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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 Wasco (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 Wasco. 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.

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

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

  • Sherman County     (The home county of Wasco)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wasco, with the one closest to Wasco listed first.
    • Klondike
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klondike
      • Klondike is located in Sherman County
    • Sinks ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinks
      • Sinks is located in Sherman County
    • De Moss Springs
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Moss Springs
      • De Moss Springs is located in Sherman County
    • Gordon ‑ Historic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • 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
    • Rufus
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rufus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Moro
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
      • Moro is located in Sherman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <3>
    • Biggs Junction
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Biggs Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggs Junction
      • Biggs Junction is located in Sherman County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Biggs Junction <3>
    • Monkland
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monkland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monkland
      • Monkland is located in Sherman County
    • Grass Valley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grass Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grass Valley
      • Grass Valley is located in Sherman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 167 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grass Valley <3>
    • Rosebush ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rosebush have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosebush
      • Rosebush is located in Sherman County
    • Kent
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Gilliam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wasco, with the one closest to Wasco listed first.
    • Arlington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Olex
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Olex have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olex
      • Olex is located in Gilliam County
  • Wasco County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wasco, with the one closest to Wasco listed first.
    • Celilo Village
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Celilo Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Celilo Village
      • Celilo Village is located in Wasco County
    • Fairbanks
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbanks
      • Fairbanks is located in Wasco County
    • Rice ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rice
      • Rice is located in Wasco County
    • Boyd ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
      • Boyd is located in Wasco County
    • Nansene
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nansene have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nansene
      • Nansene is located in Wasco County
    • Dufur
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • City of The Dalles
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for City of The Dalles came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for City of The Dalles
      • City of The Dalles is located in Wasco County
    • The Dalles
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Chenoweth
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chenoweth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chenoweth
      • Chenoweth is located in Wasco County
    • Rowena
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Ortley ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ortley
      • Ortley is located in Wasco County
    • Kingsley ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsley
      • Kingsley is located in Wasco County
  • Klickitat County (WA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wasco, with the one closest to Wasco listed first.
    • Maryhill
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Wishram
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Centerville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Goldendale
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Blockhouse
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blockhouse have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
      • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Dallesport
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Roosevelt
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Wahkiacus
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wahkiacus
      • Wahkiacus is located in Klickitat County (WA)
    • Klickitat
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Lyle
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Wasco ...

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 28 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wasco.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Wasco. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Wasco and those printed in the larger area surrounding Wasco.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<5> of Wasco.

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 websites either 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 Wasco:

Cemeteries Near Wasco ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wasco.

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

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

  • Wasco Methodist Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wasco Methodist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wasco Methodist Cemetery
  • Sunrise Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunrise Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunrise Cemetery
  • De Moss Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the De Moss Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the De Moss Cemetery
  • American Legion Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Emigrant Springs Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Rose Hill Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rose Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rose Hill Cemetery
  • Celilo Indian Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Celilo Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Celilo Indian Cemetery
  • Celilo Indian Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Celilo Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Celilo Indian Cemetery
  • Centerville Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Centerville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Centerville Cemetery
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Rice Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rice Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rice Cemetery
  • Petersburg Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Petersburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Petersburg Cemetery
  • Continue List   (29 more) ...
    • Potters Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Potters Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Potters Cemetery
    • Cyrus Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Michigan Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 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.<7>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Wasco had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Wasco had a population of 419 people.

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

  • De Moss Springs
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Moss Springs
    • De Moss Springs is located in Sherman County
  • Emigrant Springs ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emigrant Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emigrant Springs
    • Emigrant Springs is located in Sherman County
  • Moro
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moro
    • Moro is located in Sherman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 332 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moro <3>
  • Rufus
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rufus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
  • Monkland
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monkland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monkland
    • Monkland is located in Sherman County
  • Biggs
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Biggs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Biggs
    • Biggs is located in Sherman County
  • Grass Valley
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grass Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grass Valley
    • Grass Valley is located in Sherman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 167 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grass Valley <3>
  • Rutledge
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rutledge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
    • Rutledge is located in Sherman County
  • Goldendale
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Boyd ‑ Historic
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
    • Boyd is located in Wasco County
  • Blockhouse
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blockhouse have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockhouse
    • Blockhouse is located in Klickitat County (WA)
  • Nansene
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nansene have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nansene
    • Nansene is located in Wasco County
  • Continue List   (11 more) ...
    • Dufur
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • The Dalles
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Arlington
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)

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

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

The official website for Sherman County: www.sherman-county.com/

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>If we found a location and have questions about the accuracy of our information, we will simply say that the marker is 'in the vicinity'. We are not confident about the location and the position of our marker is only a rough guide. If we have too many doubts about the location, we will not include it in our database.
<5>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Wasco) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Wasco. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.5917, Longitude: -120.6974       In this case, the coordinates for Wasco have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>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.
<7>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 Wasco, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024