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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 Starkey (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 Starkey. 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.

Starkey is located in Union 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 Union County: Baker, Grant, Umatilla & Wallowa.

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

  • Union County     (The home county of Starkey)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Starkey, with the one closest to Starkey listed first.
    • Hilgard
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • 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 Starkey to Hilgard
    • La Grande
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Orodell ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Orodell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orodell
      • Orodell is located in Union County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Orodell
      • From Starkey to Orodell
    • Island City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Hot Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hot Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hot Lake
      • Hot Lake is located in Union County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hot Lake
      • From Starkey to Hot Lake
    • Conley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Conley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conley
      • Conley is located in Union County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Conley
      • From Starkey to Conley
    • Union
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Imbler
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Summerville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • North Powder
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Powder have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Powder
      • North Powder is located in Union County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 458 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Powder <2>
    • Cove
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Baker County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Starkey, with the one closest to Starkey listed first.
    • Hutchinson ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hutchinson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hutchinson
      • Hutchinson is located in Baker County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hutchinson
      • From Starkey to Hutchinson
    • Bourne
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Grant County
  • Umatilla County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Starkey, with the one closest to Starkey listed first.
    • Lehman Springs
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Meacham
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Ukiah
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ukiah have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ukiah
      • Ukiah is located in Umatilla County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 194 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ukiah <2>
    • Pilot Rock
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Tutuilla
      (30 miles [48.3 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

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

Cemeteries Near Starkey ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Starkey.

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

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

  • Starkey Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • 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.
  • Hilgard Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.
  • Rugg Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.
  • Grandview Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • 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 East Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Hillcrest Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Meacham Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Island City Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Island City Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Island City Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ackles Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • 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.
  • Cabell Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Warner Family Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Albee Cemetery
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Ukiah Cemetery
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ukiah Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ukiah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Pilot Rock Cemetery
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pilot Rock Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pilot Rock 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.<6>

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

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

  • Hilgard
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • 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 Starkey to Hilgard
  • Kamela
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Perry
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • 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
  • La Grande
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Huron
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Meacham
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • Island City
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • North Fork
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • 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
  • Hot Lake
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hot Lake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hot Lake
    • Hot Lake is located in Union County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Hot Lake
    • From Starkey to Hot Lake
  • Alicel
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alicel have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alicel
    • Alicel is located in Union County
  • Ukiah
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ukiah have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ukiah
    • Ukiah is located in Umatilla County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 194 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ukiah <2>
  • Pilot Rock
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Starkey ...

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 39 newspapers that have been published in the area around Starkey.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Starkey, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Starkey.

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 Starkey:

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

The official website for Union County: www.union-county.org/

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Starkey) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Starkey. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.2219, Longitude: -118.4246    
<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 Starkey, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 15 Jul 2025