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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 Ravensdale (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 Ravensdale. 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.

Ravensdale is located in King 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 King County: Chelan, Kittitas, Pierce & Snohomish.

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

  • King County     (The home county of Ravensdale)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ravensdale, with the one closest to Ravensdale listed first.
    • Landsburg
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Landsburg is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Landsburg
    • Danville
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Danville is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danville
    • Maple Valley
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Trude
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Trude is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trude
    • Orchard Grove
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Orchard Grove is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard Grove
    • Wilderness Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Wilderness Village is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilderness Village
    • Black Diamond
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Franklin ‑ Historic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Franklin is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
    • One Hundred One Pines
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Kangley
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Kangley is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
    • Hobart
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Kanaskat
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Kanaskat is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanaskat
  • Kitsap County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ravensdale, with the one closest to Ravensdale listed first.
    • Southworth
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Southworth is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southworth
    • Olalla
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • South Colby
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • South Colby is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Colby
    • Colby
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Colby is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colby
    • Colchester
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Colchester is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colchester
    • Fort Ward
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Fort Ward is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Ward
    • Manchester
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Port Blakely ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Port Blakely is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Blakely
    • South Park Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Yeomalt
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Yeomalt is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yeomalt
    • Burley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Kittitas County
  • Pierce County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ravensdale, with the one closest to Ravensdale listed first.
    • Lake Tapps
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Lake Tapps is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Tapps
    • Buckley
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • South Prairie
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Bonney Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Sumner
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Edgewood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Prairie Ridge
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Prairie Ridge is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Ridge
    • Wilkeson
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Alderton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Alderton is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alderton
    • North Puyallup
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • North Puyallup is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Puyallup
    • Firwood ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Firwood is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Firwood
    • McMillin
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • McMillin is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McMillin
  • Snohomish County
    • Echo Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Echo Lake is located in Snohomish County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo Lake

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

Cemeteries Near Ravensdale ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ravensdale.

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

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

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

  • Ravensdale Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Black Diamond Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Franklin Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Hobart - Maple Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobart - Maple Valley Cemetery
    • The Hobart - Maple Valley Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Maple Valley Hobart Cemetery
  • Tahoma National Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tahoma National Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Tahoma National Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located 6 miles [9.7 km]<2> to the east of Kent.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #109448 <3>
  • Krain Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Enumclaw Municipal Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Holy Cross Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Suise Creek Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • White Lake Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Lake Tapps Pioneer Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Tapps Pioneer Cemetery
    • The Lake Tapps Pioneer Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Dieringer Cemetery
    • Dieringer Pioneer Cemetery
  • Saar Pioneer Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (66 more) ...
    • Hillside Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Buckley Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckley Cemetery
      • The Buckley Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Buckley Public Cemetery
      • White River Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #76722 <3>
    • Greenwood Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 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 Ravensdale in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Ravensdale.

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

  • Summit
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Summit is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
  • Maple Valley
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Black Diamond
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Franklin ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Franklin is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
  • Kangley
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Kangley is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
  • Palmer
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Palmer is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
  • Covington
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Green River
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Green River is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green River
  • Veazie
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Veazie is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veazie
  • Cedar Mountain
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Cedar Mountain is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Mountain
  • Enumclaw
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Elliott
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Elliott is located in King County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliott
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Osceola
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Osceola is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
    • Boise
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Boise is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boise
    • Kent
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Kent is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 130,676 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kent <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Ravensdale ...

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 87 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ravensdale.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ravensdale, there are papers which were published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ravensdale.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Ravensdale:

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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Ravensdale) 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 Ravensdale, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.