U.S. Gazetteer: Locations of Ancestral Significance

Planning a heritage road trip?

The following gazetter focuses on places of significance to our ancestors. The list is arranged by three major phases in American migration: Pre-Revolution and early Post-Revolution, the Louisiana Purchase territories, and the Gold Rush and Westward Expansion. Within each section the states and territories are listed chronologically as our ancestors settled in each area. Additionally, I've included geographic positioning system (GPS) coordinates down to the seconds (accurate to approximately 100 feet) on known or estimated locations.

East: Original 13 Colonies/States & Early Post-Revolution

Massachusetts (1641)

  • Middlesex County (1641)
  • Bristol County (<1674)
    • Dartmouth was the home of the Mosher family as early as 1674, with the birth of Daniel Mosher1.
    • North Dartmouth (as differentiated from the rest of Dartmouth). Home of the Moshers, Pooles, Weavers, and Reeds dating back to 1840.
    • Linden Grove Cemetery (413725N 0710325W/41.62390180 -71.0568646), Westport, 5.5 miles west of North Dartmouth. Jacob Poole (Sr.)1 was reportedly buried here in 1848; however his grave is not recorded on Find A Grave, only those of his eldest son Abiathar Poole, in 1909, and his family.
    • The Gifford-Richmond-Mosher Burial Ground is located among the trees to the south of Linden Grove Cemetery; however, the earliest recorded burial on Find A Grave is Mary (Gifford) Mosher, wife of third cousin Fredrick Plummer Mosher, in 1901.

Pennsylvania (1685)

  • Delaware County (1682)
    • Penn's Landing, 100 Penn Street, Chester, Pennsylvania (395035N 0752142W/39.8430838,-75.3617057). While our Paul Küster1 followed William Penn three years later, the site of the first landing of Penn and his party in 1682 is where the beginning of our “Pennsylvania Dutch” heritage began. A monument and plaque marks the spot at the intersection of Penn Street and Front Street.
  • Philadelphia County (1685)
  • Chester County (~1730s)
    • Coventryville (401024N 0754123W/40.1734319 -75.6893635), south of Pottstown and midway between Philadelphia and Lancaster. Johann Michael Müller/Miller2 settled here between 1732 and 1740 just a few years after arriving from Germany in 1727.
  • Franklin County (<1735)
  • Lancaster County (~1744)
  • Bedford and Blair Counties (<1776)
    • Morrison Cove is a valley that extends from Colrain Township, Bedford County, in the south, up to Catharine Township, Blair County, in the north, about 50 miles long. It also includes the townships of Snake Spring, South Woodbury, Woodbury, North Woodbury, Bloomfield, Taylor, and Huston.
    • Woodbury (401335N 0782200W/40.2264672 -78.3666805), northwest of Lancaster, was the residence of the David Miller family by 1784 until about 1795. It was also the birth place of daughter Elizabeth H. Miller.
  • Erie County (<1820)
  • Crawford County (<1830)
  • Northumberland & Schuylkill Counties (~1851)
    • Bear Gap (404956N 0763021W/40.8323084 -76.505788), Northumberland County and
    • Minersville (404126N 0761544W/40.6906451 -76.2621697), Schuylkill County, first known American residences of the James Goodwin family from 1851 until around 1857; birth place of daughters Elizabeth and Martha James Goodwin. Bear Gap is located roughly 20 miles NW of Minersville.

Virginia (~1700)

  • Caroline/King and Queen Counties (<1752)
    • Drysdale Parish (roughly 375615N 0770735W/37.9375 -77.1263888). When Samuel Chapman leased the Sandy Creek plot in Amelia County, he was identified as a planter from Drysdale Parish in Caroline County. Drysdale Parish, a subdivision of the Church of England, was formed in 1723 when St. Stephen's Parish in King and Queens County was divided into middle (St. Stephen's) and upper (Drysdale) parishes; Drysdale Parish is the portion of King and Queen County north of today's Highway 360 and borders Carolili County to the north.
  • Amelia County (1752)
    • Sandy Creek (near 372423N 0781226W/37.4062628 -78.2072188). Samuel Chapman leased a 400-acre plot in 1752. Sandy Creek forms part of the county line between Amelia County and Cumberland County to the northwest.
  • Hanover County (1981)

Maryland (1745)

  • Frederick and Washington Counties (1745)

    The Millers and Maugans migrated south from Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley to Maugansville, and later the Maugans branched east to Leitersburg.

    • Upper Antietam Hundred: Based on the process of elimination of the other 10 “Hundred” townships, I believe the Upper Antietam Hundred refers to the area near Leitersburg in the northeast portion of Washington County above Hagerstown where Antietam Creek flows southwest from Pennsylvania toward Hagerstowliand on to the Potomac River.
    • Maugansville (394104N 0774506W/39.684444 -77.7516666), Washington County: Settled by Johann Michael Miller in 1745 and later by the Maugans in the late 1790s or early 1800s. The area was later posthumously named for brothers Abraham and Jonathan Maugans in the 1880s.
      • “Ash Swamp” (near 394020N 0774600W/39.6722222 -77.766667), on either side of Salem Church Road, was the original, 150-acre Maugansville area tract settled by Johann Michael Miller in 1745 and divided amongst his sons in 1752. It was sold in 1795 after Michael's eldest son, John Peter Miller died in December 1794.
      • “Tom's Chance” was a 150-acre plot adjacent to “Ash Swamp” purchased by Michael's son Lodowich Miller in 1751 and sold in 1755.
    • Leitersburg (394130N 0773735W/39.6916667 -77.6263889), Washington County, 7 miles east of Maugansville.
      • “Skipton-on-Craven” was Michael's plot in the Maugansville area that he purchased in 1748.
      • “Miller's Fancy” was a 36-acre plot between “Skipton-on-Craven” and “Resurvey of Well Taught” that Michael purchased in 1754.
      • “Resurvey of Well Taught” was a 409-acre plot purchased in 1755.
    • Wolfsville (393427N 0773303W/39.5742655 -77.5505444), Frederick County, is situated in the Catoctin Mountain area, the Maryland extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Conrad Maugans settled in the area by 1774.
  • Allegany County (<1781-1786)
    • George's Creek, “located under the Laurel Hills on George's Creek, southwest of Cumberland,” perhap referring to the vicinity of Moscow (393237N 0790018W/39.5437014 -79.0050273);
      settled by the William Kester4 family from about 1781 until 1786

Kentucky (1786)

  • Shelby (now Spencer) County (1795)
  • Campbell County (1796)
    • Campbell County, along the bank of the Ohio River opposite Cincinnati, Ohio to the northwest;
      residence of the Philip Jacob & Magdalena Miller family from 1796 until his death in 1799 and her death in 1808
  • Greenup County (1802)
    • Greenup (383423N 0824949W/38.5731349 -82.8301677), lies along the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky, upriver from Cincinnati; residence of the James Chapman family between 1802 and about 1815-1817
  • Carroll County (<1844)
    • Prestonville (384047N 0851125W/38.6797846 -85.1902316), residence and final resting place of Phoebe (Pearce) Chapman about 1844; Prestonville lies further down the Ohio River from previous Chapman residences at Greenup, Kentucky and Sciotoville, Ohio.

New York (~1797)

  • Oneida and Jefferson Counties (~1797)
    • Bridgewater (425245N 0751504W/42.8792376 -75.2509971),
      birth place of Nathan Andrews, born 1797
    • Hounsfield (435605N 0760420W/43.9347222 -76.0722222), now in Jefferson County;
      birth place of Philena (AMES) Andrews, born 1804; Hounsfield was formed in 1806 from Watertown to the northeast and its citizens were deeply involved in two battles at nearby Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812
    • Richland (433410N 0760252W/43.5695139 -76.0476996),
      birth place of Orrin P. Andrews, born 1825
    • Mexico (432734N 0761344W/43.4595138 -76.2288176), residence of the Nathan Andrews family from about 1826 to about 1834

Ohio (<1799)

U.S. Geological Survey land survey grids in Ohio and Indiana are based on the First Principle meridian and base point at 405922N 0844811W, which was established in 1819. The meridian forms the border between Ohio and Indiana. In 1785 the first reference meridian was located along the Pennsylvania-Ohio border on the north shore of the Ohio River at 80°2'20"W.

