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 Chain Hill (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 Chain Hill. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.
Chain Hill is located in Thurston County.
To see how the shape of Washington's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Thurston County: Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason & Pierce.
Below are the counties that are near Chain Hill. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Chain Hill:
- Thurston County (The home county of Chain Hill)
- The following are listed by their distance from Chain Hill, with the one closest to Chain Hill listed first.
- Tenino
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- McIntosh
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- McIntosh is located in Thurston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntosh
- Bucoda
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- East Olympia
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Rainier
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Kellys Korner
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Kellys Korner is located in Thurston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellys Korner
- Littlerock
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Tumwater
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Grand Mound
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Lacey
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Nisqually Indian Community
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Bordeaux ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Bordeaux is located in Thurston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bordeaux
- Grays Harbor County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chain Hill, with the one closest to Chain Hill listed first.
- Chehalis Village
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Chehalis Village is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chehalis Village
- Oakville
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Cedarville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Cedarville is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarville
- Sine
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Sine is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sine
- Porter
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Porter is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
- McCleary Junction
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- McCleary Junction is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCleary Junction
- McCleary
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Malone - Porter
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Malone - Porter is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malone - Porter
- Malone
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Garden City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Garden City is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
- Elma
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Elma is located in Grays Harbor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elma
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,378 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elma <1>
- Lewis County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chain Hill, with the one closest to Chain Hill listed first.
- Centralia
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Fords Prairie
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Fords Prairie is located in Lewis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fords Prairie
- Galvin
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Chehalis
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Newaukum
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Newaukum is located in Lewis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newaukum
- Claquato
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Claquato is located in Lewis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claquato
- Adna
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Fayette
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Fayette is located in Lewis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayette
- Napavine
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Onalaska
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Lacamas
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Lacamas is located in Lewis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacamas
- Curtis
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Mason County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chain Hill, with the one closest to Chain Hill listed first.
- New Kamilche
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- New Kamilche is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Kamilche
- Bayshore
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Bayshore is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayshore
- Shelton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Pierce County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chain Hill, with the one closest to Chain Hill listed first.
- McKenna
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Mock City
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Mock City is located in Pierce County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mock City
- Roy
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- DuPont
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Fort Lewis
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Anderson Island
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Anderson Island is located in Pierce County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson Island
- Tillicum
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Tillicum is located in Pierce County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tillicum
- South Creek
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- South Creek is located in Pierce County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Creek
- Steilacoom
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Longbranch
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Meridian
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Meridian is located in Pierce County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meridian
- Lake City
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Lake City is located in Pierce County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Chain Hill, see our County-by-County Page for Chain Hill.
Cemeteries Near Chain Hill ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Chain Hill.
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 Chain Hill - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Chain Hill covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Chain Hill, with the one closest to Chain Hill listed first.
- Forest Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Mills & Mills Memorial Park
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mills & Mills Memorial Park
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Mills & Mills Memorial Park is located outside and to the southwest of Tumwater.
- The Mills & Mills Memorial Park has also been known as:
- Olympic Memorial Garden Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #76974 <2>
- Union Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Rainier Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Grand Mound Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Woodlawn Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Greenwood Memorial Park
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Mt. Tabor Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Mountain View Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Washington Lawn Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- McLane Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McLane Cemetery
- The McLane Cemetery has also been known as:
- Mud Bay Cemetery
- Yelm Rainier Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Continue List (57 more) ...
- Ross Family Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Roy Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
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 Chain Hill in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Chain Hill.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Chain Hill, with the one closest to Chain Hill listed first.
- Tenino
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- McIntosh
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- McIntosh is located in Thurston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntosh
- Plumb
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Plumb is located in Thurston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plumb
- Bucoda
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Littlerock
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Grand Mound
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Tumwater
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Belmore
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Belmore is located in Thurston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belmore
- Lacey
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Rochester
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Olympia
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Centralia
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Yelm
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Chehalis
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Roy
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Chain Hill. See our List of 1890's Communities around Chain Hill.
Newspapers Published in Chain Hill ...
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 149 newspapers that have been published in the area around Chain Hill.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Chain Hill, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Chain Hill.
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 Chain Hill:
- Websites specific to Washington
- Pages specific to Thurston County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Grays Harbor County
- Lewis County
- Mason County
- Pierce County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Washington
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 Chain Hill, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Chain Hill) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |