RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Oregon >> Gilliam County >> Olex >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Oregon

The Commemorative Quarter for Oregon





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 Olex (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 Olex. 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.

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

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

  • Gilliam County     (The home county of Olex)
  • Morrow County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Olex, with the one closest to Olex listed first.
    • Ione
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Gooseberry
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gooseberry
      • Gooseberry is located in Morrow County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gooseberry
      • From Olex to Gooseberry
    • Lexington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Eightmile
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • 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.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eightmile
      • Eightmile is located in Morrow County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eightmile
      • From Olex to Eightmile
  • Sherman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Olex, with the one closest to Olex listed first.
    • Emigrant Springs ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Klondike
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Monkland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Monkland
      • From Olex to Monkland
    • Sinks ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • De Moss Springs
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Wasco
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wasco have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 <2>
    • Gordon ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gordon
      • From Olex to Gordon
    • Moro
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Rosebush ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 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
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rosebush
      • From Olex to Rosebush
    • Rufus
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rufus have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 <2>
  • Klickitat County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Olex, with the one closest to Olex listed first.
    • Roosevelt
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Dot
      (26 miles [41.8 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)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dot
      • From Olex to Dot

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

Cemeteries Near Olex ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Olex.

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

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

  • Olex Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles 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.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clem Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Flett Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.
  • Tommy Dean Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Eightmile Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.
  • Cyrus Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Potters Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brown Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brown Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brown Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Morgan Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • 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.
  • Arlington Masonic Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Igo Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Highview Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • 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.
  • Continue List   (23 more) ...
    • Masonic Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Masonic Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Masonic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Joseph Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • IOOF Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the IOOF 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.<5>

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

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

  • Clem
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • 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
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Clem
    • From Olex to Clem
  • Cecil
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
  • Arlington
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
  • Ione
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Igo ‑ Historic
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Igo have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Igo
    • Igo is located in Gilliam County
  • Condon
    (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
  • Gooseberry
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gooseberry
    • Gooseberry is located in Morrow County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Gooseberry
    • From Olex to Gooseberry
  • Ella
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ella have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ella
    • Ella is located in Morrow County
  • Willows
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Emigrant Springs ‑ Historic
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Monkland
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • 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
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Monkland
    • From Olex to Monkland
  • Eightmile
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eightmile
    • Eightmile is located in Morrow County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Eightmile
    • From Olex to Eightmile
  • Continue List   (8 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Olex ...

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 26 newspapers that have been published in the area around Olex.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Olex, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Olex.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Olex:

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

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Olex) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Olex. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.4978, Longitude: -120.1685       In this case, the coordinates for Olex have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Olex, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025