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 Beard (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 Beard. 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.
Beard is located in Pocahontas County.
To see how the shape of West Virginia's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Pocahontas County: Bath (VA), Highland (VA), Greenbrier, Pendleton, Randolph & Webster.
Below are the counties that are near Beard. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Beard:
- Pocahontas County (The home county of Beard)
- The following are listed by their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Hillsboro
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Watoga ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Watoga is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watoga
- Buckeye
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Marlinton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Huntersville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Onoto
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Onoto is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onoto
- Edray
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Edray is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edray
- Thorny Creek
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Thorny Creek is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorny Creek
- Frost
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Frost is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frost
- Slaty Fork
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Sitlington
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Sitlington is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sitlington
- Cass
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Greenbrier County
- The following are listed by their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Loveridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Loveridge is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loveridge
- Oscar
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Oscar is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oscar
- Neola
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Neola is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neola
- Falling Spring
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Falling Spring is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falling Spring
- Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
- Spring Creek
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Spring Creek is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Creek
- Anthony
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Anthony is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anthony
- Frankford
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Frankford is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankford
- Wild Meadow
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Wild Meadow is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wild Meadow
- Sunlight
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Sunlight is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunlight
- Unus
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Unus is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Unus
- Clendenenville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Clendenenville is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clendenenville
- Williamsburg
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Nicholas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Richwood
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Saxman
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Saxman is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saxman
- Carl
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Carl is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carl
- Peaser Junction ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Peaser Junction is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peaser Junction
- Nettie
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Tolbert
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Tolbert is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tolbert
- Odell Town
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Odell Town is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odell Town
- Odell Town has also been known as:
- Odell
- Beaver
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Beaver is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver
- Craigsville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Donald
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Donald is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donald
- Snow Hill
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Snow Hill is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Hill
- Randolph County
- Mingo
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Webster County
- The following are listed by their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Upperglade
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Upperglade is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upperglade
- Ralph
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Ralph is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ralph
- Camden-on-Gauley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Camden-on-Gauley is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camden-on-Gauley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
- Welch Glade
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Welch Glade is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welch Glade
- Addison
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Addison is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison
- Population from the 2020 Census: 660 people
- Cowen
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Excelsior
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Excelsior is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Excelsior
- Halo
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Halo is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halo
- Alleghany County (VA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Moss Run
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Moss Run is located in Alleghany County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moss Run
- Low Moor
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Selma
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Selma is located in Alleghany County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selma
- Clifton Forge
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Rich Patch
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Rich Patch is located in Alleghany County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rich Patch
- Griffith
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Griffith is located in Alleghany County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griffith
- Iron Gate
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Iron Gate is located in Alleghany County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iron Gate
- Population from the 2020 Census: 352 people
- Bath County (VA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Greenwood ‑ Historic
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Greenwood is located in Bath County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
- Mountain Grove
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Mountain Grove is located in Bath County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Grove
- Cowardin ‑ Historic
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Cowardin is located in Bath County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowardin
- Healing Springs
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Healing Springs is located in Bath County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Healing Springs
- Carloover
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Carloover is located in Bath County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carloover
- Mitchelltown
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Mitchelltown is located in Bath County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitchelltown
- Warm Springs
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Bath Alum
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Bath Alum is located in Bath County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath Alum
- Covington City (VA)
- Covington
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Highland County (VA)
- Buckeye ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Buckeye is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckeye
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Beard, see our County-by-County Page for Beard.
Cemeteries Near Beard ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Beard.
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 Beard - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Beard covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Kellison Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Sunset Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Mountain Gate Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Morning Side Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Watts Chapel Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Beaver Creek Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Messir Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Walnut Grove Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Mountain View Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Pilgrim Rest Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Reed Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Enon Baptist Church Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (89 more) ...
- McLaughlin Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Hoke Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Shinaberry Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
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 Beard in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Beard.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Beard, with the one closest to Beard listed first.
- Locust
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Locust is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust
- Renicks Valley
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Renicks Valley is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renicks Valley
- Jacox
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Jacox is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jacox
- Lobelia
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Lobelia is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lobelia
- Mill Point
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Mill Point is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Point
- Loveridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Loveridge is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loveridge
- Sue
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Sue is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sue
- Falling Spring
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Falling Spring is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falling Spring
- Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
- Buckeye
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Leonard
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Leonard is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leonard
- Alvon
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Alvon is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvon
- Friars Hill
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Friars Hill is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friars Hill
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Marlinton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Frankford
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Frankford is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankford
- Huntersville
(13 miles [20.9 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 Beard. See our List of 1890's Communities around Beard.
Newspapers Published in Beard ...
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 43 newspapers that have been published in the area around Beard.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Beard, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Beard.
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 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 Beard:
- Websites specific to West Virginia
- Pages specific to Pocahontas County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Greenbrier County
- Nicholas County
- Randolph County
- Webster County
- Alleghany County
- Bath County
- Covington City
- Highland County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for West Virginia
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 Beard, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Beard) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |