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 Witch Hazel (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 Witch Hazel. 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.
Witch Hazel is located in Washington 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 Washington County: Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Multnomah, Tillamook & Yamhill.
Below are the counties that are near Witch Hazel. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Witch Hazel:
- Washington County (The home county of Witch Hazel)
- The following are listed by their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Reedville
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Reedville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reedville
- Hillsboro
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Newton
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Newton is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
- Tobias
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Tobias is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tobias
- Aloha
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Farmington
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Farmington is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmington
- West Union
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- West Union is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Union
- Rockcreek
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Rockcreek is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockcreek
- Beaverton
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Bethany
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Bethany is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethany
- Kinton ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Kinton is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kinton
- Blooming
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Blooming is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blooming
- Clackamas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Tualatin
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Lake Oswego
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Rivergrove
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Rivergrove is located in Clackamas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rivergrove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 318 people
- Stafford
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Stafford is located in Clackamas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stafford
- Wilsonville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Oak Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Christie ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Christie is located in Clackamas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christie
- Marylhurst
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Oatfield
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Oatfield is located in Clackamas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oatfield
- West Linn
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Willamette
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Willamette is located in Clackamas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willamette
- Jennings Lodge
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Jennings Lodge is located in Clackamas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jennings Lodge
- Columbia County
- The following are listed by their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Scappoose
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Warren
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Saint Helens
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Columbia City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Vernonia
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Pittsburg
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Pittsburg is located in Columbia County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsburg
- Deer Island
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Marion County
- The following are listed by their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Butteville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Butteville is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butteville
- Butteville Station ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Butteville Station is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butteville Station
- Champoeg ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Champoeg is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Champoeg
- Donald
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Saint Paul
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Aurora
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Hubbard
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Woodburn
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Gervais
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- McKee
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- McKee is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McKee
- Mount Angel
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Multnomah County
- The following are listed by their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Burlington
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Burlington is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlington
- Hillsdale
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Hillsdale is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillsdale
- Portland
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Albina
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Albina is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albina
- Fulton ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Fulton is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fulton
- Vanport City ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Vanport City is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vanport City
- Milwaukie
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Laurelhurst
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Laurelhurst is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurelhurst
- Woodstock
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Woodstock is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodstock
- Montavilla
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Montavilla is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montavilla
- Maywood Park
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Russellville
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Russellville is located in Multnomah County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russellville
- Tillamook County
- Ryan's Camp ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Ryan's Camp is located in Tillamook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryan's Camp
- Ryan's Camp has also been known as:
- Idiotville
- Yamhill County
- The following are listed by their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Newberg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Cove Orchard
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Cove Orchard is located in Yamhill County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove Orchard
- Dundee
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Yamhill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Carlton
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Lafayette
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Dayton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Saint Joseph
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Saint Joseph is located in Yamhill County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Joseph
- McMinnville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Eola Village
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Eola Village is located in Yamhill County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eola Village
- Whiteson
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Whiteson is located in Yamhill County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whiteson
- Hopewell
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Clark County (WA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Vancouver
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Hazel Dell
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Lake Shore
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Lake Shore is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Shore
- Minnehaha
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Minnehaha is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minnehaha
- Felida
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Felida is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Felida
- Salmon Creek
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Salmon Creek is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salmon Creek
- Walnut Grove
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Walnut Grove is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Grove
- Barberton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Barberton is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barberton
- Cascade Park West
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Cascade Park West is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cascade Park West
- Sara
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Sara is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sara
- Cascade Park East
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Fisher
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Fisher is located in Clark County (WA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fisher
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Witch Hazel, see our County-by-County Page for Witch Hazel.
Cemeteries Near Witch Hazel ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Witch Hazel.
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 Witch Hazel - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Witch Hazel covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Stewart Family Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Valley Memorial Park
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- St. Matthews Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Lewis Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Cooper Mtn. Evangelical Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Fir Lawn Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- IOOF Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Cooper Mtn. Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- St. Pius Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Union Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Old Scotch Church Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Scotch Church Cemetery
- The Old Scotch Church Cemetery has also been known as:
- Tualatin Plains Cemetery
- Continue List (215 more) ...
- West Union Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Blooming Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
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.<3>
While we didn't find Witch Hazel in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Witch Hazel.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Witch Hazel, with the one closest to Witch Hazel listed first.
- Reedville
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Reedville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reedville
- Hillsboro
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Newton
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Newton is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
- Farmington
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Farmington is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmington
- West Union
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- West Union is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Union
- Beaverton
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Bethany
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Bethany is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethany
- Laurel
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Laurel is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel
- Cedar Mill
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Cornelius
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Glencoe
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Glencoe is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glencoe
- Progress
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Progress is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Progress
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Centerville ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Centerville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Garden Home
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Garden Home is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden Home
- Forest Grove
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Witch Hazel. See our List of 1890's Communities around Witch Hazel.
Newspapers Published in Witch Hazel ...
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 219 newspapers that have been published in the area around Witch Hazel.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Witch Hazel, there are papers which were published within 13 miles [20.9 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Witch Hazel.
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 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 Witch Hazel:
- Websites specific to Oregon
- Pages specific to Washington County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Clackamas County
- Columbia County
- Marion County
- Multnomah County
- Tillamook County
- Yamhill County
- Clark County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Oregon
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 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. |
| <3> | 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 Witch Hazel, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <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 drawn from Point A (ie- Witch Hazel) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |