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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 Lee Bell (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 Lee Bell. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Lee Bell is located in Randolph 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 Randolph County: Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Tucker, Upshur & Webster.

Below are the counties that are near Lee Bell. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Lee Bell:

  • Randolph County     (The home county of Lee Bell)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.
    • Huttonsville
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Mill Creek
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mill Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Creek
      • Mill Creek is located in Randolph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
    • Elkwater
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Huff ‑ Historic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huff have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huff
      • Huff is located in Randolph County
    • Cassity
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cassity. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cassity
      • Cassity is located in Randolph County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cassity
      • From Lee Bell to Cassity
    • Monterville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Helvetia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Blue Spring
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Florence ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Florence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
      • Florence is located in Randolph County
    • Pickens
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Mingo
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Beverly
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Womelsdorf
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Womelsdorf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Womelsdorf
      • Womelsdorf is located in Randolph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 235 people
  • Barbour County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.
    • Junior
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Junior have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junior
      • Junior is located in Barbour County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 483 people
    • Belington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Audra
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Valley Bend
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Calhoun
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Calhoun. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calhoun
      • Calhoun is located in Barbour County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Calhoun
      • From Lee Bell to Calhoun
    • Tygart Junction
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Union
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
  • Braxton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.
    • Milroy
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Milroy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milroy
      • Milroy is located in Braxton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Milroy
      • From Lee Bell to Milroy
    • Falls Mill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Knawl
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Knawl. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knawl
      • Knawl is located in Braxton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Knawl
      • From Lee Bell to Knawl
  • Lewis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.
    • Duffy
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Duffy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duffy
      • Duffy is located in Lewis County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Duffy
      • From Lee Bell to Duffy
    • Crawford
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Aberdeen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Aberdeen. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen
      • Aberdeen is located in Lewis County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Aberdeen
      • From Lee Bell to Aberdeen
    • Garton Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garton Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garton Village
      • Garton Village is located in Lewis County
  • Pendleton County
  • Pocahontas County
  • Tucker County
    • Pleasant Run
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Upshur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.
    • Queens
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Alton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
      • Alton is located in Upshur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Alton
      • From Lee Bell to Alton
    • Beans Mill
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Beans Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beans Mill
      • Beans Mill is located in Upshur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Beans Mill
      • From Lee Bell to Beans Mill
    • Sellers ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sellers have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sellers
      • Sellers is located in Upshur County
    • Tenmile
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tenmile. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenmile
      • Tenmile is located in Upshur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tenmile
      • From Lee Bell to Tenmile
    • Goshen
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Sand Run
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sand Run. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Run
      • Sand Run is located in Upshur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sand Run
      • From Lee Bell to Sand Run
    • Tallmansville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Kanawha Head
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Excelsior
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Gormley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Overhill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Sago
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Webster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.
    • Hacker Valley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Cleveland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Orndoff
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Orndoff. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orndoff
      • Orndoff is located in Webster County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Orndoff
      • From Lee Bell to Orndoff
    • Ralph
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ralph. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ralph
      • Ralph is located in Webster County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ralph
      • From Lee Bell to Ralph
    • Replete
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Replete. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Replete
      • Replete is located in Webster County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Replete
      • From Lee Bell to Replete
    • Addison
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Addison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison
      • Addison is located in Webster County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 660 people
    • Big Run
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Excelsior
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Highland County (VA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.
    • Hightown
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hightown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightown
      • Hightown is located in Highland County (VA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hightown
      • From Lee Bell to Hightown
    • Meadowdale
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadowdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowdale
      • Meadowdale is located in Highland County (VA)
    • Monterey
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monterey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monterey
      • Monterey is located in Highland County (VA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 136 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monterey <1>
    • Possum Trot
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Buckeye ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buckeye have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckeye
      • Buckeye is located in Highland County (VA)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Lee Bell, see our County-by-County Page for Lee Bell.

Cemeteries Near Lee Bell ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Lee Bell.

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 Lee Bell covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Lee Bell, with the one closest to Lee Bell listed first.

  • Old Brick Church Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Brick Church Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Brick Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crouch Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Ft. Milroy Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Milroy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Milroy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stainaker Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stainaker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stainaker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Simmons Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Simmons Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Simmons Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hicks Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hicks Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hicks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Olive Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olive Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pine Grove Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ware Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ware Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ware Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Simmons Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Simmons Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Simmons Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Helvetia Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Helvetia Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Helvetia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pickens Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pickens Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pickens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (127 more) ...
    • Long Run Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Long Run Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Long Run Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Maher Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maher Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maher Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Cowger Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cowger Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cowger 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 in 1895, Lee Bell had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Huttonsville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Elkwater
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Huff ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huff have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huff
    • Huff is located in Randolph County
  • Valley Head
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valley Head have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Head
    • Valley Head is located in Randolph County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Valley Head <1>
  • Palace Valley
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palace Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palace Valley
    • Palace Valley is located in Upshur County
  • Monterville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Hemlock
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hemlock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemlock
    • Hemlock is located in Upshur County
  • Helvetia
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Cassity
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cassity. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cassity
    • Cassity is located in Randolph County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Cassity
    • From Lee Bell to Cassity
  • Florence ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Florence have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
    • Florence is located in Randolph County
  • Blue Spring
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Pickens
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Queens
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Beverly
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Alexander
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alexander have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexander
      • Alexander is located in Upshur County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Lee Bell. See our List of 1890's Communities around Lee Bell.

Newspapers Published in Lee Bell ...

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 13 newspapers that have been published in the area around Lee Bell.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Lee Bell, there are papers which were published within 18 miles [29 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Lee Bell.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Lee Bell:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Lee Bell. 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>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.
<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 Lee Bell, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Lee Bell) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Lee Bell. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.6830, Longitude: -80.0059       In this case, the coordinates for Lee Bell have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025