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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 Chatfield (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 Chatfield. 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 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.

Chatfield is located in Wasco County.

To see how the shape of Oregon's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wasco County: Clackamas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jefferson, Marion, Sherman, Wheeler & Klickitat (WA).

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

  • Wasco County     (The home county of Chatfield)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chatfield, with the one closest to Chatfield listed first.
    • Mosier
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Rowena
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Ortley ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Ortley is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ortley
    • Chenoweth
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Chenoweth is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chenoweth
    • City of The Dalles
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • City of The Dalles is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for City of The Dalles
    • The Dalles
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Fairbanks
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Fairbanks is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
    • Endersby
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Endersby is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Endersby
    • Celilo Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Celilo Village is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Celilo Village
    • Boyd ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Boyd is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
    • Dufur
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Rice ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Rice is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
    • Friend ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Friend is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friend
  • Hood River County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chatfield, with the one closest to Chatfield listed first.
    • Hood River
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Pine Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Pine Grove is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
    • Lenz
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Lenz is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenz
      • Lenz has also been known as:
      • Sherman Spur
    • Odell
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Mount Hood
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Mount Hood is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Hood
    • Parkdale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Cascade Locks
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
  • Multnomah County
    • Bonneville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Bonneville is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonneville
  • Sherman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chatfield, with the one closest to Chatfield listed first.
    • Biggs Junction
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Rufus
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Klickitat County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chatfield, with the one closest to Chatfield listed first.
    • Lyle
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Bingen
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Bingen is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bingen
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 748 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bingen <1>
    • White Salmon
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Appleton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Husum
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Dallesport
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Klickitat
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • B Z Corner
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • B Z Corner is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for B Z Corner
    • Wahkiacus
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Wahkiacus is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahkiacus
    • Wishram
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Centerville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Glenwood
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Blockhouse
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
  • Skamania County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Chatfield, with the one closest to Chatfield listed first.
    • Underwood
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Hood
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Hood is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hood
    • Carson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Stevenson
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Stabler
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Stabler is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stabler
    • Moffetts Hot Springs
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Moffetts Hot Springs is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moffetts Hot Springs
    • North Bonneville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Chatfield ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Chatfield.

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

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

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

  • Mosier Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • McClure Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Mosier Pioneer Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Lyle Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Pine Grove Butte Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove Butte Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Pine Grove Butte Cemetery is located in the vicinity of Pine Grove
    • The Pine Grove Butte Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Pine Grove Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #39270 <2>
  • Jackson Family Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Mark the Evangelist Church Columbarium
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Idlewilde Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Mountain View Memorial Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • St. Mary's Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Shelley Family Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (37 more) ...
    • St. Peters Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Frankton Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankton Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Frankton Cemetery is located outside and to the west of Hood River.
      • The Frankton Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Backus Cemetery
      • Irving Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2276895 <2>
    • GAR Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)

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.<3>

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

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

  • Mosier
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Lyle
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Rowena
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • White Salmon
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • The Dalles
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Gilmer
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Gilmer is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilmer
  • Boyd ‑ Historic
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Boyd is located in Wasco County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
  • Dufur
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Trout Lake
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Blockhouse
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
  • Glenwood
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
  • Nansene
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Nansene is located in Wasco County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nansene
  • Continue List   (5 more) ...
    • Kingsley ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Kingsley is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley
    • Biggs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Biggs is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggs
    • Goldendale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Chatfield ...

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 36 newspapers that have been published in the area around Chatfield.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Chatfield, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Chatfield.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Chatfield:

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>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 Chatfield, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Chatfield) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.