  • Warren County (<1799)
    • O'Bannon Creek (near 391611N 0841459W/39.2697222 -84.2497222) meanders between the Warren and Clemont county lines northeast of Cincinnati. Philip Jacob Miller purchased a 2,000-acre property between 1796 and his death in 1799. Upon his death it was divided into 10 subplots among his widow and children.
  • Montgomery County (1800)
    • Randolph Township (near 395421N 0842026W/39.9058333 -84.3405556), northwest of Dayton and emcompassed the areas of present-day Clayton, Englewood, and Union; David Miller homestead at 9476 Haber Road (395254N 0842026W/39.8816667 -84.3405556), likely dates back to 1800; David and at least 19 others were buried at the homestead after his death in 1845; this area now falls under the Englewood post office.
  • Preble County (<1807)
  • Scioto County (<1817)
    • Sciotoville (384529N 0825329W/38.7581321 -82.8912823),
      residence of the James Chapman family by 1817 through James' death in 1839; Sciotoville lies just downriver from Greenup, Kentucky
    • Porter Township, centered around Wheelersburg (384407N 0825031W/38.7353549 -82.8418361), likely includes Sciotoville as noted above.
  • Clinton County (1819)

Mid West: Louisiana Purchase (1803) & Manifest Destiny (1839)

Indiana (1822)

U.S. Geological Survey land survey grids in Ohio and Indiana are based on the First Principle meridian and base point at 405922N 0844811W, which was established in1819. The meridian forms the border between Ohio and Indiana.
  • Vigo County (1822)
  • Hancock County (1833)
    • Vernon Township (395425N 0855217W/39.9069847 -85.8713691), northeast of Indianapolis;
      residence of the David Fisher family from 1833-1850
      • 1833-1850, David purchased 60 acres in the N½ of NE¼ of Section 10, Range 6 East
      • 1834-1850, David purchased another 80 acres the E½ of SE¼ of Section 10, Range 6 East
      • 1836-1850, King David Fisher bought the 40 acres of the SW¼ of NE¼ of the same Section 10, Range 6 East
  • Madison County (<1836)

Iowa (1838)

Nebraska (~1859)

  • Gage & Pawnee Counties (1859)
    • Dennison, originally in Pawnee Territory and now of uncertain location in Gage County,
      the Sylvester T. Fisher, Sr. family moved there in 1859 and was enumerated in the 1860 census, during the brief time (18 April to 17 September 1860) that the Dennison post office was in operation, next to Sylvester's next older brother John who had moved there perhaps as early as 1855. Dennison may be east of Liberty.
    • Liberty (400505N 0962858W/40.0847234 -96.4827962),
      settled by Sylvester T. Fisher, Sr. in 1868 on 320 acres one mile east of Liberty in Section 36, Town 2, Range 8 East.
  • Thayer, Jefferson, & Jones Counties (~1862)
    • Along the Oregon Trail, Jefferson County was established in 1856 by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature in modern-day Thayer County. Upon Nebraska's admission to the Union in 1867, Jefferson County absorbed Jones County to the east only to be redivided in 1870. At that time the original half to the west was renamed Thayer County in honor of General John Milton THAYER, one of Nebraska's first U.S. senators at the time (1867-1871) who later became the governor of Nebraska (1887-1892). The eastern half of the county (originally Jones County) retained the name of Jefferson County.
    • Big Sandy/Meridian (401300N 0972151W/40.2166686 -97.3642071),
      established as “Daniels Ranch” in 1858 (then in Jones County), the King David Fisher family settled here by 1862. The area was renamed “Big Sandy” in 1865, renamed again in 1870 to “Meridian” (in the newly redrawn Jefferson County), and then discontinued in 1883. Big Sandy Crossing was an important watering place on the Oregon Trail where it gave way to a flat region between Big Sandy Creek and the Little Blue River.
    • Hebron (400959N 0973509W/40.1663933 -97.5858752),
      organized in 1869 and named by a group of pioneers who identified themselves with the Disciples of Christ. Taking refuge in the beautiful valley of the Little Blue River, the pioneers named the area after the Biblical city of Hebron in Palestine, which was located in a similarly picturesque valley. King David Fisher relocated here from Big Sandy before his death in 1871.
      • Fort Butler (400918N 0973516W/40.155 -97.587777),
        in June 1869, the newly formed Company A, First Regiment, Nebraska Cavalry Militia established its headquarters at a stockade named for Nebraska's first governor, David Butler, on the bank of Spring Creek (roughly 400918N 0973516W), about one mile south of the town of Hebron. Among the founding members of the company were King David Fisher and three other Fisher boys (likely his son and two nephews). The company was formed to defend against Indian raids, such as the attacks in 1864 and 1867. The company was relieved in 1870 when a company of regular Army was stationed at Kiowa to the north.
      • Fisher Homestead burial site (estimated 400855N 0973324W/40.1486111 -97.5566666) of King David Fisher, 1871. The burial site is on a hill on the north side of Highway 136 about 1 mile east of the Highway 81 intersection and 2 miles southeast of the town of Hebron. The hill overlooks the Little Blue River and the Oregon Trail and had been a lookout for marauding Indians.
  • Sherman County (~1880)
    • Clear Creek (410806N 0990556W/41.1350097 -99.0989789),
      situated about 8-1/2 miles north-northwest of Hazard and was the home of the widow Sophia (Pritchard) Fisher and her three youngest sons as well as the families of her two eldest sons, John and Sylvester, by the time of the 1880 census.

