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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 Petersburg (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 Petersburg. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Petersburg is located in Wasco County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wasco County: Clackamas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jefferson, Marion, Sherman, Wheeler & Klickitat (WA).

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

  • Wasco County     (The home county of Petersburg)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Petersburg, with the one closest to Petersburg listed first.
    • Fairbanks
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Fairbanks is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
    • Celilo Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Celilo Village is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Celilo Village
    • City of The Dalles
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • City of The Dalles is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for City of The Dalles
    • The Dalles
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Rice ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Rice is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
    • Boyd ‑ Historic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Boyd is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
    • Endersby
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Endersby is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Endersby
    • Chenoweth
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Chenoweth is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chenoweth
    • Rowena
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Ortley ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Ortley is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ortley
    • Dufur
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Nansene
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Nansene is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nansene
  • Hood River County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Petersburg, with the one closest to Petersburg listed first.
    • Lenz
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Lenz is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenz
      • Lenz has also been known as:
      • Sherman Spur
    • Pine Grove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Pine Grove is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
    • Hood River
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Odell
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Mount Hood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Mount Hood is located in Hood River County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Hood
    • Parkdale
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Jackson County
    • Pinehurst
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Pinehurst is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinehurst
  • Sherman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Petersburg, with the one closest to Petersburg listed first.
    • Biggs Junction
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Rufus
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Wasco
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Gordon ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Gordon is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
    • Moro
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Moro is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <1>
    • De Moss Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • De Moss Springs is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Moss Springs
    • Klondike
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Klondike is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klondike
    • Sinks ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Sinks is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinks
    • Grass Valley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Monkland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Monkland is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monkland
    • Emigrant Springs ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Emigrant Springs is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emigrant Springs
    • Rosebush ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Rosebush is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosebush
  • Klickitat County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Petersburg, with the one closest to Petersburg listed first.
    • Dallesport
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Wishram
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Lyle
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Centerville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Maryhill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Klickitat
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Wahkiacus
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Wahkiacus is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahkiacus
    • Appleton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Blockhouse
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
    • Goldendale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Bingen
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Bingen is located in Klickitat County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bingen
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 748 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bingen <1>
    • White Salmon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  • Skamania County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Petersburg, with the one closest to Petersburg listed first.
    • Underwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Hood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Hood is located in Skamania County (WA)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hood

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

Cemeteries Near Petersburg ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Petersburg.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Petersburg - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Petersburg Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Viewpoint Grave Island Memorial
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Wish - Ham Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Masonic Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Crawford Family Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Sunset Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Eightmile Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Celilo Indian Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Celilo Indian Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Peters Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (41 more) ...
    • GAR Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Rice Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • IOOF Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)

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.<2>

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

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

  • The Dalles
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Boyd ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Boyd is located in Wasco County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
  • Rowena
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Dufur
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Lyle
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Biggs
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Biggs is located in Sherman County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggs
  • Nansene
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Nansene is located in Wasco County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nansene
  • Mosier
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Rufus
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Blockhouse
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
  • Moro
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Moro is located in Sherman County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <1>
  • Wasco
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (12 more) ...
    • Kingsley ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Kingsley is located in Wasco County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley
    • Goldendale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • De Moss Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • De Moss Springs is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Moss Springs

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

Newspapers Published in Petersburg ...

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 37 newspapers that have been published in the area around Petersburg.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Petersburg, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Petersburg.

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 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 Petersburg:

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>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 Petersburg, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Petersburg) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.