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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 Damascus Heights (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 Damascus Heights. 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.

Name Variations for Damascus Heights ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Damascus Heights: Damascus Hts. (in Canada, 'Hgts.' is the more common abbreviation.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

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 north 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.

Damascus Heights is located in Clackamas 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 Clackamas County: Hood River, Marion, Multnomah, Wasco, Washington & Yamhill.

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

  • Clackamas County     (The home county of Damascus Heights)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Damascus Heights, with the one closest to Damascus Heights listed first.
    • Damascus
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Carver
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Boring
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Happy Valley
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sunnyside
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Sunnyside is located in Clackamas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyside
    • Clackamas
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Eagle Creek
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Johnson City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Johnson City is located in Clackamas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnson City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 627 people
    • Park Place
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Park Place is located in Clackamas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Place
    • Gladstone
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Oatfield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Oatfield is located in Clackamas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oatfield
    • Currinsville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Currinsville is located in Clackamas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Currinsville
  • Columbia County
    • Scappoose
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Damascus Heights, with the one closest to Damascus Heights listed first.
    • Aurora
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Butteville Station ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Butteville Station is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butteville Station
    • Butteville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Butteville is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butteville
    • Donald
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Hubbard
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Champoeg ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Champoeg is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Champoeg
    • Woodburn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Scotts Mills
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • McKee
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • McKee is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McKee
    • Mount Angel
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Paul
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Gervais
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Multnomah County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Damascus Heights, with the one closest to Damascus Heights listed first.
    • Gresham
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Gresham is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gresham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 110,031 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gresham <1>
    • Powell Valley
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Powell Valley is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell Valley
    • Rockwood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Rockwood is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockwood
    • Hazelwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Hazelwood is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelwood
    • Fairview
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Troutdale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Wood Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Russellville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Russellville is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russellville
    • Montavilla
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Montavilla is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montavilla
    • Woodstock
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Woodstock is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodstock
    • Milwaukie
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Corbett
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Damascus Heights, with the one closest to Damascus Heights listed first.
    • Durham
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Durham is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durham
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,908 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Durham <1>
    • Metzger
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Metzger is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metzger
    • Raleigh Hills
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Raleigh Hills is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raleigh Hills
    • Progress
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Progress is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Progress
    • Tigard
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Tigard is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tigard
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56,049 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tigard <1>
    • West Slope
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • West Slope is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Slope
    • Cedar Hills
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • King City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Beaverton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Cedar Mill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Marlene Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Marlene Village is located in Washington County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlene Village
    • Sherwood
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Yamhill County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Damascus Heights, with the one closest to Damascus Heights listed first.
    • Newberg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Dundee
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Clark County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Damascus Heights, with the one closest to Damascus Heights listed first.
    • Camas
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Camas is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camas
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 25,981 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Camas <1>
    • Fisher
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Fisher is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fisher
    • Washougal
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Cascade Park East
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Cascade Park West
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Cascade Park West is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cascade Park West
    • Fern Prairie
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Fern Prairie is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern Prairie
    • Mill Plain
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Mill Plain is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mill Plain
    • Sunnyside
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Sunnyside is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyside
    • Proebstel
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Proebstel is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Proebstel
    • Orchards
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Vancouver
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Walnut Grove
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Walnut Grove is located in Clark County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Grove
  • Skamania County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Damascus Heights, with the one closest to Damascus Heights listed first.
    • Cruzatt
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Cruzatt is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cruzatt
    • Skamania
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Skamania is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skamania
    • North Bonneville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Moffetts Hot Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Moffetts Hot Springs is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moffetts Hot Springs

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

Cemeteries Near Damascus Heights ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Damascus Heights.

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 Damascus Heights - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Damascus Pioneer Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Logan Pleasant View Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Deardorf Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Sunnyside Pioneer Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Forest Lawn Memorial Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Gresham Pioneer Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Escobar Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Willamette National Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Williamette National Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Lincoln Memorial Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Memorial Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Lincoln Memorial Park is a very large cemetery that is located in Portland.
    • The Lincoln Memorial Park has also been known as:
    • Lincoln Memorial Cemetery
    • Mt. Scott Park Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #39045 <2>
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Gethsemane Catholic Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (189 more) ...

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 Damascus Heights in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Damascus Heights.

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

  • Damascus
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Sunnyside
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Sunnyside is located in Clackamas County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnyside
  • Sycamore
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Sycamore is located in Multnomah County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore
  • Logan
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Logan is located in Clackamas County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Logan
  • Powell Valley
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Powell Valley is located in Multnomah County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell Valley
  • Gresham
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Gresham is located in Multnomah County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gresham
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 110,031 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gresham <1>
  • Clackamas
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Rockwood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Rockwood is located in Multnomah County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockwood
  • Eagle Creek
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Pleasant Home
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Pleasant Home is located in Multnomah County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Home
  • Gladstone
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Park Place
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Park Place is located in Clackamas County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Place
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Lents
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Lents is located in Multnomah County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lents
    • Viola
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Viola is located in Clackamas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viola
    • Currinsville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Currinsville is located in Clackamas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Currinsville

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

Newspapers Published in Damascus Heights ...

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 55 newspapers that have been published in the area around Damascus Heights.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Damascus Heights, there are papers which were published within 11 miles [17.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Damascus Heights.

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 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 Damascus Heights:

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 Damascus Heights, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Damascus Heights) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.