RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of West Virginia >> Logan County >> Sodom >> 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 Sodom (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 Sodom. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Sodom is located in Logan 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 Logan County: Boone, Lincoln, Mingo & Wyoming.

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

  • Logan County     (The home county of Sodom)
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Ottawa
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Clothier
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Hewett
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jeffrey
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Stark
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Stark. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stark
      • Stark is located in Boone County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Stark
      • From Sodom to Stark
    • Ramage
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Secoal
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Secoal. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Secoal
      • Secoal is located in Boone County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Secoal
      • From Sodom to Secoal
    • Greenview
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Havana
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Havana. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
      • Havana is located in Boone County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Havana
      • From Sodom to Havana
    • Bob White
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Cazy
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Powell Creek
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Elkridge
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • 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 Sodom to Elkridge
    • McDunn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Pax
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pax have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
    • Powellton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powellton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powellton
      • Powellton is located in Fayette County
  • Kanawha County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Acme
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Carbon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Eskdale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Winifrede
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Chelyan
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Chesapeake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chesapeake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Marmet
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marmet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Ruth
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ruth. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruth
      • Ruth is located in Kanawha County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ruth
      • From Sodom to Ruth
    • Belle
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Belle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Cabin Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Ronda
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Alkol
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Harts
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harts have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Spears ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spears have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spears
      • Spears is located in Lincoln County
    • East ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East
      • East is located in Lincoln County
    • Palermo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sod
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Yawkey
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Wewanta
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Priestley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Tango
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • 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 Sodom to Tango
    • Kinder ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kinder have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinder
      • Kinder is located in Lincoln County
    • Alum Creek
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
  • McDowell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Wyoming City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wyoming City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyoming City
      • Wyoming City is located in McDowell County
    • Panther
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Mingo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Dingess
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Gilbert
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gilbert have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbert
      • Gilbert is located in Mingo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 378 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gilbert <3>
    • Pie
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Musick
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Myrtle
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Baisden
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Gilbert Creek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gilbert Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbert Creek
      • Gilbert Creek is located in Mingo County
    • Delbarton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Red Jacket
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Red Jacket. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Jacket
      • Red Jacket is located in Mingo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Red Jacket
      • From Sodom to Red Jacket
    • Wharncliffe
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Blackberry City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blackberry City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackberry City
      • Blackberry City is located in Mingo County
    • Matewan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Matewan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matewan
      • Matewan is located in Mingo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 415 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Matewan <3>
  • Raleigh County
  • Wayne County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Cove Gap
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Wilsondale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Kiahsville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kiahsville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kiahsville
      • Kiahsville is located in Wayne County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kiahsville
      • From Sodom to Kiahsville
    • Doane
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Doane. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doane
      • Doane is located in Wayne County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Doane
      • From Sodom to Doane
    • Nestlow
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Wyoming County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Kopperston
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Oceana
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Uno
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Cub City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cub City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cub City
      • Cub City is located in Wyoming County
    • Sun Hill
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sun Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sun Hill
      • Sun Hill is located in Wyoming County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sun Hill
      • From Sodom to Sun Hill
    • Clear Fork
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Turkey
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Turkey. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turkey
      • Turkey is located in Wyoming County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Turkey
      • From Sodom to Turkey
    • Baileysville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Stoneville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Fanny
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fanny. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fanny
      • Fanny is located in Wyoming County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fanny
      • From Sodom to Fanny
    • Keyrock
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Rock View
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rock View. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock View
      • Rock View is located in Wyoming County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rock View
      • From Sodom to Rock View
  • Pike County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom listed first.
    • Buskirk
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • McCarr
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McCarr have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCarr
      • McCarr is located in Pike County (KY)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McCarr <3>
    • Freeburn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • South Williamson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Williamson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Williamson
      • South Williamson is located in Pike County (KY)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for South Williamson <3>
    • Toler
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Hardy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hardy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardy
      • Hardy is located in Pike County (KY)
    • Majestic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Majestic have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Majestic
      • Majestic is located in Pike County (KY)

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

Cemeteries Near Sodom ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sodom.

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 Sodom - one of the links might be able to help.

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Sodom, with the one closest to Sodom 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>

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

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

  • Hewett
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Lake
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake
    • Lake is located in Logan County
  • Van
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Gordon
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Bandytown
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Madison
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Chapmanville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Danville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Bald Knob
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Man
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Foster
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Christian
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Christian have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christian
    • Christian is located in Logan County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Nelson
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Nelson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nelson
      • Nelson is located in Boone County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Nelson
      • From Sodom to Nelson
    • Oilville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oilville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oilville
      • Oilville is located in Logan County
    • Jarrolds Valley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jarrolds Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jarrolds Valley
      • Jarrolds Valley is located in Raleigh County

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

Newspapers Published in Sodom ...

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 14 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sodom.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sodom, there are papers which were published within 11 miles [17.7 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sodom.

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 Sodom:

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>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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Sodom) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Sodom. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.9175, Longitude: -81.8331       In this case, the coordinates for Sodom 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 Sodom, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.