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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 Snell (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 Snell. 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.

Snell is located in Spotsylvania 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 Spotsylvania County: Caroline, Culpeper, Hanover, Louisa, Orange & Stafford.

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

  • Spotsylvania County     (The home county of Snell)
  • Caroline County
  • Culpeper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Snell, with the one closest to Snell listed first.
    • Lignum
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Kellys Ford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kellys Ford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellys Ford
      • Kellys Ford is located in Culpeper County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kellys Ford
      • From Snell to Kellys Ford
    • Elkwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Fauquier County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Snell, with the one closest to Snell listed first.
    • Remington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Remington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remington
      • Remington is located in Fauquier County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 661 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Remington <2>
    • Blackwell Town
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blackwell Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackwell Town
      • Blackwell Town is located in Fauquier County
    • Brent Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brent Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brent Town
      • Brent Town is located in Fauquier County
  • Fredericksburg City
  • Hanover County
  • King George County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Snell, with the one closest to Snell listed first.
    • Port Conway
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Fairview Beach
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairview Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Beach
      • Fairview Beach is located in King George County
    • Arnolds Corner
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • King George
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Ambar
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Edgehill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Edgehill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgehill
      • Edgehill is located in King George County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Edgehill
      • From Snell to Edgehill
    • Shiloh
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Somerset Beach
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Somerset Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somerset Beach
      • Somerset Beach is located in King George County
    • Weedonville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Weedonville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weedonville
      • Weedonville is located in King George County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Weedonville
      • From Snell to Weedonville
    • Hampstead
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hampstead. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hampstead
      • Hampstead is located in King George County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hampstead
      • From Snell to Hampstead
    • Alden
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Ninde
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • King William County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Snell, with the one closest to Snell listed first.
    • Tuck Fork
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Beulahville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Beulahville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulahville
      • Beulahville is located in King William County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Beulahville
      • From Snell to Beulahville
  • Louisa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Snell, with the one closest to Snell listed first.
    • Harris ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harris have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris
      • Harris is located in Louisa County
    • Bumpass
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Mineral
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mineral have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineral
      • Mineral is located in Louisa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 529 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mineral <2>
    • Pendleton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pendleton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pendleton
      • Pendleton is located in Louisa County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pendleton
      • From Snell to Pendleton
    • Cuckoo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jackson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jackson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
      • Jackson is located in Louisa County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jackson
      • From Snell to Jackson
    • Gays ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gays have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gays
      • Gays is located in Louisa County
    • Louisa
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louisa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louisa
      • Louisa is located in Louisa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,764 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Louisa <2>
    • Vigor
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vigor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vigor
      • Vigor is located in Louisa County
    • Willowbrook
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Trevilians
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Shelfar
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Shelfar. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelfar
      • Shelfar is located in Louisa County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Shelfar
      • From Snell to Shelfar
    • Green Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Madison County
    • Madison Mills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Orange County
  • Prince William County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Snell, with the one closest to Snell listed first.
    • Joplin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Quantico
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quantico have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quantico
      • Quantico is located in Prince William County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 558 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Quantico <2>
  • Stafford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Snell, with the one closest to Snell listed first.
    • Hampstead Village
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hampstead Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hampstead Village
      • Hampstead Village is located in Stafford County
    • Chatham Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chatham Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham Village
      • Chatham Village is located in Stafford County
    • Falmouth
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Falmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth
      • Falmouth is located in Stafford County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Falmouth <2>
    • Grafton Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grafton Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grafton Village
      • Grafton Village is located in Stafford County
    • Little Falls Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Falls Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Falls Village
      • Little Falls Village is located in Stafford County
    • Berea
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Berea. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berea
      • Berea is located in Stafford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Berea
      • From Snell to Berea
    • Stafford Lakes Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stafford Lakes Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stafford Lakes Village
      • Stafford Lakes Village is located in Stafford County
    • Falmouth Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Falmouth Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth Village
      • Falmouth Village is located in Stafford County
    • North Potomac
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Northridge
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Hartwood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Storck
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Woodlanding Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodlanding Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodlanding Village
      • Woodlanding Village is located in Stafford County
  • Charles County (MD)
    • Nanjemoy
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nanjemoy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nanjemoy
      • Nanjemoy is located in Charles County (MD)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nanjemoy <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Snell ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Snell.

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

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

  • Travelers Rest Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Travelers Rest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Travelers Rest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Confederate Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Confederate Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Confederate Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beulah Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Goshen Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethany Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Massaponax Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Massaponax Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Massaponax Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wallers Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wallers Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wallers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mine Road Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mine Road Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mine Road Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hebron Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hebron Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hebron Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Piney Branch Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (174 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>

While we didn't find Snell in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Snell.

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

  • Mount Pleasant
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Pleasant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pleasant
    • Mount Pleasant is located in Spotsylvania County
  • Post Oak
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Marye
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Thornburg
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Gatewood
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gatewood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gatewood
    • Gatewood is located in Spotsylvania County
  • Massaponax
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Massaponax. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Massaponax
    • Massaponax is located in Spotsylvania County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Massaponax
    • From Snell to Massaponax
  • Blantons
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blantons have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blantons
    • Blantons is located in Caroline County
  • Screamerville ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Partlow
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Welchs
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Welchs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welchs
    • Welchs is located in Caroline County
  • Leavells
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Lewiston
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (20 more) ...
    • Brockroad
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Chilesburg
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chilesburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chilesburg
      • Chilesburg is located in Caroline County
    • Woodford
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford
      • Woodford is located in Caroline County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Woodford <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Snell ...

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 46 newspapers that have been published in the area around Snell.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Snell, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Snell.

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 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 Snell:

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

The official website for Spotsylvania County: www.spotsylvania.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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Snell, 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- Snell) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Snell. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.1481, Longitude: -77.6015    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025