Oregon Geographic Names (1952)
OREGON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES
THIRD EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED
By Lewis A. McArthur, B.S., M.A., L.L.D.
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Published by
BINFORDS & MORT, Publishers
for the
OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1952
OREGON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES
First Edition, 1928
Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged, 1944
Third Edition, Revised and Enlarged, 1952
Copyright, 1928 and 1914, by Lewis A. McArthur
Copyright, 1952, by Nellie P. McArthur
Made in the United States of America
by
Binfords & Mort, Publishers, Portland, Oregon
Text Set in 10-pt. Baskerville
The second edition of Oregon Geograhic Names was published in 1944, sixteen years after the first edition. The second edition was an enlargement upon the first and this third edition is an enlargement upon the second. Lewis A. McArthur was ever active in collecting new names, checking data, and seeking additional information for the next edition of his book. His death, on November 8, 1951, occurred before he had completed work on this last edition. He had not time to prepare a new preface; consequently the one used in the 1944 edition is here presented. However, he had completed the editing of all the material in the body of the text.
N. P. McA.
September 26, 1952.
INTRODUCTION
Just when it was that Lewis A. McArthur became interested in the geographic names of his native state seems not to be known. Perhaps an editorial by Harvey W. Scott in the Portland Oregonian of December 18, 1904, gave the stimulus. This, under the caption, "A General Review of Local Titles," opened with these sentences: "An interesting subject is the study of Oregon's geographical nomenclature. The subject is a large one and a volume would be required to exhaust it."
McArthur had been a reporter on the Oregonian a few months before this editorial appeared. He was an admirer of Harvey Scott. The thought that his editor's words planted a seed seems not too far-fetched. At some time, at any rate, and in some manner, one was planted and it germinated and grew.
In 1907 Governor George E. Chamberlain created the Oregon Geographic Board. It, according to ex-Governor Oswald West, who succeeded Chamberlain, "appears to have died but was given new life in 1914–no doubt," West says, "at the instance of Tam McArthur." Whether or not this surmise is correct Tam McArthur's interest in the geographic names of Oregon must have been demonstrated for Governor West named him a member of the resuscitated Board.
The Oregon Geographic Board has no background in the statutes. It gained, however, the official recognition of a listing in the Oregon Blue Book, biennial publication of the Secretary of State, and in its first appearance, in the 1915–1916 issue, McArthur is recorded as a member of the Board. In 1916 he became its secretary and he continued in that office until 1949 when illness forced his retirement.
Proceeding thus from speculation to fact we can record that McArthur's study of Oregon geographic names began some forty years ago. It is evident too, that his undertaking to compile a record of the origin of those names began more than twenty-five years ago for in December, 1925, there appeared in the Oregon Historical Quarterly the first installment of his collection of names and their background. There were installments in the seven succeeding Quarterlies and then, all having been assembled, they were presented in February, 1928, in book form under the title they had carried in the magazine, "Oregon Geographic Names."
In the preface to the first of the Quarterly sections "the compiler" as McArthur called himself, interchangeably with "the writer," said that he had "for many years gathered notes on the origin of Oregon geographic names." David W. Hazen, reviewing the book, wrote that the collection was begun before McArthur "knew that he was going to write a book." "And when he became a member of the Oregon Geographic Board," Hazen continues, "he set out to learn the whys and the wherefores of every important 'place name' in the Beaver commonwealth."
Perhaps not at the beginning but certainly as the work of collecting names and their history proceeded the idea of a book had become a hope of McArthur's for so he wrote in the preface to the opening installment in that December Quarterly. Then, in the preface to the book itself he said, "It is the hope of the compiler that this book may be reprinted at some future date." Late in 1944 the hope was realized with a second edition containing hundreds of additional names; and in that volume the hope was again expressed in the same words. The volume now in the reader's hands is the last of the McArthur editions. In it he has raised his monument or, as Champollion of the Rosetta Stone said of his own work, it is his "carte de visite a la posterite."
Lewis A. McArthur was qualified as no other man could be "to learn the whys and the wherefores" of the place names of Oregon and to tell the story in the printed word. He came to the enterprise with more than abundant resources. There were the interest and the curiosity that prompted and sustained it. There was an amazing retentive memory. There was a broad knowledge of Oregon and Pacific Northwest history. There was an intimate acquaintance with the journals and the other writings of and about the explorers, the traders and the trappers, the naturalists, the officers of the army and the navy and the settlers of Oregon before, during and after the years of the covered wagon. There were his own family background and the record of its participation in local, state and national affairs. There was a capacity for making and keeping friends and because there was fun, entertainment and satisfaction in being his friend he had eager responses from each to his calls for aid. There were associations with the federal agencies engaged in works relating to the geography of Oregon. There were his simple, but living and straight-forward writing style, his passion for accuracy and the right word. There were his casual wit and straight-face humor. All these he had in his progress through the years as he gathered and set down his record of Oregon names. The creative expression of these possessions is apparent on page after page of his books.
