Oregon Geographic Names (1952)/I
IBEX BUTTE, Crook County. Ibex Butte is in the south part of the county, in the northwest quarter of township 20 south, range 23 east. There is also a Little Ibex Butte nearby, and the two features are about 25 miles
airline northwest of Suntex. These buttes bear the popular name of the rimrock or lava bed sheep. This wild sheep resembles the Rocky Mountain bighorn, but the two varieties are not identical. The lava bed bighorn ranged over a large part of eastern Oregon. There is a good deal about both varieties in Mammals and Life Zones of Oregon, by Vernon Bailey. There is a popular notion that there was at one time a post office called Ibex in the vicinity of the buttes, but the compiler has not been able to find any trace of it in post office records,
IDANHA, Marion County. Idanha is a place on North Santiam River about four miles upstream from Detroit. Idanha post office was first established June 20, 1895, with Alma Kriesel postmaster. It has operated intermittently.
IDAVILLE, Tillamook County. Idaville was platted about 1870 by Warren N. Vaughn, and the land was part of his donation land claim. He named the place for his oldest daughter, Ida Vaughn.
IDEA, Gilliam County. Idea is obviously an odd name for a post office, but that is the record. This office was established February 5, 1886, probably in section 10, township 4 south, range 22 east. This locality is about six miles east of Condon. James W. Hyatt was the first postmaster at Idea and he was succeeded by Royse James. James' tenure of office was very short and the post office was closed July 26, 1889. What little business there was, was turned over to Gooseberry. In September, 1948, J. D. Weed, of Condon, told the compiler that it was intended to name the post office Ida for the wife of a local settler, but somewhere along the line the name was misspelled.
IDLEYLD PARK, Douglas County. Idleyld Park is one of Oregon's mystery names. The place is on North Umpqua River near the mouth of Rock Creek, a locality formerly served by Tioga post office, later by the Hoaglin office. In January, 1946, K. D. Lytle of Roseburg, division engineer of the Oregon State Highway Commission, wrote the writer that about 1918-19 an amusement hall was built in the place and the owner named it Idleyld Park for a similar place he had heard of in California. There is a post office in California named Idyllwild. If that name is the genesis of the Oregon name, there has been some fancy confusion along the line. As nearly as the writer can determine, the post office at Idleyld Park was established December 1, 1932, by change of name from Hoaglin. Earl D. Vosburgh was postmaster at the time.
IDOL, Harney County. A post office with the name Idol was established on the Harney County list as of March 25, 1892, with Joseph Morris first and only postmaster. The office was closed to Harney on August 9, 1893. In 1947 Archie McGowan of Burns wrote the compiler that in the early '90s gold was discovered on the head of Trout Creek north of Harney. There was a mild stampede to the diggings, but the gold petered out. Even to this day after the spring freshets small grubstakes of very fine gold are recovered. Joseph Morris, better known as Joe, moved his store from Harney to the new camp, which was called Idol City. No one seems to remember why this name was selected, unless it was because gold was the idol of miners the world over.
IGO, Gilliam County. In July, 1946, J. D. Weed, then district attorney at Condon, sent the following information about Igo: "Igo was a post office in the Ferry Canyon country, and it was named for John Igo, an early settler. There is a Grange hall there at the present time Alorris first and arney County list office with thmaster at the timange of that in the 893. In 1944 Amaster. The officarch 25, 1892.) was estab.
known as the Igo Grange." Igo post office was established in February, 1891, with James J. Fix postmaster. The office was closed in December, 1892, with papers to Condon. Old maps show Igo in the south part of township 3 south, range 20 east.
IKT BUTTE, Deschutes County Ikt is the Chinook jargon word for one. The name was applied by the Forest Service to a butte northwest of Paulina Mountains, at a time when several buttes were named with the Indian series of numbers.
ILLAHE, Curry County. This is the Chinook jargon word meaning land or earth and is also used to connote country. George Gibbs states that it is derived from the Chinook Indian word ilahekh. There are of course various spellings, but the government has adopted Illahe as a standard. Besides the post office in Curry County, there are other features bearing the name, including a place on North Umpqua River, Illahe Hill about four miles southwest of Salem, and Tenasillahe Island in the Columbia River.
ILLINGWORTH, Tillamook County. Illingworth post office was on Wilson River about fourteen miles northeast of Tillamook, and was named in compliment to members of a local family. The office was established in June, 1896, with James R. Harris first postmaster. The office was closed in December, 1899.
