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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 Crates (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 Crates. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

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

  • Wasco County     (The home county of Crates)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crates, with the one closest to Crates listed first.
    • Chenoweth
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Chenoweth is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chenoweth
    • City of The Dalles
      (2 miles [3.2 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
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Rowena
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Ortley ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Ortley is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ortley
    • Mosier
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Endersby
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Endersby is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Endersby
    • Fairbanks
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Fairbanks is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
    • Boyd ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Boyd is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
    • Rice ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Rice is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
    • Celilo Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Celilo Village is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Celilo Village
    • Dufur
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Hood River County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crates, with the one closest to Crates listed first.
    • Lenz
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Lenz is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenz
      • Lenz has also been known as:
      • Sherman Spur
    • Pine Grove
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Pine Grove is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
    • Hood River
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Odell
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Mount Hood
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Mount Hood is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Hood
    • Parkdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Jackson County
    • Pinehurst
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Pinehurst is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinehurst
  • Sherman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crates, with the one closest to Crates listed first.
    • Biggs Junction
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Rufus
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Gordon ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Gordon is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
    • Moro
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Moro is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <1>
    • Wasco
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • De Moss Springs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • De Moss Springs is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Moss Springs
    • Grass Valley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Klondike
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Klondike is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klondike
    • Sinks ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Sinks is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinks
    • Monkland
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Monkland is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monkland
  • Klickitat County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crates, with the one closest to Crates listed first.
    • Dallesport
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Lyle
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Wishram
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Appleton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Klickitat
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Bingen
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • 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>
    • Wahkiacus
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Wahkiacus is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahkiacus
    • White Salmon
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Centerville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Husum
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Maryhill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Blockhouse
      (19 miles [30.6 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 Crates, with the one closest to Crates listed first.
    • Underwood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Hood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Hood is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hood
    • Carson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Crates ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Crates.

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

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

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

  • St. Peters Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • GAR Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Masonic Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Wish - Ham Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Sunset Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Viewpoint Grave Island Memorial
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Petersburg Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Crawford Family Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • McClure Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Obrist Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (41 more) ...
    • Eightmile Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Hartland Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Lyle Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)

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.<2>

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

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

  • The Dalles
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Rowena
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Lyle
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Mosier
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Boyd ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Boyd is located in Wasco County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
  • Dufur
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • White Salmon
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Nansene
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Nansene is located in Wasco County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nansene
  • Biggs
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Biggs is located in Sherman County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggs
  • Kingsley ‑ Historic
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Kingsley is located in Wasco County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley
  • Blockhouse
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
  • Gilmer
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Gilmer is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilmer
  • Continue List   (10 more) ...
    • Rufus
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Goldendale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Moro
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Moro is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Crates ...

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 38 newspapers that have been published in the area around Crates.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Crates, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Crates.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we 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 Crates:

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>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 Crates, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Crates) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.