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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 Whitaker (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 Whitaker. 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.

Whitaker is located in Linn 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 Linn County: Benton, Deschutes, Jefferson, Lane, Marion & Polk.

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

  • Linn County     (The home county of Whitaker)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Whitaker, with the one closest to Whitaker listed first.
    • Lebanon
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • South Lebanon
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • South Lebanon is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Lebanon
    • Irvinville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Irvinville is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irvinville
    • Crabtree
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Sodaville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Sodaville is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sodaville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 346 people
    • Waterloo
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Waterloo is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 250 people
    • Lacomb
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Lacomb is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacomb
    • Scio
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • West Scio
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • West Scio is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Scio
    • Draperville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Draperville is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Draperville
    • Albany
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Tangent
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Benton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Whitaker, with the one closest to Whitaker listed first.
    • North Albany
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • North Albany is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Albany
    • Adair Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Adair Village is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adair Village
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 872 people
    • Wellsdale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Wellsdale is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellsdale
    • Lewisburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Lewisburg is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisburg
    • Corvallis
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Jennyopolis ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jennyopolis is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jennyopolis
    • Bellfountain Junction
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Philomath
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Flynn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Flynn is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flynn
    • Monroe
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Wren
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Wren is located in Benton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wren
    • Kings Valley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Lane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Whitaker, with the one closest to Whitaker listed first.
    • Mabel
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Mabel is located in Lane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mabel
    • Marcola
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Junction City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Coburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Whitaker, with the one closest to Whitaker listed first.
    • Jefferson
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Marion
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Santiam City ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Santiam City is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santiam City
    • West Stayton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Stayton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Aumsville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Sublimity
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Turner
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Mehama
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Macleay
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Macleay is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macleay
    • Silver Falls City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Silver Falls City is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Falls City
    • Four Corners
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Four Corners is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Corners
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Whitaker, with the one closest to Whitaker listed first.
    • Buena Vista
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Buena Vista is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buena Vista
    • Independence
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Airlie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Airlie is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Airlie
    • Monmouth
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Eola
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Eola is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola
    • Lewisville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Lewisville is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisville
    • Salemtowne
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Salemtowne is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salemtowne

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

Cemeteries Near Whitaker ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Whitaker.

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 Whitaker - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • IOOF Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Masonic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • James Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Bellinger Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Dodge Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Klum Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Providence Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Sand Ridge Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Ridge Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Sand Ridge Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 4 miles [6.4 km]<2> to the west of Lebanon.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #39401 <3>
  • Lacomb Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Claypool Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Linn Memorial Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (144 more) ...
    • Gaines Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Central Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Fairview Mennonite Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)

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.<4>

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

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

  • Lebanon
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Spicer
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Spicer is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spicer
  • Tallman
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Tallman is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tallman
  • Irvinville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Irvinville is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irvinville
  • Crabtree
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Sodaville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Sodaville is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sodaville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 346 people
  • Waterloo
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Waterloo is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterloo
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 250 people
  • Lacomb
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Lacomb is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacomb
  • Plainview
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Plainview is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainview
  • Fry
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Fry is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fry
  • West Scio
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • West Scio is located in Linn County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Scio
  • Scio
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Albany
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Tangent
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Brownsville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Whitaker ...

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 Whitaker.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Whitaker, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Whitaker.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Whitaker:

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>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 from Point A (ie- Whitaker) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<4>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 Whitaker, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.