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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 McDonald (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 McDonald. 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 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.

McDonald is located in Sherman 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 Sherman County: Gilliam, Wasco, Wheeler & Klickitat (WA).

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

  • Sherman County     (The home county of McDonald)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Emigrant Springs ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Emigrant Springs. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emigrant Springs
      • Emigrant Springs is located in Sherman County
    • Klondike
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klondike
      • Klondike is located in Sherman County
    • Sinks ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinks
      • Sinks is located in Sherman County
    • Monkland
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Monkland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monkland
      • Monkland is located in Sherman County
    • Wasco
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wasco have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wasco
      • Wasco is located in Sherman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 419 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wasco <3>
    • De Moss Springs
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Moss Springs
      • De Moss Springs is located in Sherman County
    • Gordon ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gordon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
      • Gordon is located in Sherman County
    • Rufus
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rufus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rufus
      • Rufus is located in Sherman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rufus <3>
    • Moro
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
      • Moro is located in Sherman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <3>
    • Biggs Junction
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Biggs Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggs Junction
      • Biggs Junction is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Biggs Junction <3>
    • Grass Valley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Rosebush ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rosebush. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosebush
      • Rosebush is located in Sherman County
  • Gilliam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Arlington
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Olex
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olex
      • Olex is located in Gilliam County
    • Clem
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clem
      • Clem is located in Gilliam County
    • Condon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Morrow County
    • Ione
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Wasco County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Celilo Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Celilo Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Celilo Village
      • Celilo Village is located in Wasco County
    • Fairbanks
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
      • Fairbanks is located in Wasco County
  • Klickitat County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDonald, with the one closest to McDonald listed first.
    • Roosevelt
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Dot
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dot
      • Dot is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Maryhill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Goldendale
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Cleveland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleveland
      • Cleveland is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Centerville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Wishram
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Bickleton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Blockhouse
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Blockhouse. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
      • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)

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

Cemeteries Near McDonald ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of McDonald.

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 McDonald covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Cyrus Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Emigrant Springs Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Potters Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Potters Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Potters Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • De Moss Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the De Moss Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the De Moss Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<4> to the southwest of Moro.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38702 <5>
  • Clem Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Olex Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Arlington Masonic Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rose Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rose Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Rose Cemetery is located 4 miles [6.4 km]<4> to the northwest of Moro.
    • The Rose Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Rose Hill Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #39358 <5>
  • Eightmile Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sun Rise Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sun Rise Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Sun Rise Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located less than 2 miles<4> to the southeast of Wasco.
    • The Sun Rise Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Sunrise Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #39471 <5>
  • Wasco Methodist Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Moro Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moro Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Moro Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northwest of Moro.
    • The Moro Cemetery has also been known as:
    • American Legion Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38534 <5>
  • Continue List   (20 more) ...
    • Rufus Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rufus Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Rufus Cemetery is located outside and to the east of Rufus.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2252887 <5>
    • Tommy Dean Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • 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.
    • Igo Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Igo Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Igo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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>

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

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

  • Emigrant Springs ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Emigrant Springs. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emigrant Springs
    • Emigrant Springs is located in Sherman County
  • Monkland
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Monkland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monkland
    • Monkland is located in Sherman County
  • Olex
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olex
    • Olex is located in Gilliam County
  • Arlington
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Wasco
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wasco have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wasco
    • Wasco is located in Sherman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 419 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wasco <3>
  • De Moss Springs
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Moss Springs
    • De Moss Springs is located in Sherman County
  • Clem
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clem
    • Clem is located in Gilliam County
  • Moro
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
    • Moro is located in Sherman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <3>
  • Rufus
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rufus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rufus
    • Rufus is located in Sherman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rufus <3>
  • Dot
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • 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.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dot
    • Dot is located in Klickitat County (WA)
  • Rutledge
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rutledge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
    • Rutledge is located in Sherman County
  • Cecil
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cecil have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cecil
    • Cecil is located in Morrow County
  • Continue List   (10 more) ...
    • Biggs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Biggs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggs
      • Biggs is located in Sherman County
    • Willows
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willows have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willows
      • Willows is located in Gilliam County
    • Grass Valley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in McDonald ...

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 35 newspapers that have been published in the area around McDonald.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of McDonald, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for McDonald.

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 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 McDonald:

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

The official website for Sherman County: www.sherman-county.com/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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- McDonald) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in McDonald. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.5887, Longitude: -120.4100       In this case, the coordinates for McDonald 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 McDonald, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025