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 Independence (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 Independence. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.
Independence is located in Clay 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 Clay County: Braxton, Calhoun, Kanawha, Nicholas & Roane.
Below are the counties that are near Independence. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Independence:
- Clay County (The home county of Independence)
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Hartland
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Hartland is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
- Bomont
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Bomont is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bomont
- Elkhurst
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Elkhurst is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkhurst
- Clay
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Porter
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Porter is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
- Procious
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Procious is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Procious
- Spread
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Spread is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spread
- Valley Fork
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Valley Fork is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Fork
- Gould
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Gould is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould
- Dink
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Dink is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dink
- Harrison
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Harrison is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrison
- Ira
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Ira is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
- Boone County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Joes Creek
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Joes Creek is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joes Creek
- Comfort
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Bloomingrose
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Bloomingrose is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingrose
- Coopertown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Coopertown is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coopertown
- Eden
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Eden is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden
- Fosterville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Fosterville is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fosterville
- Orgas
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Orgas is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orgas
- Seth
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Sharlow
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Sharlow is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharlow
- Keith
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Keith is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keith
- Kirbyton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Kirbyton is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirbyton
- Racine
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Racine is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Racine
- Braxton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Strange Creek
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Strange Creek is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strange Creek
- Elmira
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Elmira is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmira
- Clem
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Clem is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clem
- Herold
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Herold is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herold
- Rockton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Rockton is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockton
- Frametown
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Frametown is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frametown
- Sleith ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Sleith is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sleith
- Twistville ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Twistville is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twistville
- Canfield
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Canfield is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canfield
- Wilsie
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Wilsie is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilsie
- Calhoun County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Mudfork
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Mudfork is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mudfork
- Oka
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Oka is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oka
- Stinson
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Stinson is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stinson
- Losie ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Losie is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Losie
- Walnut
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Walnut is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut
- Gomez ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Gomez is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gomez
- Orma
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Orma is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orma
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Romont
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Romont is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romont
- Gauley Bridge
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Cannelton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Cannelton is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannelton
- Crescent
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Crescent is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
- Smithers
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Ansted
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Leander
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Leander is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leander
- Mulvane ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Mulvane is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mulvane
- Montgomery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Falls View
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Falls View is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falls View
- Hawks Nest
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Hawks Nest is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawks Nest
- Elliot ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Elliot is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliot
- Greenbrier County
- Crichton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Crichton is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crichton
- Jackson County
- Romance
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Romance is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romance
- Kanawha County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Apgah ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Apgah is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apgah
- Hugheston
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Hugheston is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hugheston
- Handley
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Handley is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Handley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 309 people
- Pratt
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Pratt is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
- Population from the 2020 Census: 552 people
- Coco
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Coco is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coco
- Hollygrove
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hollygrove is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollygrove
- Hollygrove has also been known as:
- Hollygrove Station
- Hudnall
- Clendenin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Reamer
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Reamer is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reamer
- Three Mile
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Three Mile is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Three Mile
- Cedar Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Cedar Grove is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 897 people
- East Bank
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- East Bank is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bank
- Population from the 2020 Census: 857 people
- Glasgow
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Nicholas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Dixie
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Dixie is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixie
- Beech Glen
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Beech Glen is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Glen
- Tipton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Tipton is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tipton
- Albion ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Albion is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albion
- Zela
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Zela is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zela
- Keslers Cross Lanes
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Keslers Cross Lanes is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keslers Cross Lanes
- Morrison ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Morrison is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morrison
- Summersville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Muddlety
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Muddlety is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muddlety
- Runa
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Runa is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runa
- Snow Hill
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Snow Hill is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Hill
- Donald
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Donald is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donald
- Raleigh County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Dorothy
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Dorothy is located in Raleigh County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorothy
- Bradley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Bradley is located in Raleigh County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradley
- Roane County
- The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Pigeon
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Pigeon is located in Roane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pigeon
- Kester ‑ Historic
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Kester is located in Roane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kester
- Looneyville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Mattie ‑ Historic
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Mattie is located in Roane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattie
- Walton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Roxalana
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Roxalana is located in Roane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxalana
- Cicerone
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Cicerone is located in Roane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cicerone
- Rushville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Rushville is located in Roane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushville
- Woodyard ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Woodyard is located in Roane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodyard
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Independence, see our County-by-County Page for Independence.
Cemeteries Near Independence ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Independence.
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 Independence - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Independence covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Ida Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Ramsey Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramsey Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Ramsey Cemetery is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<2> to the northwest of Dixie.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2221301 <3>
- Holcomb Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Simms Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Tanner Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Hinkle Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Proctor Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Blakley Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Rich Creek Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Neil Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Woods Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (520 more) ...
- Davis Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Pierson Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Goodwin Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
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.<4>
While we didn't find Independence in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Independence.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
- Lizemores
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Lizemores is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lizemores
- Dixie
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Dixie is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixie
- Belva
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Belva is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belva
- Pond Gap
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Pond Gap is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pond Gap
- Spangler
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Spangler is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spangler
- Kendalia
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Kendalia is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kendalia
- Gazil ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Gazil is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gazil
- Gauley Bridge
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Albion ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Albion is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albion
- Tipton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Tipton is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tipton
- Apgah ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Apgah is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apgah
- Crescent
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Crescent is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Kanawha Falls
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Kanawha Falls is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanawha Falls
- Gauley
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Gauley is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gauley
- Odell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Odell is located in Kanawha County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odell
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Independence. See our List of 1890's Communities around Independence.
Newspapers Published in Independence ...
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 7 newspapers that have been published in the area around Independence.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Independence, there are papers which were published within 12 miles [19.3 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Independence.
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 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 Independence:
- Websites specific to West Virginia
- Pages specific to Clay County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Boone County
- Braxton County
- Calhoun County
- Fayette County
- Greenbrier County
- Jackson County
- Kanawha County
- Nicholas County
- Raleigh County
- Roane 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> | 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- Independence) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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 Independence, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |