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 Osceola (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 Osceola. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Osceola is located in Randolph 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 Randolph County: Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Tucker, Upshur & Webster.
Below are the counties that are near Osceola. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Osceola:
- Randolph County (The home county of Osceola)
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Whitmer
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Whitmer is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitmer
- Evenwood
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Evenwood is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evenwood
- Wymer
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Wymer is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wymer
- Harman
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Harperton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Harperton is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harperton
- Beverly
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Canfield
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Canfield is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canfield
- Dryfork
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Elkins
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Huttonsville
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Mill Creek
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Mill Creek is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Creek
- Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
- Leadsville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Leadsville is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leadsville
- Barbour County
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Junior
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Junior is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junior
- Population from the 2020 Census: 483 people
- Belington
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Huffman ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Huffman is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huffman
- Wilmoth ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Wilmoth is located in Barbour County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmoth
- Valley Bend
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Grant County
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Hopeville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Hopeville is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeville
- Pansy
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Pansy is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pansy
- Seemly ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Seemly is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seemly
- Pendleton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Circleville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Dry Run
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Dry Run is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
- Macksville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Macksville is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksville
- Onego
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Onego is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onego
- Zigler
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Zigler is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zigler
- Harper
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Harper is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harper
- Franklin
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Ruddle
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Ruddle is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruddle
- Moyers
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Moyers is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moyers
- Brandywine
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Propstburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Propstburg is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Propstburg
- Sugar Grove
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Sugar Grove is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
- Pocahontas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Wildell
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Wildell is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildell
- Thornwood
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Thornwood is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thornwood
- Frank
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Frank is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frank
- Durbin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Arbovale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Green Bank
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Cass
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Sitlington
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Sitlington is located in Pocahontas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sitlington
- Tucker County
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Gladwin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Gladwin is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gladwin
- Elk
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Elk is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk
- Canaan Valley
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Pleasant Run
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Pleasant Run is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Run
- Hendricks
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Hendricks is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hendricks
- Population from the 2020 Census: 254 people
- Porterwood
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Porterwood is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porterwood
- Hambleton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Hambleton is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hambleton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 212 people
- Parsons
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Coketon
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Coketon is located in Tucker County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coketon
- Davis
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Thomas
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Upshur County
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Queens
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Queens is located in Upshur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Queens
- Gormley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Gormley is located in Upshur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gormley
- Sand Run
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Sand Run is located in Upshur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Run
- Highland County (VA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Possum Trot
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Possum Trot is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Possum Trot
- Hightown
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Hightown is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightown
- Monterey
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Meadowdale
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Meadowdale is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowdale
- Palo Alto
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Palo Alto is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palo Alto
- McDowell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Buckeye ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Buckeye is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckeye
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Osceola, see our County-by-County Page for Osceola.
Cemeteries Near Osceola ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Osceola.
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 Osceola - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Osceola covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Laurel Hill Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Burns Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Simmons Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- North Fork Memorial Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- White Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Ft. Milroy Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hauchen Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Keller Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Goodsell Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- St. Mark Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Yeager Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Stalnaker Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (70 more) ...
- Blue Grass Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Kerns Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Beverly Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Osceola had a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Osceola, with the one closest to Osceola listed first.
- Glady
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Circleville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Dry Run
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Dry Run is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
- Job
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Job is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Job
- Macksville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Macksville is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksville
- Alpena
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Alpena is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpena
- Faulkner
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Faulkner is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faulkner
- New Hampden
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- New Hampden is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Hampden
- Beverly
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Franklin
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Ruddle
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Ruddle is located in Pendleton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruddle
- Dryfork
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Elkins
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Huttonsville
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Hightown
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Hightown is located in Highland County (VA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightown
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Osceola. See our List of 1890's Communities around Osceola.
Newspapers Published in Osceola ...
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 21 newspapers that have been published in the area around Osceola.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Osceola, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Osceola.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Osceola:
- Websites specific to West Virginia
- Pages specific to Randolph County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Barbour County
- Grant County
- Pendleton County
- Pocahontas County
- Tucker County
- Upshur County
- Highland 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 Osceola, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Osceola) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |