David's main index; http:david.mefford.org

This is the Geography page. Anyone may submit any information regarding countries, states, counties, cities, towns or places where Meffords or their descendants resided. Photos are not only accepted, but encouraged. Email is our preferred form of communication. Photos can be mailed to us, scanned and returned. Snail mail: 274 West 700 North, American Fork, UT 84003

One of the best ways to find places is with Mapquest.com. This page enables you to find locations down to the street address of most places in the world. Once there, click on "Maps" to begin your search.

Wachenbuchen, Hessen, Germany

Wachenbuchen is the place where many of the Meffords lived prior to immigrating to America. Wachenbuchen is a small Ort a few kilometers northeast of Frankfurt au Main. Today it is merely a bedroom community of Hanau and Frankfurt. Middlebuchen is the nearest major town, about 5 klicks (kilometers) east. According to the residents of Middlebuchen, "wachen" means to watch or a sentinel, "middle" means middle and a "buchen" is a large tree. We may be free to conclude that Wachenbuchen contained or was near to a large tree used as a lookout.

"Hessen County is the Land of the Reinhardwald Forest which surrounds the Weser River. These dark foreboding forests with their ancient castles were used by the Grims brothers - Jacob and Wilhelm- in their famous fairy tales. Two of which are 'The Sleeping Beauty' (Sababurg Castle) and 'Little Red Riding Hood.' ....Another famous town of Hessen county is Hamelin, in the northern part. Hamelin was make world renown by James Howell when he heard Browning tell his tale of "The Piped Piper." Howell Believed the tale and published it in his "Familiar Letters of 1643." (The German Mefferts, by Betty Lou Mefford)

Photos of Wachenbuchen and area.

Map of Wachenbuchen and area

Oberdorfelden, Hessen, Germany

Oberdorfelden is a small town about 8 miles northwest of Wachenbuchen. It is also right next to Neiderdorfelden. I understand that "ober" means over or above and "felden" is a field. This would mean that the translation would be akin to "the upper field." "Neider" means close or near, so it would be the "closer field."

Photos of Lutheran Church

Mefford Station or Mefford Fort

Article and photos of Mefford Fort built by George Mefford in 1787, near the present Maysville, Kentucky.

Go to photos

Very good photos of Mefford Station on Terry Bodkin's page.

Go to photos

Shrewsbury, England

Photos of the historic town of Shrewsbury, anscetral home of Samuel Jackson, who immigrated from England in the mid-1800's.

Also includes St Chad's Church, where his family were blessed and attended for generations.

Barnbarroch, Scotland

Photo of the ancestral home of the Vance Family. Go to photo

Old photos of the Barnbarroch Manor, courtesy of Jamie Vans
Photographs of the house and gardens of Barnbarroch in Wigtownshire, the seat of the Vans family from the 14th century until it was destroyed by fire in 1941, including some family portraits. They were taken by Frank Vans Agnew on a visit to Barnbarroch in 1906.

Map of Palatine

Map of Palatine and its relationship to the other countries in Europe. Go to Map