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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 Meacham (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 Meacham. 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 doctors and 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.

Meacham is located in Umatilla 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 Umatilla County: Grant, Morrow, Union, Wallowa, Benton (WA), Columbia (WA) & Walla Walla (WA).

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

  • Umatilla County     (The home county of Meacham)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Meacham, with the one closest to Meacham listed first.
    • Gibbon
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gibbon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibbon
      • Gibbon is located in Umatilla County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gibbon
      • From Meacham to Gibbon
    • Cayuse
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Tutuilla
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tutuilla have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tutuilla
      • Tutuilla is located in Umatilla County
    • Kirkpatrick
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Mission
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mission. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission
      • Mission is located in Umatilla County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mission
      • From Meacham to Mission
    • Bingham Springs
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Havana
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Havana. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
      • Havana is located in Umatilla County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Havana
      • From Meacham to Havana
    • Adams
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Riverside
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverside have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
      • Riverside is located in Umatilla County
    • Pilot Rock
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Athena
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Athena have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athena
      • Athena is located in Umatilla County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,140 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Athena <2>
    • Weston
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weston have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weston
      • Weston is located in Umatilla County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 650 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weston <2>
  • Union County

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

Cemeteries Near Meacham ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Meacham.

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

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

  • Meacham Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Meacham Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Meacham Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rugg Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rugg Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rugg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Red Elk Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Red Elk Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Red Elk Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Homeli Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Homeli Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Homeli Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hilgard Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hilgard Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hilgard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Andrews Mission Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Andrews Mission Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Andrews Mission Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Agency Indian Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Agency Indian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Agency Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tutuilla Presbyterian Indian Mission Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tutuilla Presbyterian Indian Mission Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tutuilla Presbyterian Indian Mission Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Agency Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Agency Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Agency Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Starkey Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Starkey Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Starkey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pond Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Skyview Memorial Park
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Skyview Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Skyview Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (27 more) ...
    • Ackles Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ackles Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ackles Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Calvary Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hillcrest Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Meacham had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Huron
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huron have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huron
    • Huron is located in Umatilla County
  • Kamela
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kamela have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kamela
    • Kamela is located in Union County
  • North Fork
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Fork have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Fork
    • North Fork is located in Umatilla County
  • Cayuse
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Gibbon
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gibbon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibbon
    • Gibbon is located in Umatilla County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Gibbon
    • From Meacham to Gibbon
  • Hilgard
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilgard. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilgard
    • Hilgard is located in Union County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Hilgard
    • From Meacham to Hilgard
  • Perry
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perry have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perry
    • Perry is located in Union County
  • Mission
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mission. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission
    • Mission is located in Umatilla County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Mission
    • From Meacham to Mission
  • Havana
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Havana. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
    • Havana is located in Umatilla County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Havana
    • From Meacham to Havana
  • Starkey
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Adams
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • La Grande
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Meacham ...

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 34 newspapers that have been published in the area around Meacham.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Meacham, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Meacham.

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 Meacham:

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

The official website for Umatilla County: www.co.umatilla.or.us/

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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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>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.
<5>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 Meacham, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Meacham) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Meacham. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.5074, Longitude: -118.4211    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025