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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 Sproul (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 Sproul. 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 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 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.

Sproul 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 Sproul. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Sproul:

  • Kanawha County     (The home county of Sproul)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Ruth
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Ruth is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruth
    • Rock Lake Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Rock Lake Village is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Lake Village
    • Tornado
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Tornado is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tornado
    • Dunbar
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jefferson
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jefferson is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson
    • Saint Albans
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Loudendale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Loudendale is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loudendale
    • South Charleston
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Sattes
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Sattes is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sattes
    • Elk
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Elk is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk
    • Cross Lanes
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Nitro
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Nitro is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nitro
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,285 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nitro <1>
    • Charleston
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Emmons
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Emmons is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmons
    • Grippe
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Grippe is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grippe
    • Dartmont
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Dartmont is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dartmont
    • Ashford
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Harless
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Harless is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harless
    • Ridgeview
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Ridgeview is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeview
    • Brushton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Brushton is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushton
    • Easly
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Easly is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easly
    • Nellis
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Nellis is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nellis
    • Rumble
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Rumble is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rumble
    • Horse Creek Junction
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Horse Creek Junction is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horse Creek Junction
    • Julian
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Julian is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Julian
    • Johns
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Johns is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johns
  • Cabell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Culloden
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Culloden is located in Cabell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Culloden
    • Milton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Salt Rock
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Fudges Creek
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Fudges Creek is located in Cabell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fudges Creek
    • Ona
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Yates Crossing
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Yates Crossing is located in Cabell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yates Crossing
    • Sarah
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Sarah is located in Cabell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sarah
    • Barboursville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Melissa
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Melissa is located in Cabell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melissa
    • Pea Ridge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Pea Ridge is located in Cabell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pea Ridge
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Montgomery
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Crescent
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Crescent is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
    • Cannelton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Cannelton is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cannelton
    • Powellton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Powellton is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powellton
    • Smithers
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Elkridge
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Elkridge is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkridge
    • Kimberly
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Kimberly is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimberly
    • Mount Carbon
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Mount Carbon is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Carbon
    • McDunn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • McDunn is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDunn
    • Falls View
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Falls View is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falls View
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Romance
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Romance is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romance
    • Kenna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Kentuck
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Kentuck is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kentuck
    • Fletcher
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Fletcher is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fletcher
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Alum Creek
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Priestley
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Priestley is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Priestley
    • Sod
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Sod is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sod
    • Garretts Bend
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Garretts Bend is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garretts Bend
    • East ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • East is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East
    • Tango
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Tango is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tango
    • Alkol
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Alkol is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alkol
    • Yawkey
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Yawkey is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yawkey
    • Sweetland
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Sweetland is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweetland
    • Palermo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Palermo is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palermo
    • Hamlin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Myra
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Myra is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myra
    • Kinder ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Kinder is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinder
  • Logan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Banco
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Banco is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Banco
    • Big Creek
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Big Creek is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Creek
    • Chapmanville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Sodom
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Sodom is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sodom
    • Mitchell Heights
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Mitchell Heights is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitchell Heights
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 274 people
    • Peach Creek
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Peach Creek is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peach Creek
    • Fort Branch
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Fort Branch is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Branch
    • West Logan
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Logan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Whirlwind
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Whirlwind is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whirlwind
    • Hedgeview
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Hedgeview is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hedgeview
    • Thompson Town
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Thompson Town is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thompson Town
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Upland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Upland is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upland
    • Grimms Landing
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Grimms Landing is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grimms Landing
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Scott Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Scott Village is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scott Village
    • Morgans Landing
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Morgans Landing is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgans Landing
    • Poca
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Teays Valley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Teays Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Teays Village is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teays Village
    • Raymond City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Raymond City is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond City
    • Hurricane
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Bancroft
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Bancroft is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bancroft
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 596 people
    • Eleanor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Red House
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Winfield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Sigman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Sigman is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sigman
    • Midway
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Midway is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
  • Raleigh County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Packsville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Packsville is located in Raleigh County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Packsville
    • Dorothy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Dorothy is located in Raleigh County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorothy
    • Montcoal
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Montcoal is located in Raleigh County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montcoal
    • Stickney
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Stickney is located in Raleigh County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stickney
  • Roane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Cicerone
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Cicerone is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cicerone
    • Mattie ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Mattie is located in Roane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattie
  • Wayne County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sproul, with the one closest to Sproul listed first.
    • Nestlow
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Nestlow is located in Wayne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nestlow
    • Cove Gap
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Cove Gap is located in Wayne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove Gap
    • Kiahsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Kiahsville is located in Wayne County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kiahsville

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

Cemeteries Near Sproul ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sproul.

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

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

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

  • Anderson Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Forks of Coal Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Forks of Coal Memorial Park
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forks of Coal Memorial Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Forks of Coal Memorial Park is a large cemetery that is located in Alum Creek.
    • The Forks of Coal Memorial Park has also been known as:
    • Forks of Coal Cemetery
    • Forks of Coal Community Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #78395 <2>
  • Pate Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Childress Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Morris Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Watts Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Pauley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Holstein Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Morris Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Holstein Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Graceland Memorial Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graceland Memorial Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Graceland Memorial Park is a large cemetery that is located 5 miles [8 km]<3> to the west of Charleston.
    • The Graceland Memorial Park has also been known as:
    • Graceland Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #78482 <2>
  • Continue List   (833 more) ...
    • Templeton Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Owen Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Midkiff Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)

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 Sproul in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Sproul.

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

  • Tornado
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Tornado is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tornado
  • Davis Creek
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Davis Creek is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis Creek
  • Spring Hill
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Garretts Bend
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Garretts Bend is located in Lincoln County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garretts Bend
  • Saint Albans
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Peytona
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Peytona is located in Boone County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peytona
  • Mound ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Mound is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mound
  • Sattes
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Sattes is located in Kanawha County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sattes
  • Foster
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Foster is located in Boone County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foster
  • Racine
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Racine is located in Boone County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Racine
  • Griffithsville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Griffithsville is located in Lincoln County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griffithsville
  • Danville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • South Ruffner
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • South Ruffner is located in Kanawha County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ruffner
    • Charleston
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Comfort
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Sproul ...

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 103 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sproul.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sproul, there are papers which were published within 13 miles [20.9 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sproul.

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 websites either 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 Sproul:

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Sproul) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<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 Sproul, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.