The location of Princeton
Our Genealogy Helper for Princeton ...
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool that can help us with planning our trips.
- That it also helps us to understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
By learning about Princeton (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 Princeton. 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.
It's still very early in our research, but as we gather more information it will be added to this page.
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.
Princeton is located in Mercer County and is the County Seat.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Mercer County: Bland (VA), Giles (VA), Tazewell (VA), McDowell, Raleigh, Summers & Wyoming.
Below are the counties that are near Princeton. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Princeton:
| Dir | Distance | ||
| Mercer (The home county for Princeton) | |||
| Johnston Town [Map] | W | 2 miles [3.2 km]<1> | |
| Athens [Map] | NE | 5 miles [8 km] | |
| Edison [Map] | SW | 5 miles [8 km] | |
| Oakvale [Map] | E | 7 miles [11.3 km] | |
| Matoaka [Map] | NW | 8 miles [12.9 km] | |
| Montcalm [Map] | W | 8 miles [12.9 km] | |
| Bluefield [Map] | SW | 9 miles [14.5 km] | |
| Weyanoke [Map] | W | 9 miles [14.5 km] | |
| Bramwell [Map] | W | 12 miles [19.3 km] | |
| Coopers [Map] | W | 13 miles [20.9 km] | |
| Fayette | |||
| Meadow Bridge [Map] | N | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Mount Hope [Map] | N | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Pax [Map] | N | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Sewell Knob - Historic [Map] | N | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Stonecliff - Historic [Map] | N | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Spring Dale [Map] | NE | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Harvey [Map] | N | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Newlyn - Historic [Map] | N | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Thurmond [Map] | N | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Greenbrier | |||
| Alderson [Map] | NE | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Frazier [Map] | NE | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Fort Spring [Map] | NE | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Vale [Map] | NE | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| McDowell | |||
| Elkhorn [Map] | W | 17 miles [27.4 km] | |
| Northfork [Map] | W | 18 miles [29 km] | |
| Anawalt [Map] | W | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Keystone [Map] | W | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Kimball [Map] | W | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Thorpe [Map] | W | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Gary [Map] | W | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Welch [Map] | W | 26 miles [41.8 km] | |
| Davy [Map] | W | 31 miles [49.9 km] | |
| War [Map] | W | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Big Sandy [Map] | W | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Bradshaw [Map] | W | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Monroe | |||
| Peterstown [Map] | E | 16 miles [25.7 km] | |
| Ballard [Map] | NE | 18 miles [29 km] | |
| Union [Map] | NE | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Hollywood [Map] | NE | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Raleigh | |||
| Rhodell [Map] | NW | 20 miles [32.2 km] | |
| Eastgulf [Map] | NW | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Helen [Map] | NW | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Coal City [Map] | N | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Shady Spring [Map] | N | 23 miles [37 km] | |
| Sophia [Map] | N | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Daniels [Map] | N | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Tilden [Map] | N | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Beaver [Map] | N | 26 miles [41.8 km] | |
| Crab Orchard [Map] | N | 26 miles [41.8 km] | |
| Clifftop [Map] | N | 27 miles [43.5 km] | |
| Lester [Map] | NW | 27 miles [43.5 km] | |
| Summers | |||
| Jumping Branch [Map] | N | 20 miles [32.2 km] | |
| Forest Hill [Map] | NE | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Bellepoint [Map] | NE | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Hinton [Map] | NE | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Wyoming | |||
| Bud [Map] | NW | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Mullens [Map] | NW | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Pineville [Map] | NW | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Mullensville [Map] | NW | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Baileysville [Map] | NW | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Clear Fork [Map] | NW | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Oceana [Map] | NW | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Uno [Map] | NW | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Buchanan (VA) | |||
| Bearwallow (VA) [Map] | W | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Carroll (VA) | |||
| Sheep Town (VA) [Map] | S | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Giles (VA) | |||
| Glen Lyn (VA) [Map] | E | 13 miles [20.9 km] | |
| Narrows (VA) [Map] | E | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Rich Creek (VA) [Map] | E | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Bluff City (VA) [Map] | E | 18 miles [29 km] | |
| Pearisburg (VA) [Map] | E | 20 miles [32.2 km] | |
| Pembroke (VA) [Map] | E | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Montgomery (VA) | |||
| Blacksburg (VA) [Map] | E | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| McBryde Village (VA) [Map] | E | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Sundance Village (VA) [Map] | E | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Merrimac (VA) [Map] | E | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Mount Tabor Village (VA) [Map] | E | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Pulaski (VA) | |||
| Hilton Village (VA) [Map] | SE | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Pulaski (VA) [Map] | SE | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Dublin (VA) [Map] | SE | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Fairlawn (VA) [Map] | SE | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Mack Creek Village (VA) [Map] | SE | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Radford City (VA) | |||
| New Town (VA) [Map] | SE | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Radford (VA) [Map] | SE | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Radford Village (VA) [Map] | SE | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Sunset Village (VA) [Map] | SE | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Mill Village (VA) [Map] | SE | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Simpkins Village (VA) [Map] | SE | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Smyth (VA) | |||
| Atkins (VA) [Map] | SW | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Tazewell (VA) | |||
| Bluefield (VA) [Map] | SW | 13 miles [20.9 km] | |
| Pocahontas (VA) [Map] | W | 14 miles [22.5 km] | |
| Boissevain (VA) [Map] | W | 16 miles [25.7 km] | |
| Abbs Valley (VA) [Map] | SW | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Little Town (VA) [Map] | SW | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Tazewell (VA) [Map] | SW | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Dunford Village (VA) [Map] | SW | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Wythe (VA) | |||
| Max Meadows (VA) [Map] | S | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Wytheville (VA) [Map] | S | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Locust Hill (VA) [Map] | S | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Fort Chiswell (VA) [Map] | S | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Rural Retreat (VA) [Map] | S | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Austinville (VA) [Map] | S | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Ivanhoe (VA) [Map] | S | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Princeton, see our County-by-County Page for Princeton.