In spite of the research, the vast knowledge, and the deep wells of information that were drawn on in the making of the two earlier and this, the last, of the McArthur volumes there was a continuing realization of the danger of error, especially in taking without verification, material compiled by others. And so from the first Quarterly installment to the last and in each preface there was an appeal for corrections and suggestions. From the beginning the search was for the fact, the truth, the correct date, the right initials, the proper spelling. Once an error was demonstrated a correction was cheerfully recorded for the next volume.
Following the Oregon Historical Quarterly installments that went to the making of the first edition there appeared five new groups of names in the issues of the Quarterly from December, 1942, through December, 1943, and these, with the corrections, and other names and their stories made the new material in the second edition. The third and last assembly began in the Quarterly for December, 1945. In this group there were fifteen installments altogether continuing through the issue for June, 1949. After the first the caption sub-head was the telephone phrase given wide currency by the popular radio program, "Information Please," thus still expressing the wish for more facts. These fifteen installments provide the new material in this volume.
It was but natural that in the first edition there would be included the more important and the better known Oregon place names. There were two thousand two hundred sixty three of these altogether. Seven hundred and thirty seven were added in the second edition and in this volume there are three thousand nine hundred forty-seven names. The nine hundred forty seven that are now in this edition are chiefly of post offices of which many had but temporary life. By inclusion here, however, they are assured their place in Oregon local history.
Some day there will be a candidate for an advanced degree at the University who will take for the subject of his thesis this volume of McArthur's Oregon Geographic Names. He will note in his thesis the proper names and their number that he finds in the text. He will list all the dates that are given. He will catalogue the books, the histories, the printed records from which quotations are taken or which are otherwise mentioned. He will describe the files of the letters from and to McArthur about Oregon names and now deposited with the Oregon Historical Society. He will speak of the clippings with facts on a name or names collected by McArthur also in the Society's archives. When his work has been completed he will remain astounded by what he has found just as we who wander through the book today marvel at what it represents and at all it contains.
Lewis A. McArthur, known to his friends as "Tam," by no means lived by names alone. These were but one of his avocations. The others included stamps, the mapping of Oregon from official topographic surveys, the establishment and recording of bench marks and level lines, the enjoyment of history and literature, book collecting. All these were in his orbit and he took satisfaction in them all while yet engaged in his vocation of electric utility executive. Much from these varied interests helped with this book.
In that Oregonian editorial from which the opening sentences were quoted Scott said that its only purpose was "to indicate the nature and extent of an interesting subject, which some writer may at some time deal with fully. "There is," he concluded, "material for an attractive volume."
Lewis A. McArthur appeared as the writer to fulfill that prophecy. Here is the attractive volume.
Robert W. Sawyer.
Bend, Oregon,
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION, 1944
Very early in 1928 the compiler of this volume published a book with the title Oregon Geographic Names. Material was gathered over a long period of time, in many out of the way places and often in peculiar circumstances. The work was laborious at times, but the effort was more than repaid by the friendships that developed, and not
infrequently by the picturesque history that transpired. The book seems to have filled a public demand, for it has long been out of print.
The compiler had on hand at the date of publication much material that could not be prepared for the printer, largely because time was not available to verify all the data. In the 16 years that have intervened since the book was published, information has been accumulated about hundreds of additional names, both old and new. In addition to all this, a number of corrections have come to light that apply to the items in the book, Entertaining correspondence has been carried on with scores of persons in many parts of the country. Newspaper comments about geographic names continue unabated, and clippings have been gathered to the point of becoming a burden.
Starting with the Oregon Historical Quarterly for December, 1942, six installments of new, supplementary and revised material were printed. Information has been assembled about most of the military forts and camps, old and new, in various parts of Oregon. More than half of the first edition of the book has been revised. All this material has now been consolidated for a new edition.
The origin of geographic names in Oregon may be traced roughly to six periods in the history of the state, and in most instances the names themselves indicate approximately the epoch in which they were applied. The six periods may be described as follows:
First – The period of aboriginal Indian life, which is reflected in Oregon by the existence of a considerable number of Indian place names, some of which were applied by Indians themselves, and some later on by the whites.
Second – The period of exploration by sea along the Oregon coast, with resulting names strongly Spanish in flavor with an English admixture.
Third – The period of overland exploration, extending into the era of the fur trade, with the application of French, Indian, and additional names of English and American origin.
Fourth – The pioneer period, resulting in the application of a large number of eastern place names to Oregon communities, generally for sentimental reasons, and also resulting in the use of many pioneer family names for Oregon features, particularly for streams and mountains.
Fifth—The Indian wars and the mining periods, resulting in the application of the names of soldiers and also of the picturesque nomenclature that always follows the early pursuit of gold.
Sixth—The modern period of made up names, real estate phraseology, and the occasional praiseworthy effort to apply a suitable historic or Indian name to something that bears an unsatisfactory title. The work of others has been drawn upon freely. When Leslie M. Scott collated the writings of his father and published them under the title History of the Oregon Country, he presented a storehouse of information about Oregon geographic names. The writer found this of great assistance. Material compiled by Judge Charles H. Carey, T. C. Elliott, Will G. Steel and H. H. Bancroft has been referred to constantly. Professor Edmond S. Meany's Origin of Washington Geographic Names has been used freely, and should be in the library of everyone interested in the history of the Oregon country.
The spelling used by the United States Board of Geographical Names and by the government mapping bureaus have been followed as closely as possible. There may be some who do not agree with such forms, but the compiler feels that as long as these spellings appear on the government maps they should stand as they are until changed by decisions of the Board. Where elevations are given for communities, they indicate the elevations of important government bench marks, expressed to the nearest foot.
An attempt at this time to make an exhaustive analysis of the origin of Oregon geographic names would be premature. Material now available is not completely representative. There are probably 50,000 geographic features in Oregon sufficiently important to be distinguished by names. At least half of these features deserve but minor consideration. For the most part they bear simple descriptive names with no historical background. There are innumerable Dry, Alkali and Fish creeks, and Bald, Rocky and Huckleberry mountains. The remaining 25,000 names of Oregon geographic features are worthy of serious study. The author has information printed under about 3400 headings in this book, and these headings cover approximately 5000 features, or about one-fifth of the more important ones of the state.
From an historical point of view, it is apparent that practically all the best names of the state are mentioned.
The compiler has made a rough analysis of the names of features in this book. He is of the opinion that the origins of these names may be classified in accordance with the percentages in the following table:
| Language of Origin | Percent |
|---|---|
| English | 64.8 |
| Indian | 22.6 |
| German | 5.8 |
| French | 3.5 |
| Spanish | .7 |
| Greek | .6 |
| Hawaiian | .5 |
| Latin | .3 |
| Portuguese | .2 |
| Hebrew | .1 |
| Madeup | .2 |
| Unknown | .7 |
| Total | 100.0 |
The writer believes that as more names are studied the percentage of those of English origin will increase. An analysis of 25,000 origins will probably show that 80 per cent are from the English language.
The majority of Oregon place names are descriptive in their application. The following table gives the percentage of names listed in this book:
| Per cent | |
|---|---|
| Descriptive | 62.8 |
| Honorary | 23.3 |
| Arbitrary | 6.1 |
| Complimentary | 1.8 |
| Unknown | 6.0 |
| Total | 100.0 |
It may be said in explanation of this table that it has not always been easy to draw the line between the first two classes. It is the belief of the compiler that if a stream follows through the donation land claim of Balthasar Jones, a pioneer of 1850, and that the stream was named Jones Creek about the time Mr. Jones settled on the land, then the name is just as surely descriptive as though it was Gold Creek or Blue Creek. The matter of honoring Balthasar Jones was not considered when the stream began to be called Jones Creek. The whole business was a matter of descriptive convenience. On the other hand, the name Lake Abert is classified as being honorary, because Colonel Abert was a well-known army officer who did not live in the vicinity of the lake. Captain Fremont named the lake in honor of his superior. It seems to the compiler that there should be a clear distinction between these two classes of names, although there are some cases where the segregation has been difficult.
The compiler has listed as complimentary those names of places and features that were bestowed to keep in mind the names of places and features in another state or country, such as Portland, Oswego, Mount Horeb and many others.
It is apparent that as more names are studied, that the percentage of descriptive applications will increase, as most of the unimportant names are purely descriptive.
Errors of fact have an irritating way of creeping into a work of this sort. Every effort has been made to check all the data published, but notwithstanding this, mistakes frequently occur, and there are probably not a few herein that have not been detected. Even government archives are not infallible. Donation land claim records in the branch land office show many inconsistencies, and affidavits of a claimant made but a few months apart bear gross disagreements in dates of birth and marriage and other data. The pioneers did not worry much about such matters and did not foresee the difficulties that would befall an investigator threequarters of a century later. Other fruitful sources of error are the printed reminiscences of popular "oldest living residents," who do not realize that they cannot remember so well as they did fifty years ago.
