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wessells Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wessells Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Liberty Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Edge Hill Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Edge Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Edge Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairlawn Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairlawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairview Lawn Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Lawn Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Fairview Lawn Cemetery is located outside and to the southeast of Onancock.
  • Mt. Holly Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Onancock Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Onancock Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Onancock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Joynes Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Joynes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Joynes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mechanics Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mechanics Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mechanics Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Red Mens Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (79 more) ...

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 Modest Town had a population of 152 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Nelsonia
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nelsonia
    • Nelsonia is located in Accomack County
  • Gargatha
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gargatha. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gargatha
    • Gargatha is located in Accomack County
  • Mappsville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Metompkin
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metompkin
    • Metompkin is located in Accomack County
  • Bloxom
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bloxom have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloxom
    • Bloxom is located in Accomack County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 366 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bloxom <1>
  • Hallwood
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallwood
    • Hallwood is located in Accomack County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
  • Mearsville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mearsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mearsville
    • Mearsville is located in Accomack County
  • Guilford
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guilford have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
    • Guilford is located in Accomack County
  • Hopeton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeton
    • Hopeton is located in Accomack County
  • Parksley
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parksley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parksley
    • Parksley is located in Accomack County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 805 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Parksley <1>
  • Pastoria
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pastoria have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pastoria
    • Pastoria is located in Accomack County
  • Temperanceville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Justisville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Justisville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Justisville
      • Justisville is located in Accomack County
    • Lee Mont
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lee Mont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Mont
      • Lee Mont is located in Accomack County
    • Atlantic
      (6 miles [9.7 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 Modest Town. See our List of 1890's Communities around Modest Town.

Newspapers Published in Modest Town ...

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 22 newspapers that have been published in the area around Modest Town.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Modest Town, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Modest Town.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Modest Town:

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

The official website for Accomack County: www.co.accomack.va.us/

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 Modest Town, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Modest Town) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Modest Town. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.8129, Longitude: -75.5649       In this case, the coordinates for Modest Town have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 17 Jul 2025