RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Vermont >> Essex County >> Brighton >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Brighton (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 Brighton. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Brighton is located in Essex County.

To see how the shape of Vermont's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Essex County: Coos (NH), Grafton (NH), Caledonia & Orleans.

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

  • Essex County     (The home county of Brighton)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brighton, with the one closest to Brighton listed first.
    • Island Pond
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • East Brighton
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • East Brighton is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brighton
    • Ferdinand
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Ferdinand is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferdinand
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 32 people
    • Warner's Grant
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Warner's Grant is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warner's Grant
    • Warren's Gore
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Warren's Gore is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren's Gore
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4 people
    • Lewis
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Lewis is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewis
    • Avery's Gore
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Avery's Gore is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avery's Gore
    • East Haven
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • East Haven is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Haven
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 294 people
    • Bloomfield
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Bloomfield is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 234 people
    • Brunswick
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Brunswick is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 101 people
    • Bloomfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Bloomfield is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
    • Brunswick Springs
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Brunswick Springs is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick Springs
  • Caledonia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brighton, with the one closest to Brighton listed first.
    • Newark
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Newark is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newark
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 589 people
    • Summit
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Summit is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
    • West Burke
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Burke
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Burke is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burke
    • Sutton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Sutton is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sutton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 996 people
    • Burke
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Burke is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burke
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,668 people
    • East Burke
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Egypt
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Egypt is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egypt
    • Sheffield
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Sheffield is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheffield
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 712 people
    • Lyndon
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Lyndon is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyndon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,650 people
    • Sheffield
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Wheelock
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Wheelock is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheelock
  • Orleans County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brighton, with the one closest to Brighton listed first.
    • East Charleston
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • East Charleston is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Charleston
    • Charleston
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Charleston is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charleston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 984 people
    • Morgan
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Morgan is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 695 people
    • Westmore
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Westmore is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westmore
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 312 people
    • West Charleston
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Holland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Holland is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holland
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 608 people
    • Brownington
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Brownington is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownington
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 955 people
    • Brownington
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Brownington is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownington
    • Holland
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Holland is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holland
    • Barton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Barton is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,455 people
    • Brownington Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Brownington Village is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownington Village
    • Barton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Coos County (NH)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brighton, with the one closest to Brighton listed first.
    • North Stratford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Cones
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Cones is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cones
    • Meriden Hill
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Meriden Hill is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden Hill
    • Masons
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Masons is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Masons
    • Columbia
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Columbia is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 744 people
    • Mapleton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Mapleton is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mapleton
    • Stratford
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Stratford is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stratford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 679 people
    • Colebrook
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • West Stewartstown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Stewartstown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Stewartstown is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewartstown
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 925 people
    • Groveton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Northumberland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Northumberland is located in Coos County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northumberland
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,117 people
  • Grafton County (NH)
    • North Littleton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • North Littleton is located in Grafton County (NH)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Littleton

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

Cemeteries Near Brighton ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brighton.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Brighton - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Brighton covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Brighton, with the one closest to Brighton 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.<3>

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

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

  • Island Pond
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • East Brighton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • East Brighton is located in Essex County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brighton
  • Wenlock
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Wenlock is located in Essex County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wenlock
  • East Charleston
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • East Charleston is located in Orleans County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Charleston
  • Westmore
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • East Haven
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Morgan Center
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Morgan Center is located in Orleans County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan Center
  • Morgan
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Summit
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Summit is located in Caledonia County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
  • West Burke
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Brunswick
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Brunswick is located in Essex County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunswick
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 101 people
  • West Charleston
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Burke
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Burke is located in Caledonia County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burke
    • North Stratford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Brownington
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Brownington is located in Orleans County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownington

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

Newspapers Published in Brighton ...

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 17 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brighton.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Brighton, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Brighton.

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 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 Brighton:

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 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.
<3>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 Brighton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 from Point A (ie- Brighton) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.