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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 Nelson (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 Nelson. 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.

Nelson is located in Boone 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 Boone County: Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Raleigh & Wyoming.

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

  • Boone County     (The home county of Nelson)
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Elkridge
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elkridge. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkridge
      • Elkridge is located in Fayette County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elkridge
      • From Nelson to Elkridge
    • Powellton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powellton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powellton
      • Powellton is located in Fayette County
    • McDunn
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Montgomery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Kimberly
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Mount Carbon
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Crescent
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Crescent. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
      • Crescent is located in Fayette County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Crescent
      • From Nelson to Crescent
    • Smithers
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smithers have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithers
      • Smithers is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 726 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Smithers <2>
    • Cannelton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Falls View
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Roseville ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Roseville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseville
      • Roseville is located in Fayette County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Roseville
      • From Nelson to Roseville
    • Pax
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pax have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pax
      • Pax is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 150 people
    • Gauley Bridge
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gauley Bridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gauley Bridge
      • Gauley Bridge is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gauley Bridge <2>
  • Kanawha County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Acme
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Eskdale
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Winifrede
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Cabin Creek
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Chesapeake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chesapeake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesapeake
      • Chesapeake is located in Kanawha County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,393 people
    • Dry Branch
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Ronda
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Carbon
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Belle
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belle have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle
      • Belle is located in Kanawha County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,108 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Belle <2>
    • Marmet
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marmet have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marmet
      • Marmet is located in Kanawha County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,351 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marmet <2>
    • Witcher
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Dupont City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dupont City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dupont City
      • Dupont City is located in Kanawha County
    • Cedar Grove
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
      • Cedar Grove is located in Kanawha County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 897 people
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Priestley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Alkol
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Alum Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Sod
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • East ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East
      • East is located in Lincoln County
    • Tango
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tango. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tango
      • Tango is located in Lincoln County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tango
      • From Nelson to Tango
    • Yawkey
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Garretts Bend
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Palermo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Sweetland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sweetland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweetland
      • Sweetland is located in Lincoln County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sweetland
      • From Nelson to Sweetland
    • Harts
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harts have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harts
      • Harts is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harts <2>
    • Spears ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spears have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spears
      • Spears is located in Lincoln County
    • Myra
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Logan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Banco
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Mitchell Heights
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mitchell Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitchell Heights
      • Mitchell Heights is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 274 people
    • Chapmanville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Accoville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Fort Branch
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fort Branch. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Branch
      • Fort Branch is located in Logan County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fort Branch
      • From Nelson to Fort Branch
    • Peach Creek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Big Creek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • West Logan
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Logan have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Logan
      • West Logan is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 358 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for West Logan <2>
    • Logan
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Mineral City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mineral City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineral City
      • Mineral City is located in Logan County
    • Hedgeview
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Mallory
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mallory have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mallory
      • Mallory is located in Logan County
    • Man
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Nicholas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Dixie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Beech Glen
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Nelson, with the one closest to Nelson listed first.
    • Poca
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Poca have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poca
      • Poca is located in Putnam County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 963 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Poca <2>
    • Raymond City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Raymond City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond City
      • Raymond City is located in Putnam County
    • Morgans Landing
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Scott Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scott Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scott Village
      • Scott Village is located in Putnam County
  • Raleigh County
  • Wyoming County

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

Cemeteries Near Nelson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Nelson.

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

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

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Nelson had a post office and no railroad service.

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

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

Newspapers Published in Nelson ...

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 12 newspapers that have been published in the area around Nelson.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Nelson, there are papers which were published within 12 miles [19.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Nelson.

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 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 Nelson:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Nelson. 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>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Nelson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Nelson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.0690, Longitude: -81.6230       In this case, the coordinates for Nelson have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>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 Nelson, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025