Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Key. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Key to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Key, please Contact Us.
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 Key (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 Key. 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.
Although our information shows that the community of Key is historic, it would have been located within present day Pendleton 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 Pendleton County: Augusta (VA), Highland (VA), Rockingham (VA), Grant, Hardy, Pocahontas & Randolph.
Below are the counties that are near Key. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Key:
- Pendleton County (The home county of Key)
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Macksville
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Macksville is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksville
- Onego
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Onego is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onego
- Ruddle
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Ruddle is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruddle
- Circleville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Kline
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Kline is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kline
- Brushy Run
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Brushy Run is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushy Run
- Franklin
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Ketterman
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Ketterman is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ketterman
- Zigler
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Zigler is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zigler
- Brandywine
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Fort Seybert
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Fort Seybert is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Seybert
- Dry Run
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Dry Run is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
- Grant County
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Hopeville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Hopeville is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeville
- Pansy
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Pansy is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pansy
- Seemly ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Seemly is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seemly
- Dorcas
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Dorcas is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorcas
- Petersburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Seymourville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Seymourville is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seymourville
- Arthur
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Arthur is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arthur
- Maysville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Maysville is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maysville
- Lahmansville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Lahmansville is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lahmansville
- Hardy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Peru
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Peru is located in Hardy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
- Durgon
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Durgon is located in Hardy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durgon
- Mathias
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Moorefield
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Pocahontas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Wildell
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Wildell is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildell
- Thornwood
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Thornwood is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thornwood
- Durbin
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Frank
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Frank is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frank
- Randolph County
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Whitmer
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Whitmer is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitmer
- Harperton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Harperton is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harperton
- Harman
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Dryfork
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Wymer
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Wymer is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wymer
- Evenwood
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Evenwood is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evenwood
- Canfield
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Canfield is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canfield
- Pettit ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Pettit is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettit
- Elkins
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Beverly
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Gilman
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Gilman is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilman
- Leadsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Leadsville is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leadsville
- Tucker County
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Canaan Valley
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Elk
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Elk is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk
- Gladwin
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Gladwin is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gladwin
- Hendricks
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Hendricks is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hendricks
- Population from the 2020 Census: 254 people
- Davis
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Hambleton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Hambleton is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hambleton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
- Pleasant Run
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Pleasant Run is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Run
- Coketon
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Coketon is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coketon
- Thomas
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Porterwood
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Porterwood is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porterwood
- Parsons
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Pierce
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Pierce is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierce
- Highland County (VA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Possum Trot
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Possum Trot is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Possum Trot
- Palo Alto
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Palo Alto is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo Alto
- Monterey
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Hightown
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Hightown is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightown
- McDowell
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Meadowdale
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Meadowdale is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowdale
- Rockingham County (VA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Criders
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Criders is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Criders
- Fulks Run
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Fulks Run is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fulks Run
- Tunis
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Tunis is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunis
- Briery Branch
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Briery Branch is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briery Branch
- Clover Hill
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Clover Hill is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Hill
- Lilly
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Lilly is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lilly
- Cootes Store
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Cootes Store is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cootes Store
- Turleytown
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Turleytown is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turleytown
- Cherry Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Cherry Grove is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Grove
- Ottobine
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Ottobine is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottobine
- Singers Glen
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Singers Glen is located in Rockingham County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Singers Glen
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Key, see our County-by-County Page for Key.
Cemeteries Near Key ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Key.
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 Key - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Key covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- North Fork Memorial Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Simmons Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Burns Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Pinecrest Memorial Gardens
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Laurel Hill Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Hevener Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Hinkle Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Dice Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Fairview Bethel Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Keister Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Pine Hill Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- White Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (87 more) ...
- Flanagan Memorial Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Kerns Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Flanagan Hill Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
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.
While we didn't find Key in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Key.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Key, with the one closest to Key listed first.
- Macksville
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Macksville is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksville
- Ruddle
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Ruddle is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruddle
- Upper Tract
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Circleville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Franklin
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Deer Run
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Deer Run is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Run
- Kline
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Kline is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kline
- Brushy Run
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Brushy Run is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushy Run
- Job
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Job is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Job
- Dry Run
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Dry Run is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
- Brandywine
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Oak Flat
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Oak Flat is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Flat
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Fort Seybert
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Fort Seybert is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Seybert
- Osceola
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Osceola is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
- Dryfork
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Key. See our List of 1890's Communities around Key.
Newspapers Published in Key ...
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 39 newspapers that have been published in the area around Key.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Key, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Key.
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 professional and volunteer 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 Key:
- Websites specific to West Virginia
- Pages specific to Pendleton County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Grant County
- Hardy County
- Pocahontas County
- Randolph County
- Tucker County
- Highland County
- Rockingham County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for West Virginia
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 Key, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Key) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | 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. |