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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 O'Brien (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 O'Brien. 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 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 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.

O'Brien is located in Josephine 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 Josephine County: Del Norte (CA), Siskiyou (CA), Curry, Douglas & Jackson.

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

  • Josephine County     (The home county of O'Brien)
    • The following are listed by their distance from O'Brien, with the one closest to O'Brien listed first.
    • Waldo ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Waldo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo
      • Waldo is located in Josephine County
    • Brown City ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brown City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brown City
      • Brown City is located in Josephine County
    • Cave Junction
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cave Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cave Junction
      • Cave Junction is located in Josephine County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,986 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cave Junction <3>
    • Kerby
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Selma
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Wilderville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Williams
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Murphy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • New Hope
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Hope
      • New Hope is located in Josephine County
    • Redwood
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Redwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redwood
      • Redwood is located in Josephine County
  • Curry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from O'Brien, with the one closest to O'Brien listed first.
    • Harbor
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harbor have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbor
      • Harbor is located in Curry County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harbor <3>
    • Brookings
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from O'Brien, with the one closest to O'Brien listed first.
    • Copper ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Copper have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Copper
      • Copper is located in Jackson County
    • Provolt
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Provolt
      • Provolt is located in Jackson County
    • Applegate
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Del Norte County (CA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from O'Brien, with the one closest to O'Brien listed first.
    • Gasquet
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Smith River
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Fort Dick
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Hiouchi
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Siskiyou County (CA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from O'Brien, with the one closest to O'Brien listed first.
    • Happy Camp
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Seiad Valley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in O'Brien ...

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 6 newspapers that have been published in the area around O'Brien.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of O'Brien, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for O'Brien.

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 O'Brien:

Cemeteries Near O'Brien ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of O'Brien.

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 O'Brien covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Laurel Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Laurel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Laurel Cemetery
  • Deer Creek Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Deer Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Deer Creek Cemetery
  • Selma Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Selma Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Selma Cemetery
  • Hartley Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hartley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hartley Cemetery
  • Wilderville Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilderville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilderville Cemetery
  • Steamboat Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Steamboat Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Steamboat Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #39456 <5>
  • Gotcher Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gotcher Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gotcher Cemetery
  • Sparlin Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sparlin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sparlin Cemetery
  • Indian Cemetery
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Indian Cemetery
  • Indian Cemetery
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Indian Cemetery
  • Sloan Cemetery
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sloan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sloan Cemetery
  • Oceanview Cemetery
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oceanview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • The Oceanview Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Pioneer Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oceanview Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2329733 <5>
  • Continue List   (5 more) ...
    • Van Pelt Cemetery
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Van Pelt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Van Pelt Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #39524 <5>
    • Missouri Flat Cemetery
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Missouri Flat Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Missouri Flat Cemetery
    • Ferrydale Cemetery
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ferrydale Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ferrydale Cemetery

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 O'Brien in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of O'Brien.

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

  • Waldo ‑ Historic
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Waldo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo
    • Waldo is located in Josephine County
  • Althouse ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Althouse have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Althouse
    • Althouse is located in Josephine County
  • Browntown ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Browntown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browntown
    • Browntown is located in Josephine County
  • Kerby
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Gasquet
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Smith River
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Williams
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Wilderville
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Happy Camp
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Steamboat
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Steamboat have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steamboat
    • Steamboat is located in Jackson County
  • Murphy
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)

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

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

The official website for Josephine County: www.co.josephine.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>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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- O'Brien) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in O'Brien. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.0673, Longitude: -123.7032    
<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 O'Brien, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024