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 LaFrank (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 LaFrank. 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.
LaFrank is located in Nicholas 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 Nicholas County: Braxton, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha & Webster.
Below are the counties that are near LaFrank. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to LaFrank:
- Nicholas County (The home county of LaFrank)
- The following are listed by their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Richwood
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Saxman
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Saxman is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saxman
- Nettie
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Tolbert
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Tolbert is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tolbert
- Donald
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Donald is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donald
- Odell Town
(8 miles [12.9 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
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Beaver is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver
- Craigsville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Carl
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Carl is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carl
- Peaser Junction ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Peaser Junction is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peaser Junction
- Snow Hill
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Snow Hill is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Hill
- Tioga
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Runa
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Runa is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runa
- Braxton County
- The following are listed by their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Little Birch
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Little Birch is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Birch
- Herold
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Herold is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herold
- Canfield
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Canfield is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canfield
- Palmer
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Palmer is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
- Strange Creek
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Strange Creek is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strange Creek
- Twistville ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Twistville is located in Braxton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twistville
- Clay County
- The following are listed by their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Widen
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Widen is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Widen
- Wattsville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Wattsville is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wattsville
- Harrison
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Harrison is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrison
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Maywood
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Maywood is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maywood
- Clifty
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Clifty is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clifty
- Hilton Village
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Hilton Village is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton Village
- Elliot ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Elliot is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliot
- Lookout
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Leander
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Leander is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leander
- Bellwood
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bellwood is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
- Clifftop
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Spring Dale
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Spring Dale is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Dale
- Mulvane ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Mulvane is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mulvane
- Keeneys Creek
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Keeneys Creek is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keeneys Creek
- Grayden
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Grayden is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grayden
- Victor
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Victor is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victor
- Greenbrier County
- The following are listed by their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Lile
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Lile is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lile
- Brushy Junction ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Brushy Junction is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushy Junction
- Loveridge
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Loveridge is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loveridge
- Quinwood
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Quinwood is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quinwood
- Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
- Crichton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Crichton is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crichton
- Oscar
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Oscar is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oscar
- Orient Hill
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Orient Hill is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orient Hill
- Sunlight
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Sunlight is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunlight
- Williamsburg
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Charmco
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Hines
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Hines is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hines
- McRoss
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- McRoss is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McRoss
- Falling Spring
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Falling Spring is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falling Spring
- Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
- Pocahontas County
- The following are listed by their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Hillsboro
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Watoga ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Watoga is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watoga
- Buckeye
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Onoto
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Onoto is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onoto
- Edray
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Edray is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edray
- Marlinton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Slaty Fork
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Thorny Creek
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Thorny Creek is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorny Creek
- Huntersville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Webster County
- The following are listed by their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Camden-on-Gauley
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- 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
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Welch Glade is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welch Glade
- Cowen
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Upperglade
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Upperglade is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upperglade
- Excelsior
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Excelsior is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Excelsior
- Halo
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Halo is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halo
- Addison
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Addison is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison
- Population from the 2020 Census: 660 people
- Erbacon
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Erbacon is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erbacon
- Ralph
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Ralph is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ralph
- Orndoff
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Orndoff is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orndoff
- Big Run
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Big Run is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Run
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to LaFrank, see our County-by-County Page for LaFrank.
Cemeteries Near LaFrank ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of LaFrank.
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 LaFrank - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for LaFrank covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Richwood Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Hinkle Mtn. Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Mountain View Memorial Park
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Taylor Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- New Hope Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Baber Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Olive Branch Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Fairview Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Fields Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Russell Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Mountain Trail Memorial Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Powers Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Continue List (126 more) ...
- Buckle Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Russell Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Downtain Chapel Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
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 LaFrank in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of LaFrank.
These communities are listed based on their distance from LaFrank, with the one closest to LaFrank listed first.
- Richwood
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Lile
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Lile is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lile
- Leivasy
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Leivasy is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leivasy
- Ophelia ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Ophelia is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ophelia
- Craigsville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Hominy Falls
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Hominy Falls is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hominy Falls
- Duo
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Duo is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duo
- Strouds
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Strouds is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strouds
- Welch Glade
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Welch Glade is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welch Glade
- Leonard
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Leonard is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leonard
- Persinger
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Persinger is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persinger
- Snow Hill
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Snow Hill is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Hill
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Loveridge
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Loveridge is located in Greenbrier County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loveridge
- Delphi
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Delphi is located in Nicholas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delphi
- Upperglade
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Upperglade is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upperglade
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around LaFrank. See our List of 1890's Communities around LaFrank.
Newspapers Published in LaFrank ...
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 11 newspapers that have been published in the area around LaFrank.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of LaFrank, there are papers which were published within 19 miles [30.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for LaFrank.
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 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 LaFrank:
- Websites specific to West Virginia
- Pages specific to Nicholas County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Braxton County
- Clay County
- Fayette County
- Greenbrier County
- Pocahontas County
- Webster 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 LaFrank, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- LaFrank) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |