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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 La Center (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 La Center. 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 hospitals and doctors 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.

La Center is located in Clark County.

To see how the shape of Washington's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Clark County: Columbia (OR), Multnomah (OR), Cowlitz & Skamania.

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

  • Clark County     (The home county of La Center)
    • The following are listed by their distance from La Center, with the one closest to La Center listed first.
    • Pioneer
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Woodland
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Ridgefield
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Etna
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Etna. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etna
      • Etna is located in Clark County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Etna
      • From La Center to Etna
    • Cherry Grove
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherry Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Grove
      • Cherry Grove is located in Clark County
    • Dollar's Corner
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dollar's Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dollar's Corner
      • Dollar's Corner is located in Clark County
    • King Corner
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Sara
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sara. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sara
      • Sara is located in Clark County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sara
      • From La Center to Sara
    • Battle Ground
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Kumtux
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kumtux have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kumtux
      • Kumtux is located in Clark County
    • Lewisville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lewisville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisville
      • Lewisville is located in Clark County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lewisville
      • From La Center to Lewisville
    • Heisson
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Meadow Glade
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Cowlitz County
  • Clackamas County (OR)
    • Happy Valley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Happy Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Happy Valley
      • Happy Valley is located in Clackamas County (OR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 23,781 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Happy Valley <1>
  • Columbia County (OR)
  • Multnomah County (OR)
    • The following are listed by their distance from La Center, with the one closest to La Center listed first.
    • Burlington
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Vanport City ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Maywood Park
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maywood Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maywood Park
      • Maywood Park is located in Multnomah County (OR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 852 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Maywood Park <1>
    • Laurelhurst
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Portland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Montavilla
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Russellville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Fairview
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairview have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
      • Fairview is located in Multnomah County (OR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,450 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairview <1>
    • Hazelwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hazelwood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelwood
      • Hazelwood is located in Multnomah County (OR)
    • Rockwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Wood Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wood Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood Village
      • Wood Village is located in Multnomah County (OR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,081 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wood Village <1>
    • Hillsdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Troutdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Troutdale have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Troutdale
      • Troutdale is located in Multnomah County (OR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,403 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Troutdale <1>
  • Washington County (OR)
    • The following are listed by their distance from La Center, with the one closest to La Center listed first.
    • Bethany
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Oak Hills
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Hills
      • Oak Hills is located in Washington County (OR)
    • Rockcreek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockcreek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockcreek
      • Rockcreek is located in Washington County (OR)
    • West Union
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for West Union. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Union
      • West Union is located in Washington County (OR)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to West Union
      • From La Center to West Union
    • Cedar Mill
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Mountaindale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • North Plains
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Plains have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Plains
      • North Plains is located in Washington County (OR)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,194 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Plains <1>
    • Cedar Hills
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Hills
      • Cedar Hills is located in Washington County (OR)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cedar Hills <1>
    • Marlene Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marlene Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marlene Village
      • Marlene Village is located in Washington County (OR)
    • West Slope
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Slope have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Slope
      • West Slope is located in Washington County (OR)
    • Raleigh Hills
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Christie ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Aloha
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aloha have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aloha
      • Aloha is located in Washington County (OR)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Aloha <1>

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

Cemeteries Near La Center ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of La Center.

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

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

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that La Center had a population of 105 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, La Center had a population of 3,602 people.

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

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

Newspapers Published in La Center ...

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 89 newspapers that have been published in the area around La Center.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of La Center, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for La Center.

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 La Center:

The official website for La Center: www.lacenterwa.com/

The official website for Clark County: www.co.clark.wa.us/

The official website for State of Washington: https://wa.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>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.
<3>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.
<4>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.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- La Center) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in La Center. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.8662, Longitude: -122.6717    
<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 La Center, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025