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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 Ella (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 Ella. 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 northwest 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 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.

Ella is located in Morrow County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Morrow County: Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wheeler, Benton (WA) & Klickitat (WA).

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

  • Morrow County     (The home county of Ella)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ella, with the one closest to Ella listed first.
    • Ione
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Alpine
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alpine. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpine
      • Alpine is located in Morrow County
    • Lexington
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Boardman
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boardman have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boardman
      • Boardman is located in Morrow County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,794 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boardman <1>
    • Pine City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine City
      • Pine City is located in Morrow County
    • Heppner
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Irrigon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irrigon have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irrigon
      • Irrigon is located in Morrow County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,799 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irrigon <1>
    • Gooseberry
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gooseberry. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gooseberry
      • Gooseberry is located in Morrow County
    • Eightmile
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eightmile. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eightmile
      • Eightmile is located in Morrow County
  • Gilliam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ella, with the one closest to Ella listed first.
    • Olex
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Olex. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olex
      • Olex is located in Gilliam County
    • Arlington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Clem
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clem. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clem
      • Clem is located in Gilliam County
  • Umatilla County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ella, with the one closest to Ella listed first.
    • Ordnance ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ordnance
      • Ordnance is located in Umatilla County
    • Hinkle
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hinkle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinkle
      • Hinkle is located in Umatilla County
    • Hermiston
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Echo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Echo have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo
      • Echo is located in Umatilla County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 705 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Echo <1>
    • Stanfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stanfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanfield
      • Stanfield is located in Umatilla County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,107 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stanfield <1>
    • Umatilla
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Benton County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ella, with the one closest to Ella listed first.
    • Paterson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Plymouth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
      • Plymouth is located in Benton County (WA)
  • Klickitat County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ella, with the one closest to Ella listed first.
    • Roosevelt
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Dot
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dot. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dot
      • Dot is located in Klickitat County (WA)

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

Cemeteries Near Ella ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ella.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Wells Spring Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wells Spring Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wells Spring Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Morgan Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morgan Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morgan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Highview Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Petteys Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Petteys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Petteys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tommy Dean Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tommy Dean Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Tommy Dean Cemetery is located 14 miles [22.5 km]<4> to the northwest of Arlington.
  • Eightmile Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eightmile Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eightmile Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lexington Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lexington Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lexington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sand Hollow Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sand Hollow Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sand Hollow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Riverview Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Olex Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Olex Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Olex Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Arlington Masonic Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Arlington Masonic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Arlington Masonic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Flett Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Flett Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Flett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (23 more) ...
    • Sixprong Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sixprong Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sixprong Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Valby Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Valby Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Valby Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Junkins Cemetery
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Junkins Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Junkins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Ella had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Cecil
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cecil have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cecil
    • Cecil is located in Morrow County
  • Ione
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Alpine
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alpine. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpine
    • Alpine is located in Morrow County
  • Lexington
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Willows
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willows have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willows
    • Willows is located in Gilliam County
  • Galloway ‑ Historic
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galloway have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galloway
    • Galloway is located in Morrow County
  • Olex
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Olex. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olex
    • Olex is located in Gilliam County
  • Arlington
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Heppner
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Clem
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clem. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clem
    • Clem is located in Gilliam County
  • Gooseberry
    (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gooseberry. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gooseberry
    • Gooseberry is located in Morrow County
  • Eightmile
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eightmile. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eightmile
    • Eightmile is located in Morrow County

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

Newspapers Published in Ella ...

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 46 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ella.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ella, 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 Ella.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 Ella:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Ella. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Morrow County: www.morrowcountyoregon.com/

The official website for State of Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/

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>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Ella) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ella. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.6312, Longitude: -119.8089       In this case, the coordinates for Ella have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>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.
<6>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 Ella, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025