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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 Valley Junction (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 Valley Junction. 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.

Name Variations for Valley Junction ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Valley Junction: Valley Jct. (or less commonly used: Valley Jctn.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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.

Valley Junction is located in Polk 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 Polk County: Benton, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Tillamook & Yamhill.

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

  • Polk County     (The home county of Valley Junction)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Valley Junction, with the one closest to Valley Junction listed first.
    • Grand Ronde
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Buell
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buell
      • Buell is located in Polk County
    • Ellendale
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellendale
      • Ellendale is located in Polk County
    • Dolph Corner
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dolph Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolph Corner
      • Dolph Corner is located in Polk County
    • Valsetz ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valsetz
      • Valsetz is located in Polk County
    • Dallas
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dallas have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dallas
      • Dallas is located in Polk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,331 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dallas <1>
    • Falls City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Bridgeport
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeport
      • Bridgeport is located in Polk County
    • Crowley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crowley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crowley
      • Crowley is located in Polk County
    • Rickreall
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Zena
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zena
      • Zena is located in Polk County
    • Lewisville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lewisville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisville
      • Lewisville is located in Polk County
    • Monmouth
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Benton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Valley Junction, with the one closest to Valley Junction listed first.
    • Kings Valley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Summit
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
      • Summit is located in Benton County
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Valley Junction, with the one closest to Valley Junction listed first.
    • Rose Lodge
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Otis
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Neotsu
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Lincoln City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lincoln City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln City
      • Lincoln City is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,284 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lincoln City <1>
    • Cutler City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cutler City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cutler City
      • Cutler City is located in Lincoln County
    • Kernville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kernville
      • Kernville is located in Lincoln County
    • Logsden
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Gleneden Beach
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Lincoln Beach
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lincoln Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Beach
      • Lincoln Beach is located in Lincoln County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lincoln Beach <1>
    • Siletz
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Siletz have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siletz
      • Siletz is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,307 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Siletz <1>
    • Depoe Bay
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Depoe Bay have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Depoe Bay
      • Depoe Bay is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,493 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Depoe Bay <1>
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Valley Junction, with the one closest to Valley Junction listed first.
    • Keizer
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Keizer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keizer
      • Keizer is located in Marion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 39,593 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Keizer <1>
    • Salem
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem
      • Salem is located in Marion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 175,891 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Salem <1>
    • Badger Corner
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Badger Corner
      • Badger Corner is located in Marion County
    • Brooks
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Hayesville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hayesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayesville
      • Hayesville is located in Marion County
    • Labish Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Labish Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Labish Village
      • Labish Village is located in Marion County
    • Four Corners
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Corners
      • Four Corners is located in Marion County
    • Saint Paul
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Tillamook County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Valley Junction, with the one closest to Valley Junction listed first.
    • Dolph ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dolph. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolph
      • Dolph is located in Tillamook County
    • Bellwood ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bellwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
      • Bellwood is located in Tillamook County
    • Blaine
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blaine
      • Blaine is located in Tillamook County
    • Cloverdale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cloverdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
      • Cloverdale is located in Tillamook County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cloverdale <1>
    • Hebo
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Beaver
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Oretown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oretown
      • Oretown is located in Tillamook County
    • Neskowin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Pacific City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pacific City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pacific City
      • Pacific City is located in Tillamook County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pacific City <1>
    • Fairview
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
      • Fairview is located in Tillamook County
    • Tillamook
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Yamhill County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Valley Junction, with the one closest to Valley Junction listed first.
    • Willamina
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Sheridan
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Bellevue
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellevue
      • Bellevue is located in Yamhill County
    • Amity
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amity have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amity
      • Amity is located in Yamhill County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,722 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Amity <1>
    • Whiteson
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whiteson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whiteson
      • Whiteson is located in Yamhill County
    • Eola Village
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eola Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola Village
      • Eola Village is located in Yamhill County
    • McMinnville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Hopewell
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Carlton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Lafayette
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Dayton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dayton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
      • Dayton is located in Yamhill County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,753 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dayton <1>
    • Yamhill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Cove Orchard
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove Orchard
      • Cove Orchard is located in Yamhill County

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

Newspapers Published in Valley Junction ...

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 78 newspapers that have been published in the area around Valley Junction.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Valley Junction, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Valley Junction.

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 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 Valley Junction:

Cemeteries Near Valley Junction ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Valley Junction.

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

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

  • Hussey Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hussey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hussey Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38932 <5>
  • Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Indian Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 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
  • Mennonite Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Holmes Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holmes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holmes Cemetery
  • Willamina Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Blair Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Blair Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blair Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2253777 <5>
  • Buck Hollow Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Harmony Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Greencrest Memorial Park
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greencrest Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greencrest Memorial Park
  • Masonic Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Masonic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Masonic Cemetery
  • Highland Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highland Cemetery
  • Continue List   (97 more) ...
    • Pleasant Hill Pioneer Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Ball Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Hussey Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hussey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hussey 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 Valley Junction in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Valley Junction.

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

  • Grand Ronde
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Willamina
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Sheridan
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Dolph ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dolph. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dolph
    • Dolph is located in Tillamook County
  • Ballston
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ballston have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ballston
    • Ballston is located in Polk County
  • Bellevue
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellevue
    • Bellevue is located in Yamhill County
  • Falls City
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Dallas
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dallas have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dallas
    • Dallas is located in Polk County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,331 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dallas <1>
  • Smithfield
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smithfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithfield
    • Smithfield is located in Polk County
  • Perrydale
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perrydale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perrydale
    • Perrydale is located in Polk County
  • McCoy
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McCoy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCoy
    • McCoy is located in Polk County
  • Meda
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meda have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meda
    • Meda is located in Tillamook County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Rickreall
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Crowley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crowley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crowley
      • Crowley is located in Polk County
    • Amity
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amity have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amity
      • Amity is located in Yamhill County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,722 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Amity <1>

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

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

The official website for Polk County: www.co.polk.or.us/

The official website for State of Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/

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>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>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.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Valley Junction) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Valley Junction. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.0621, Longitude: -123.5721       In this case, the coordinates for Valley Junction have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Valley Junction, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024