RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of West Virginia >> Taylor County >> Thornton >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).

When in Thornton, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Thornton and the surrounding area.

  • Weather ...
  • Astronomy & Satellites ...
    • Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above website can help you to find your way around the night-time sky. In addition to detailed sky charts, their website will help you find planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their tracks across the sky.
    • To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location. As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, we pass this GPS location for Thornton:
    • 39.345631, -79.941825
    • Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve its accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude as your actual position.
    • Open the Heavens-Above website centered on Thornton
  • Bird Watching ...
    • We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website for local sighting reports and to help identify hotspots.
    • The eBird website is organized on a county-by-county basis. We have selected Taylor County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Taylor County
    • Since Thornton is near Preston County and also Barbour County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Preston County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Barbour County
  • Waymarking ...
    • Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary? Find a unique place and want to share it with others? Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:
    • Open the Waymark.com report for Thornton

Communities Also Named Thornton ...

We found 28 communities that are also named Thornton.

Within West Virginia, the name Thornton is unique.

Beyond West Virginia, we know of 28 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 28 communities, 27 are located in the United States and one is in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Lauderdale County
      • This Thornton is located in Lauderdale County and lies 513 miles [825.6 km]<1> to the southwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lauderdale County community of Thornton.
      • Tallapoosa County
      • This Thornton is located in Tallapoosa County and lies 561 miles [902.8 km] to the southwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tallapoosa County community of Thornton.
    • Arkansas
      • Calhoun County
      • This Thornton is located in Calhoun County and lies 794 miles [1,277.8 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Calhoun County community of Thornton.
    • California
      • San Joaquin County
      • This Thornton is located in San Joaquin County and lies 2,214 miles [3,563.1 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the San Joaquin County community of Thornton.
    • Colorado
      • Adams County
      • This Thornton is located in Adams County and lies 1,326 miles [2,134 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Adams County community of Thornton.
    • Idaho
      • Kootenai County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Idaho community of Thornton [Kootenai County].
      • Madison County
      • This Thornton is located in Madison County and lies 1,665 miles [2,679.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Thornton.
    • Illinois
      • Cook County
      • This Thornton is located in Cook County and lies 431 miles [693.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cook County community of Thornton.
    • Indiana
      • Lawrence County
      • This Thornton is located in Lawrence County and lies 352 miles [566.5 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lawrence County community of Thornton.
    • Iowa
      • Cerro Gordo County
      • This Thornton is located in Cerro Gordo County and lies 740 miles [1,190.9 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cerro Gordo County community of Thornton.
    • Kansas
      • Rawlins County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Thornton [Rawlins County].
    • Kentucky
      • Letcher County
      • This Thornton is located in Letcher County and lies 214 miles [344.4 km]<1> to the southwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Letcher County community of Thornton.
    • Massachusetts
      • Suffolk County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Massachusetts community of Thornton [Suffolk County].
    • Michigan
      • Saint Clair County
      • This Thornton is located in Saint Clair County and lies 286 miles [460.3 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saint Clair County community of Thornton.
    • Mississippi
      • Holmes County
      • This Thornton is located in Holmes County and lies 721 miles [1,160.3 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Holmes County community of Thornton.
    • Missouri
      • Clay County
      • This Thornton is located in Clay County and lies 779 miles [1,253.7 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clay County community of Thornton.
    • Nebraska
      • Polk County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Polk County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Polk County community of Thornton.
    • New Hampshire
      • Grafton County
      • This Thornton is located in Grafton County and lies 532 miles [856.2 km]<1> to the northeast of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Grafton County community of Thornton.
    • New York
      • Chautauqua County
      • This Thornton is located in Chautauqua County and lies 205 miles [329.9 km]<1> to the north of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Chautauqua County community of Thornton.
    • Ohio
      • Ross County
      • This community is historic<3> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Ohio community of Thornton [Ross County].
    • Ontario
      • This Thornton lies 340 miles [547.2 km]<1> to the north of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Delaware County
      • This Thornton is located in Delaware County and lies 237 miles [381.4 km]<1> to the east of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Delaware County community of Thornton.
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence County
      • This Thornton is located in Providence County and lies 474 miles [762.8 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Providence County community of Thornton.
    • Tennessee
      • Knox County
      • This Thornton is located in Knox County and lies 331 miles [532.7 km]<1> to the southwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Knox County community of Thornton.
    • Texas
      • Limestone County
      • This Thornton is located in Limestone County and lies 1,082 miles [1,741.3 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Limestone County community of Thornton.
    • Washington
      • Whitman County
      • This Thornton is located in Whitman County and lies 1,938 miles [3,118.9 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Whitman County community of Thornton.
    • Wisconsin
      • Shawano County
      • This Thornton is located in Shawano County and lies 584 miles [939.9 km]<1> to the northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Shawano County community of Thornton.
    • Wyoming
      • Weston County
      • This Thornton is located in Weston County and lies 1,314 miles [2,114.7 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Taylor County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Weston County community of Thornton.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Thornton ...

As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.

  • Blueville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Blueville is located in Taylor County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blueville
  • Cecil
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Cecil is located in Taylor County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cecil
  • Cove Run
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Cove Run is located in Barbour County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove Run
  • Cove Run Station ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Cove Run Station is located in Barbour County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove Run Station
  • Dent
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Dent is located in Barbour County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dent
  • Elliotsville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Elliotsville is located in Taylor County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliotsville
  • Fellowsville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Fellowsville is located in Preston County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fellowsville
  • Hardman
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Hardman is located in Preston County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardman
  • Hebron
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...

How Far From Thornton to ...

We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Thornton to various places of note, such as the White House.

With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Thornton and extending to:

  • Grafton, which is the Seat of Taylor County, lies just to the West.
  • Charleston, which is the State Capital of West Virginia, lies 113 miles [181.9 km]<1> to the southwest (SW). If you could drive a straight line from Thornton to Charleston, with an average speed<4>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take about two hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 7 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 5 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 158 miles [254.3 km] to the east (E). Driving would take less than three hours, a buggy would take 7 days and walking would take 9 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,999 miles [9,654.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,713 miles [10,803.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,589 miles [7,385.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>'

Footnotes ...

<1>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- Thornton) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<2>If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer.

Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Bird Creek to see Pete ... Bird Creek is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name.

Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time.

Also keep in mind that Thornton could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong county. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out.
<3>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Thornton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day.
<5>The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Thornton to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Thornton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.3456, Longitude: -79.9418    
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 309.604 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 305.457 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 305.794 degrees.