Wisconsin (~1889)

Minnesota (<1905)

West: Mexican Cession (1848), Gold Rush (1849) & Westward Expansion

California (1851)

U.S. Geological Survey land survey grids in central California and Nevada are based on the Mount Diablo meridian and base point established in 1851. The initial point is located on the peak at 375254N 1215447W (37.8816667 -121.9130556).
  • Mariposa County (1851)
    • At the time of the Gold Rush and California's admission into the Union, Mariposa County was much larger than it is today. It contained all the territory of modern day Tulare (established in 1852), Merced (established in 1855), and Fresno (established in 1856) counties.
    • Coulterville , Mariposa County (Twp 2S R16E Sec 34 - Twp 3S R16E/374238N 1201149W/37.710486 -120.1979658)
      This gold mining town of “Banderita” was first settled in 1850 by George W. Coulter and soon thereafter by our Converse, Goss, and Goodwin ancestors. See “Our Roots in Coulterville & Greeley Hill” for more.
      • Banderita Mine (3741(23)N 12002(03)W/37.6897222 -120.0341667, [Twp 3S R18E], Sec 7), about 10 miles east of Coulterville on the west side of the north fork of the Merced River, and on the hill above the mouth of Gentry's Gulch;
        established in 1856 and originally named the Eclipse Mine, the brothers James and John Goodwin worked this mine after their arrival in California around 1856
      • Horseshoe Bend (374035N 1201350W/37.6763889 -120.2305556)
      • Horseshoe Bend Mine (374008N 1201212W/37.6688889 -120.2033333)
      • Mary Harrison Mine (Twp 3S R16E, Sec 10, (3741(38)N 12011(10)W/37.6938889 -120.1861111)
      • Coulterville Cemetery (Twp 2S R16E, Sec 34, 374257N 1201147W/37.7158333 -120.1963889),
        final resting place of many of our kin. See more on the Coulterville Cemetery page.
    • Greeley Hill (Red Cloud), Mariposa County (374412N 1200911W/37.744651 -120.1299092, Twp 2S R17E Sec 19/20)
      Greeley Hill, which in earlier days was known as Red Cloud, stands above Coulterville and is the site of the first Converse (374412N 1200911W/37.7366667 -120.1530556) and Greeley (374443N 1200728W/37.7452778 -120.1244444) homesteads in 1851.
      • The Converse's “Hawkeye Ranch” (Twp 2S R17E, Sec 17) was located up Converse Road in Wagner Valley in the vicinity of 374546N 1200718W/37.7627778 -120.1216667
      • Red Cloud Mine (3744(20)N 12005(07)W, Twp 2S R17E, Sec 27)
  • San Luis Obispo County (1868)
  • Tuolumne County (<1876)
  • Sonoma County (~1888)
    • Santa Rosa (~1888)
      • My hometown and center for my GOSS, MALUGANI, and FISHER families dating back to 1888. Specific locations include:
    • Rincon Precinct and rural Calistoga (~1901)
      • The hills above Rincon Valley in Santa Rosa are enumerated in census records as “Rincon Precinct” in Santa Rosa Township. Although part of Santa Rosa, residents usually just refer to the road or valley that they live in. Additionally, further up into the hills near the Sonoma-Napa county line, where residents use the Calistoga post office, early birth registries record the area as “rural Calistoga” to denote residents living on the Sonoma side of the county line since Calistoga lies in Napa County.
      • The Rock House (383128N 1223808W/38.5244444 -122.6355556),
        residence of the Giuseppe MALUGANI off of Saint Helena Road above Santa Rosa, 1901. Giuseppe took out land patent 200933 for Twp 8N R17W, Sec 21 from the MD meridian on 25 May 1911. The land still remains in the possession of Giuseppe's son.
      • Gates Road (near 382415N 1223849W/38.4041667 -122.6469444),
        birth place of my grandmother Hazel (MALUGANI) GOSS in 1919; nearby the birth place of Hazel's uncle Ed in 1920
      • Alpine Road (383143N 1223947W/38.5286111 -122.6630556),
        home of the MALUGANI, PAROLI, MAGATELLI, Cora & Al WILLIAMS, Earl FISHER, FECHTER, and HITCHCOCK families during the 1920 and 1930 censuses
      • Derby Ranch (near 383057N 1223917W/38.5158333 -122.6547222),
        residence of the Charles & Pearl MALUGANI family from about 1924 to 1928
      • Alpine School (383020N 1223839W/38.5054653 -122.6441514),
        school attended by several FISHER, WILLIAMS, and MALUGANI children, as well as the site of MILLER-FISHER-WILLIAMS-MALUGANI family reunions during the late 40s and into the mid-60s
      • Sharp Road, (383329N 1223726W/38.5580556 -122.6238889)
        residences of Cora (MILLER FISHER) WILLIAMS and son
        Ed WILLIAMS (next door at 383328N 1223724W/38.5577778 -122.6233333)
      • Mark West Shale Company (383114N 1223917W/38.5205556 -122.6547222),
        business and residence of Joe MALUGANI and his son Richard. Richard & Ellen often hosted several annual Easter Egg hunts in the 1970s at the shale pit.
    • Forestville (<1906)
  • San Joaquin County (~1904)
  • Colusa County (<1920)

