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 West Hartford (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 West Hartford. 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.
Name Variations for West Hartford ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.
For example, a typical abbreviation for West Hartford: W. Hartford
You might be interested in other communities that are also named West Hartford. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for West Hartford.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
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.
West Hartford is located in Windsor 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 Windsor County: Grafton (NH), Sullivan (NH), Addison, Bennington, Orange, Rutland & Windham.
Below are the counties that are near West Hartford. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to West Hartford:
- Windsor County (The home county of West Hartford)
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- Hartford
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Hartford is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 9,566 people
- West Norwich
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- West Norwich is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Norwich
- Quechee
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Quechee is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quechee
- Pomfret
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Pomfret is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pomfret
- Population from the 2020 Census: 849 people
- Lewiston ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Lewiston is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewiston
- Norwich
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Sharon
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Sharon is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,533 people
- Norwich
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Norwich is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwich
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,401 people
- Hartford
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- White River Junction
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- White River Junction is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White River Junction
- Wilder
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- South Pomfret
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Addison County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- Hancock
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lower Granville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Lower Granville is located in Addison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Granville
- Granville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Granville is located in Addison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 308 people
- Granville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hancock
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hancock is located in Addison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Orange County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- South Strafford
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Union Village
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Union Village is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Village
- Strafford
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Strafford is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strafford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,058 people
- Strafford
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Old City
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Old City is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old City
- Thetford Center
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Thetford
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Thetford is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thetford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,525 people
- Tunbridge
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Tunbridge
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Tunbridge is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunbridge
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,335 people
- Post Mills
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Post Mills is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Post Mills
- South Randolph
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- South Randolph is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Randolph
- Ely
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Ely is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ely
- Rutland County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- West Bridgewater
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- West Bridgewater is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Bridgewater
- Killington
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Killington is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Killington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 749 people
- Sherburne
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Sherburne is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherburne
- Killington Village
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Killington Village is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Killington Village
- Telemark Village
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Telemark Village is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Telemark Village
- Pittsfield
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Pittsfield
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Pittsfield is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsfield
- Population from the 2020 Census: 551 people
- Mendon
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Mendon is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mendon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,015 people
- Shrewsbury
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Shrewsbury is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shrewsbury
- Population from the 2020 Census: 979 people
- Chittenden
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Chittenden is located in Rutland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chittenden
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,170 people
- Mendon
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Chittenden
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Washington County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- Roxbury
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Roxbury is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxbury
- Population from the 2020 Census: 709 people
- Graniteville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Graniteville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graniteville
- Roxbury
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Grafton County (NH)
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- Hanover
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Sachem Village
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Sachem Village is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sachem Village
- Meadow Brook Village
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Meadow Brook Village is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Brook Village
- Pinewood Village
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Pinewood Village is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinewood Village
- West Lebanon
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- West Lebanon is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Lebanon
- Etna
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Etna is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etna
- Lebanon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Mascoma
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Mascoma is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mascoma
- Enfield
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Lyme
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Lyme is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyme
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,685 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyme <1>
- Lower Shaker Village
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Lower Shaker Village is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lower Shaker Village
- Montcalm
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Montcalm is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montcalm
- Merrimack County (NH)
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- New London
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Blodgett Landing
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Blodgett Landing is located in Merrimack County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blodgett Landing
- Danbury
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Wilmot
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Wilmot is located in Merrimack County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmot
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,406 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wilmot <1>
- Sullivan County (NH)
- The following are listed by their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- Mill Village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Mill Village is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Village
- Plainfield
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Squag City
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Squag City is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Squag City
- Meriden
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Meriden is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden
- Cornish City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Cornish City is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornish City
- Cornish
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- South Cornish
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- South Cornish is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Cornish
- Balloch
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Balloch is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balloch
- North Grantham
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- North Grantham is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Grantham
- Grantham
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Croydon
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Croydon is located in Sullivan County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croydon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 774 people
- Claremont
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to West Hartford, see our County-by-County Page for West Hartford.
Cemeteries Near West Hartford ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of West Hartford.
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 West Hartford - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for West Hartford covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- West Hartford Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Murphy Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Savage Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Simonds Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Parkhurst Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Babcock Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Bunker Hill Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Center of Town Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Hilltop Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Quechee Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quechee Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Quechee Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Quechee.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #104061 <2>
- Hillside Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillside Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Hillside Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the west of Norwich.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1988209 <2>
- Beaver Meadow Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (432 more) ...
- Hewittville Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Taftsville Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Hartford Point Cemetery
(5 miles [8 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.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that West Hartford had a population of 500 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from West Hartford, with the one closest to West Hartford listed first.
- North Pomfret
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- North Pomfret is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Pomfret
- Deweys Mills
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Deweys Mills is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deweys Mills
- West Norwich
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- West Norwich is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Norwich
- Pomfret
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Pomfret is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pomfret
- Sharon
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Hartford
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Norwich
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- South Pomfret
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Taftsville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- White River Junction
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- White River Junction is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White River Junction
- Hanover
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- East Barnard
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- East Barnard is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Barnard
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Woodstock
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- West Lebanon
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- West Lebanon is located in Grafton County (NH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Lebanon
- North Hartland
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- North Hartland is located in Windsor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Hartland
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around West Hartford. See our List of 1890's Communities around West Hartford.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of West Hartford ...
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 57 newspapers that have been published in the area around West Hartford.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of West Hartford. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of West Hartford and those printed in the larger area surrounding West Hartford.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<4> of West Hartford.
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 West Hartford:
- Websites specific to Vermont
- Pages specific to Windsor County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Addison County
- Orange County
- Rutland County
- Washington County
- Grafton County
- Merrimack County
- Sullivan County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Vermont
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 West Hartford, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- West Hartford) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |