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The Commemorative Quarter for West Virginia





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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors 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.

Independence is located in Preston County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Preston County: Garrett (MD), Fayette (PA), Barbour, Grant, Monongalia, Taylor & Tucker.

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:

  • Preston County     (The home county of Independence)
  • Barbour County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Kasson
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kasson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kasson
      • Kasson is located in Barbour County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kasson
      • From Independence to Kasson
    • Clemtown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clemtown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clemtown
      • Clemtown is located in Barbour County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Clemtown
      • From Independence to Clemtown
    • Valley Furnace
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Pleasant Creek ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Arden
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Arden. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arden
      • Arden is located in Barbour County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Arden
      • From Independence to Arden
    • Adaland
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Kalamazoo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Berryburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Meriden
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Meriden. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden
      • Meriden is located in Barbour County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Meriden
      • From Independence to Meriden
    • Vannoys Mill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Philippi
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Pepper
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pepper. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pepper
      • Pepper is located in Barbour County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pepper
      • From Independence to Pepper
  • Grant County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Dobbin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dobbin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dobbin
      • Dobbin is located in Grant County
    • Wilson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wilson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson
      • Wilson is located in Grant County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wilson
      • From Independence to Wilson
    • Bayard
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Harrison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Bridgeport
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bridgeport have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeport
      • Bridgeport is located in Harrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,782 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bridgeport <1>
    • Enterprise
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Saltwell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Saltwell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saltwell
      • Saltwell is located in Harrison County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Saltwell
      • From Independence to Saltwell
    • Shinnston
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Anmoore
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anmoore have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anmoore
      • Anmoore is located in Harrison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 732 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Anmoore <1>
    • Despard
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Despard have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Despard
      • Despard is located in Harrison County
    • Haywood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Haywood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haywood
      • Haywood is located in Harrison County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Haywood
      • From Independence to Haywood
    • Meadowbrook
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Spelter
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Craigmoor
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Quiet Dell
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Lumberport
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Hebron
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Samaria
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Canton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Canton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canton
      • Canton is located in Marion County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Canton
      • From Independence to Canton
    • Mount Harmony
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Colfax
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Fairmont
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Pleasant Valley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Rivesville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Garden Village
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden Village
      • Garden Village is located in Marion County
    • Watson
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Watson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
      • Watson is located in Marion County
    • Barrackville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Barrackville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barrackville
      • Barrackville is located in Marion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,270 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Barrackville
      • From Independence to Barrackville
    • Eldora
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eldora. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldora
      • Eldora is located in Marion County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eldora
      • From Independence to Eldora
  • Monongalia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Little Falls
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Smithtown
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Brookhaven
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookhaven have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookhaven
      • Brookhaven is located in Monongalia County
    • Morgantown
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Westover
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westover have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westover
      • Westover is located in Monongalia County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,220 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Westover <1>
    • Arnettsville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Laurel Point
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Granville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Granville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granville
      • Granville is located in Monongalia County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,156 people
    • Georgetown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Baker Ridge
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Canyon
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Cheat Lake
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cheat Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheat Lake
      • Cheat Lake is located in Monongalia County
  • Randolph County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Montrose
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Pettit ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pettit have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettit
      • Pettit is located in Randolph County
    • Tigheville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Whyte
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Whyte. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whyte
      • Whyte is located in Randolph County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Whyte
      • From Independence to Whyte
    • Gilman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Weaver
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Leadsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Taylor County
  • Tucker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Parsons
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Hambleton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Pierce
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Porterwood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Pleasant Run
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Hendricks
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hendricks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hendricks
      • Hendricks is located in Tucker County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 254 people
    • Coketon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Coketon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coketon
      • Coketon is located in Tucker County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Coketon
      • From Independence to Coketon
    • Thomas
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thomas have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomas
      • Thomas is located in Tucker County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thomas <1>
    • Davis
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Upshur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Swamp Run
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Swamp Run. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swamp Run
      • Swamp Run is located in Upshur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Swamp Run
      • From Independence to Swamp Run
    • Teter
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Teter. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teter
      • Teter is located in Upshur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Teter
      • From Independence to Teter
  • Garrett County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Hutton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Red House
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Oakland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Loch Lynn Heights
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loch Lynn Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loch Lynn Heights
      • Loch Lynn Heights is located in Garrett County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 525 people
    • Mountain Lake Park
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain Lake Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Lake Park
      • Mountain Lake Park is located in Garrett County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,065 people
    • Wilson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wilson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson
      • Wilson is located in Garrett County (MD)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wilson
      • From Independence to Wilson
    • Deer Park
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deer Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Park
      • Deer Park is located in Garrett County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 367 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deer Park <1>
    • McHenry
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McHenry have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McHenry
      • McHenry is located in Garrett County (MD)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McHenry <1>
  • Fayette County (PA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Independence, with the one closest to Independence listed first.
    • Point Marion
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Point Marion have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Marion
      • Point Marion is located in Fayette County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,097 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Point Marion <1>
    • Morris Crossroads
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Winstead
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Winstead. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winstead
      • Winstead is located in Fayette County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Winstead
      • From Independence to Winstead
    • Atlantic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Fairchance
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Haydentown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • New Geneva
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Smithfield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smithfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithfield
      • Smithfield is located in Fayette County (PA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 807 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Smithfield <1>
    • Fayette
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fayette. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayette
      • Fayette is located in Fayette County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fayette
      • From Independence to Fayette
    • Elliottsville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Woodside
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Woodside. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodside
      • Woodside is located in Fayette County (PA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Woodside
      • From Independence to Woodside
  • Greene County (PA)

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.

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 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.

  • Bethel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hunt Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hunt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hunt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Union Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Concord Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Concord Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Concord Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pratt Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pratt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pratt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ford Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ford Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Blackwood Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blackwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blackwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Denver Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Denver Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Denver Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Matthew Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Matthew Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Matthew Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boyce Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boyce Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boyce Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Current Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Current Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Current Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (429 more) ...
    • McConkey Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McConkey Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McConkey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Rogers Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rogers Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rogers Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Independence had a population of 273 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Newburg
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Irontown
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irontown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irontown
    • Irontown is located in Taylor County
  • Austen
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Austen have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Austen
    • Austen is located in Preston County
  • Evansville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evansville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evansville
    • Evansville is located in Preston County
  • Thornton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Fellowsville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fellowsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fellowsville
    • Fellowsville is located in Preston County
  • West End
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West End have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West End
    • West End is located in Preston County
  • Gladesville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Marquess
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marquess have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marquess
    • Marquess is located in Preston County
  • Tunnelton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Jessop
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jessop have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jessop
    • Jessop is located in Preston County
  • Howesville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Howesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howesville
    • Howesville is located in Preston County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Halleck
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Halleck have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halleck
      • Halleck is located in Monongalia County
    • Knottsville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Neel ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neel have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neel
      • Neel is located in Marion County

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 27 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 14 miles [22.5 km]<4>. 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 first turn to 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 Independence:

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

The official website for State of West Virginia: https://www.wv.gov/

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 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.
<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>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 from Point A (ie- Independence) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Independence. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.3941, Longitude: -79.8711       In this case, the coordinates for Independence have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Independence, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025