Cemeteries Near Princeton ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Princeton.
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 click on the [Map] that follows each cemetery's name, a Google map will open showing a satellite view of the area where the cemetery is located. We have tried to place the cemetery in the center of the map, but we're still working on our data and the map might not not be centered properly. If you don't see the cemetery right away, try zooming-in. Usually, but not always, you can see the outline of the cemetery or some of the headstones.
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 Princeton covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Princeton ...
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 23 newspapers that have been published in the area around Princeton.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Princeton. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Princeton and those printed in the larger area surrounding Princeton.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 15 miles [24.1 km] of Princeton.
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.<2>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Princeton had a population of 320 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2017, Princeton had a population of 5,822 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Princeton, with the one closest to Princeton listed first.
| New Hope [Map] | |
| - | Located 4 miles [6.4 km] to the West Southwest (WSW) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 10 people |
| - | New Hope had a post office and no railroad service |
| Ingleside [Map] | |
| - | Located 4 miles [6.4 km] to the South Southeast (SSE) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 120 people |
| - | Ingleside had a post office and railroad service |
| Spanishburg [Map] | |
| - | Located 5 miles [8 km] to the North Northwest (NNW) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 17 people |
| - | Spanishburg had a post office and no railroad service |
| Ada [Map] | |
| - | Located 5 miles [8 km] to the South Southwest (SSW) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 32 people |
| - | Ada had a post office and railroad service |
| East River - Historic [Map] | |
| - | While East River was mentioned in the 1895 Atlas, it no longer exists |
| - | Located 5 miles [8 km] to the Southeast (SE) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 14 people |
| - | East River had a post office and railroad service |
| Lashmeet [Map] | |
| - | Located 6 miles [9.7 km] to the West Northwest (WNW) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 26 people |
| - | Lashmeet had a post office and no railroad service |
| Bethel - Historic [Map] | |
| - | While Bethel was mentioned in the 1895 Atlas, it no longer exists |
| - | Located 7 miles [11.3 km] to the South Southwest (SSW) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 29 people |
| - | Bethel had a post office and no railroad service |
| Oakvale [Map] | |
| - | Located 7 miles [11.3 km] to the East Southeast (ESE) from Princeton |
| - | Oakvale had railroad service and no post office |
| Rocky Gap (VA) [Map] | |
| - | Located 8 miles [12.9 km] to the South (S) from Princeton |
| - | 1895 population of 32 people |
| - | Rocky Gap had a post office and no railroad service |
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Princeton. The list can be found on our page for Communities Neighboring Princeton in the 1890's.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we start with 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 all and free to view - although it should be mentioned that they might link to other websites which do charge.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Princeton:
These websites are specific to West Virginia:
| Cyndi's List | Family Search | Genealogy Trails |
Website for the West Virginia State Archives
Not to be confused with the official state website, we've found the Digital State Archives website for the State of West Virginia to be a good source for additional links.
These pages are specific to Mercer County:
| Cyndi's List | Family Search | Genealogy Trails |
Genealogy information for nearby counties:
Cemetery Information and Directories for West Virginia:
| Cyndi's List: | Cemeteries of West Virginia, Cemeteries of Mercer County |
| Cemetery Junction: | Directory for West Virginia |
| FamilySearch.org: | Cemetery Wiki for West Virginia |
| Find-A-Grave: | Home Page |
| Internment.net: | Cemeteries for West Virginia, for Mercer County |
Of Special Interest ...
The GenDisasters website specializes in newspaper articles about tragedies and disasters. While it makes interesting reading all by itself, it should be of special interest to genealogists and family historians looking for people who were either affected by or directly involved in such tragedies.
| Disaster Stories from West Virginia |
| Also see Disaster Stories for ... |
| Virginia |
Miscellaneous References and Mentions for Princeton ...
While our initial data about Princeton came from various goverment sources, we have found mention of Princeton in old books and maps. When we do, we'll find a fact here or a snippet there. We've created the following list to keep track of the documents we found useful in adding to our knowledge about Princeton.
We hope that the following list of documents will be of interest to you.
Business Atlas and Shippers' Guide
Published by Rand McNally & Co.
(Document found on Google Books)
Notes for Princeton:
- Services available at that time (1895): had Post Office, no Railroad mentioned
We have found Princeton in these Censuses: 2010-1990. See our Census Page for Princeton for more information.
Both the GNIS and FIPS databases contain entries for Princeton. See our Misc Page for Princeton for more information.
Other Roadside Stops ...
Search for a Community in West Virginia
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Princeton. 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> | 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- Princeton) to Point B. If you need the driving distance, we recommend that you use one of the Mapping Services listed on our Map Page for Princeton. Since we usually use Google Maps, we've provided the following link for your convenience: Google Map and Driving Directions starting from Princeton Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Princeton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.3689, Longitude: -81.0961 [Map]. In this case, the coordinates for Princeton have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <2> | 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 Princeton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |