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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 Rockdale (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 Rockdale. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

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 north 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.

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

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

  • King County     (The home county of Rockdale)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockdale, with the one closest to Rockdale listed first.
    • Lester ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
      • Lester is located in King County
    • Tanner
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tanner
      • Tanner is located in King County
    • Riverbend
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverbend
      • Riverbend is located in King County
    • North Bend
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Snoqualmie
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Kangley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
      • Kangley is located in King County
    • Kanaskat
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanaskat
      • Kanaskat is located in King County
    • Palmer
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Palmer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
      • Palmer is located in King County
    • Skykomish
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Spring Glen
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Glen
      • Spring Glen is located in King County
    • Grotto
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grotto
      • Grotto is located in King County
    • Fall City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Preston
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
  • Kittitas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockdale, with the one closest to Rockdale listed first.
    • Snoqualmie Pass
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Martin
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Martin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
      • Martin is located in Kittitas County
    • Cabin Creek
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cabin Creek
      • Cabin Creek is located in Kittitas County
    • Easton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Pine Glen
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Glen
      • Pine Glen is located in Kittitas County
    • Ronald
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Nelson
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Nelson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nelson
      • Nelson is located in Kittitas County
    • Roslyn
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Cle Elum
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • South Cle Elum
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Pierce County
  • Snohomish County
    • Index
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Index
      • Index is located in Snohomish County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Index <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Rockdale ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rockdale.

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

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

  • Fall City Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fall City Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fall City Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Franklin Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Franklin Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Franklin Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
  • Mt. Olivet Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Ravensdale Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ravensdale Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ravensdale Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hobart - Maple Valley Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hobart - Maple Valley Cemetery
    • The Hobart - Maple Valley Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Maple Valley Hobart Cemetery
  • Black Diamond Cemetery
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Laurel Hill Memorial Cemetery
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Laurel Hill Memorial Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Laurel Hill Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Krain Cemetery
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Krain Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Krain Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Enumclaw Municipal Cemetery
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Enumclaw Municipal Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Enumclaw Municipal Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Holy Cross Cemetery
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Cross Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Cross Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Tahoma National Cemetery
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the 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]<4> to the west of Kent.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #109448 <5>

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>

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

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

  • Martin
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Martin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin
    • Martin is located in Kittitas County
  • Lester ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
    • Lester is located in King County
  • Easton
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • North Bend
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Snoqualmie Falls
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Snoqualmie Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snoqualmie Falls
    • Snoqualmie Falls is located in King County
  • Snoqualmie
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Kangley
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
    • Kangley is located in King County
  • Palmer
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Palmer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmer
    • Palmer is located in King County
  • Ronald
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Nelson
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Nelson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nelson
    • Nelson is located in Kittitas County
  • Fall City
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Preston
    (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Franklin ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
      • Franklin is located in King County
    • Roslyn
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Veazie
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Veazie have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veazie
      • Veazie is located in King County

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

Newspapers Published in Rockdale ...

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 24 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rockdale.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rockdale, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rockdale.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with 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 Rockdale:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Rockdale. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for King County: www.metrokc.gov/

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>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- Rockdale) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rockdale. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.3923, Longitude: -121.4543       In this case, the coordinates for Rockdale have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>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.
<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 Rockdale, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025