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Home >> State of West Virginia >> Kanawha County >> Pond Fork >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Pond Fork (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 Pond Fork. 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.

Name Variations for Pond Fork ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Pond Fork: Pond Frk.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Pond Fork. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Pond Fork.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 and hospitals 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.

Pond Fork is located in Kanawha 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 Kanawha County: Boone, Clay, Fayette, Jackson, Lincoln, Nicholas, Putnam, Raleigh & Roane.

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

  • Kanawha County     (The home county of Pond Fork)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Apgah ‑ Historic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Apgah is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apgah
    • Coco
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Coco is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coco
    • Hugheston
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Hugheston is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hugheston
    • Three Mile
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Three Mile is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Three Mile
    • Cedar Grove
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Cedar Grove is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 897 people
    • Glasgow
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Pratt
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Pratt is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pratt
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 552 people
    • Reamer
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Reamer is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reamer
    • Pinch
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Pinch is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinch
    • Handley
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Handley is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Handley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 309 people
    • East Bank
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • East Bank is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bank
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 857 people
    • Hollygrove
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Hollygrove is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollygrove
      • Hollygrove has also been known as:
      • Hollygrove Station
      • Hudnall
    • Clendenin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Joes Creek
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Joes Creek is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joes Creek
    • Bloomingrose
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Bloomingrose is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomingrose
    • Comfort
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Eden
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Eden is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden
    • Sharlow
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Sharlow is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharlow
    • Coopertown
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Coopertown is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coopertown
    • Fosterville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Fosterville is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fosterville
    • Kirbyton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Kirbyton is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirbyton
    • Racine
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Racine is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Racine
    • Seth
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Ashford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Orgas
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Orgas is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orgas
    • Peytona
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Peytona is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peytona
  • Braxton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Strange Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Strange Creek is located in Braxton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strange Creek
    • Elmira
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Elmira is located in Braxton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmira
    • Clem
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Clem is located in Braxton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clem
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Oka
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Oka is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oka
    • Mudfork
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Mudfork is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mudfork
    • Stinson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Stinson is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stinson
    • Losie ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Losie is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Losie
    • Walnut
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Walnut is located in Calhoun County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Bomont
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Bomont is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bomont
    • Porter
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Porter is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
    • Elkhurst
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Elkhurst is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkhurst
    • Procious
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Procious is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Procious
    • Hartland
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Hartland is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland
    • Clay
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Spread
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Spread is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spread
    • Valley Fork
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Valley Fork is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Fork
    • Gould
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Gould is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould
    • Dink
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Dink is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dink
    • Harrison
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Harrison is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrison
    • Ira
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Ira is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
    • Widen
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Widen is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Widen
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Cannelton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Cannelton is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannelton
    • Crescent
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Crescent is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
    • Montgomery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Smithers
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Kimberly
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Kimberly is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimberly
    • Mount Carbon
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Mount Carbon is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Carbon
    • Gauley Bridge
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Falls View
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Falls View is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falls View
    • Romont
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Romont is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romont
    • Powellton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Powellton is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powellton
    • Ansted
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Beckwith
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Cotton Hill
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Cotton Hill is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cotton Hill
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Romance
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Romance is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romance
    • Fletcher
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Fletcher is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fletcher
    • Kentuck
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Kentuck is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kentuck
    • Kenna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Alum Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Priestley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Priestley is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Priestley
  • Nicholas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Dixie
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Dixie is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixie
    • Beech Glen
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Beech Glen is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Glen
    • Albion ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Albion is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albion
    • Tipton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Tipton is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tipton
    • Zela
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Zela is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zela
    • Keslers Cross Lanes
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Keslers Cross Lanes is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keslers Cross Lanes
    • Morrison ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Morrison is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morrison
    • Summersville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Muddlety
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Muddlety is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muddlety
    • Runa
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Runa is located in Nicholas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runa
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Poca
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Liberty
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Liberty is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty
    • Raymond City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Raymond City is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond City
    • Sigman
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Sigman is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sigman
    • Morgans Landing
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Morgans Landing is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgans Landing
  • Raleigh County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Dorothy
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Dorothy is located in Raleigh County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorothy
    • Packsville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Packsville is located in Raleigh County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Packsville
    • Montcoal
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Montcoal is located in Raleigh County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montcoal
  • Roane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pond Fork, with the one closest to Pond Fork listed first.
    • Pigeon
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Pigeon is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pigeon
    • Kester ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Kester is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kester
    • Mattie ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Mattie is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattie
    • Walton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Cicerone
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Cicerone is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cicerone
    • Looneyville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Roxalana
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Roxalana is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxalana
    • Rushville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Rushville is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushville
    • Woodyard ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Woodyard is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodyard
    • Zona
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Zona is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zona
    • Graux
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Graux is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graux
    • Flint Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Flint Town is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flint Town

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

Cemeteries Near Pond Fork ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pond Fork.

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 Pond Fork - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Pond Fork covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Blakley Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Proctor Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Hinkle Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Kennedy Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Ryder Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryder Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Ryder Cemetery is located 7 miles [11.3 km]<2> to the east of Pinch.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #79780 <3>
  • O Dell Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Odell Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Murdock Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Ramsey Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Ida Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Goodwin Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Ward Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (581 more) ...
    • Mt. Lewis Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Hayes Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Perry Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 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.<4>

While we didn't find Pond Fork in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Pond Fork.

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

  • Kendalia
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Kendalia is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kendalia
  • Spangler
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Spangler is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spangler
  • Pond Gap
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Pond Gap is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pond Gap
  • Gazil ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Gazil is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gazil
  • Odell
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Odell is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odell
  • Apgah ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Apgah is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apgah
  • Lizemores
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Lizemores is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lizemores
  • Coco
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Coco is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coco
  • Dixie
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Dixie is located in Nicholas County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixie
  • Cedar Grove
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Cedar Grove is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 897 people
  • Belva
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Belva is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belva
  • East Bank
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • East Bank is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Bank
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 857 people
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Crown Hill
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Crown Hill is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crown Hill
    • Handley
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Handley is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Handley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 309 people
    • Montgomery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)

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

Newspapers Published in Pond Fork ...

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 7 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pond Fork.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pond Fork, there are papers which were published within 13 miles [20.9 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pond Fork.

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 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 Pond Fork:

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>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- Pond Fork) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<4>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 Pond Fork, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.