Records of the Oregon provisional and territorial governments are not always consistent in the spellings of geographic names. Sometimes the forms used in the manuscript bills as passed are not the same as the styles used in the printed session laws and journals. Official records give both Tuality and Twality as the name of one of Oregon's original four districts and when the name was changed to Washington County, the printed law used the spelling Tualitz, possibly a printer's error. The writer has not found it possible to reconcile all these discrepancies.
Similar difficulties are found in the records of Oregon post offices. Some of the records must be used with caution. Caveat lector.
These records, kept at Washington, run back for nearly a century, and some of the entries are almost indecipherable. Then there are cases where post office records are continued from one book to another, and in the transfer minor changes have been made in the spellings of the names of the post offices and sometimes in the names of the postmasters. There are other places where it is almost impossible to follow the history of eastern Oregon post offices that have been in different counties at different times. Some post offices and postmasters jumped about like fleas.
Some years ago the writer secured photostats of the records of all Oregon offices up to the spring of 1855. Information in this edition of Oregon Geographic Names has been compared with the copies and is believed to reflect the record as kept at the time in cases where names of early postmasters are obviously in error. Where actual signatures are available at the Oregon Historical Society, the records have been corrected to match.
About 20 years ago the postal authorities provided the compiler with the history of many more Oregon post offices. These data have been included in the present volume. However, in 1944 a great deal of additional information was furnished. In some cases it did not agree with earlier reports. Discrepancies developed in the history of a number of post offices listed on the first 480 pages of this book. Where it appears that the later information is correct, necessary notes have been made in the addenda [included in the text of the third edition]. There are a few cases of obsolete and unimportant offices where the old and the new information cannot be reconciled and the earlier data are retained. The compiler hopes that at some future time these discrepancies may be composed.
There are other complications in post office histories. Newspaper announcements of dates of establishment sometimes vary considerably from the official records, and in pioneer days variations amounting to several weeks have been found. Sometimes an office is recorded as established but the postmaster declined to accept the appointment. There are some cases where the offices never actually functioned. Sometimes the appointed postmaster hired a deputy and washed his hands of the business. Local residents looked upon the deputy as the real postmaster. Thus it will be seen that the official records must be used with care.
This book does not pretend to be a substitute for the official Postal Guide. Post offices are constantly being discontinued and reestablished and a volume on geographic names cannot be kept current on all the changes. As the result of the shortage of help due to war conditions many Oregon post offices have been closed since 1941. Some have been reestablished; others will probably be reopened after the war and some may never be in operation again. Statements in the text to the effect that names are used for Oregon post offices must be accepted in a general sense and not as of any particular date unless specified.
A good deal of nonsense has been written about the meaning of Indian names. The compiler has known and respected many Indians and it has been his experience that they were principally concerned in getting a living amidst hard circumstances. They had little time or inclination for romance and sentiment. It seems improbable that Oregon Indians ever made up geographic names because of "moonlight filtering through trees," "sunshine dancing on the water," "rose petals floating on water" and "water rippling over pebbles." Competent scientists have found that most Indian names were based on much more practical and everyday matters.
A few abbreviations have been used to save space. The initials USBGN refer to the federal agency now known as United States Board on Geographical Names at Washington, D. C. This organization was formerly the United States Geographic Board, and older decisions were published under that name, but for the sake of simplicity the initials of the present board are used, irrespective of the initials of the agency at the time the decisions were made. The initials USGS refer to the United States Geological Survey, and USC&GS refers to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. OHS refers to the Oregon Historical Society and OHQ indicates the Society's magazine, the Oregon Historical Quarterly. The initials OGN refer to the book Oregon Geographic Names, 1928 edition, and OPA refers to the Oregon Pioneer Association. Other abbreviations are self-explanatory.
It is the hope of the compiler that this book may be reprinted at some future date, and with that in mind corrections and suggestions are earnestly requested. Correspondence addressed to Lewis A. McArthur, Public Service Building, Portland 4, Oregon, will be welcomed.
It would have been quite impossible for the compiler to have produced this volume without the help of Miss Nellie B. Pipes, librarian of the Oregon Historical Society. Miss Pipes checked innumerable references, searched for scores of names and dates and critically read the manuscript. She read and re-read the various proofs and prepared the index. The compiler tenders his sincere thanks. The compiler also wishes to thank his secretary, Miss Gertrude Humphrey, who has been good enough to type a great many letters on the subject of Oregon Geographic Names.
Lewis A. McArthur.
Portland, Oregon,
September 1, 1944.