U.S. Land Survey

The basics of land survey (and I make no claim to be an expert) are six mile by six mile township grids organized east-west from a meridian line and north-south from a base line:

Twp 2N
Range 2W		 Twp 2N
Range 1W		 Twp 2N
Range 1E		 Twp 2N
Range 2E
Twp 1N
Range 2W		 Twp 1N
Range 1W		 Twp 1N
Range 1E		 Twp 1N
Range 2E
Twp 1S
Range 2W		 Twp 1S
Range 1W		 Twp 1S
Range 1E		 Twp 1S
Range 2E
Twp 2S
Range 2W		 Twp 2S
Range 1W		 Twp 2S
Range 1E		 Twp 2S
Range 2E

Each township is comprised of one-mile square sections of 640 acres and are numbered from the northeast corner of the township as such:

36 31 32 33 34 35 36 31
1 6 5 4 3 2 1 6
12 7 8 9 10 11 12 7
13 18 17 16 15 14 13 18
24 19 20 21 22 23 24 19
25 30 29 28 27 26 25 30
36 31 32 33 34 35 36 31

Each 640-acre section can then be divided into halves (320 acres), quarters (160 acres), and so forth.

As such, the northeast corner of Township 1N Range 1E will lie 6 miles north and 6 miles east of the central meridian-baseline point whereas Township 1S Range 1W will start at the central meridian-baseline point.

Meridan-baseline points include:

  • First Reference Meridian (1785): 80°2'20"W
  • First Principle Meridian (1819): 405922N 0844811W
  • Mount Diablo (1851): 375254N 1215447W for California and Nevada

Therefore, to approximately locate the northeast corner of Township 3S Range 4W, Section 22 based on Mount Diablo in California, measure 15 miles south (2 full townships X 6 miles, plus 3 miles) and (3 full townships x 6 miles, plus 2 miles) 20 miles west.

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