ILLINOIS RIVER, Josephine County. C. H. Stewart, of Albany, wrote the compiler in 1927 that Illinois River was named as the result of the early discovery of gold thereon by the Althouse brothers of Albany. These brothers, Samuel, John and Philip, were pioneers of 1847, emigrating from Peoria, Illinois, and settling in Albany, where they made their homes. They mined on Althouse Creek and Illinois River in southern Oregon in the early days of the placer diggings.
ILLUMINATION Rock, Clackamas County. On this rock occurred the first successful illumination of Mount Hood. This illumination was part of the Independence Day celebration in Portland on July 4, 1887. Will G. Steel organized a party that carried one hundred pounds of red fire to this rock and the light was seen as far as the mountain was visible.
IMBLER, Union County. This place was named for the Imbler family, pioneer settlers. The post ofhce was established April 27, 1891, with Albert E. Imbler first postmaster.
IMNAHA RIVER, Wallowa County. Imnaha is a beautiful name for a stream that rises in the Wallowa Mountains, and flows to Snake River through one of the deepest river gorges on the continent. The word was used by William Clark, on a map issued with the original Lewis and Clark journals in 1814, in the form Innahar. As far as the writer knows, Captain Bonneville was the first white man to go into the Wallowa country. For information about this exploration, see under BONNEVILLE. He was in the vicinity of Imnaha River in January and February, 1834. It is difficult to follow Bonneville's march as described by Irving, for the geography of the country is obviously confused, but the general character of the landscape is very well described, and Irving's somewhat extravagant style is quite suitable to the remarkable rock formations and almost bottomless canyons the traveler encountered. Beside the river, there is a post office named Imnaha. J. H. Horner of Enterprise, the authority on Wallowa County history, told the writer in 1927 that Imna was the name of a sub chief and that it was the custom among the In dians to sound ha to indicate the territory ruled over by a chief. Thus Imnaha was the land ruled over by Imna. See also WENAHA RIVER.
IMPERIAL, Deschutes County. This place is said to have been named by someone who had formerly lived in Imperial Valley, California.
INAVALE, Benton County. Inavale post office was established July 2, 1896, with John Mitchell first postmaster and operator until May 4, 1905. The place was about eight miles southwest of Corvallis and about three miles west of Greenberry. The office was in a productive little valley and was given the descriptive name "in a vale" on that account.
INCH CREEK, Clackamas County. This stream is in the east part of the county near Salmon River. It was named by W. B. Osborne of the Forest Service because it was about an inch long on a map on the scale of 1-62,500.
INDEPENDENCE, Polk County. Independence was named by Elvin A. Thorp, who founded the community. The name was in compliment to Independence, Missouri. Thorp was born in Howard County, Missouri, in 1820. He came to Oregon in 1844, took up a donation land claim at the present site of Independence, Oregon, in June, 1845. Independence post office was established April 3, 1852, with Leonard Williams first postmaster. ÎNDEPENDENCE PRAIRIE, Linn County. This small prairie is at the junction of Marion Creek and North Santiam River. It was named by the Marion County road viewing party on Independence Day, July 4, 1874. The party was in charge of John Minto. Independence Rock, a little to the southeast, was named for the prairie.
INDIAN BEACH, Clatsop County. This fine little beach, well hidden from general observation, is on the southwest front of Tillamook Head and about two miles airline northwest of the mouth of Elk Creek. Indian Point is at the north end of the beach and Bald Point at the south end, and Canyon Creek flows over the beach just south of Indian Point. The compiler is of the opinion that this is the beach referred to by Captain William Clark on January 8, 1806, in the following words: "... I proceeded on down a Steep decent to a Single house the remains of an old Kil a mox Town in a nitch imediately on the Sea Coast, at which place a great No. of eregular rocks are out and the waves comes in with great force." Clark adds that the Indians used the place to deposit their dead in canoes. His description is remarkably accurate and in addition, old Indians told Rodney L. Glisan about 1895 that Indian Beach had a village in ancient days and later was a memaloose illahe, or place of the dead. They also said that it was the place where Captain Clark first came down to the sea and brought the Indian woman. Clark's map of Tillamook Head (Point of Clark's View) is also remarkably accurate and shows Indian Beach with fidelity.
INDIAN CREEK, Hood River County. In pioneer days there was a permanent Indian town or camp in the flat where the main west side road crosses this creek, and the name was applied on that account.
INDIAN RIDGE, Lane County. In 1927 Smith Taylor of McKenzie Bridge told the compiler that Indian Ridge was named for an old Indian hunting trail that extended along its summit. The ridge is west of South Fork McKenzie River. The elevation of Indian Ridge Lookout is 5426 feet.
INDIAN VALLEY, Union County. Indian Creek, named in pioneer
days, flows into Grande Ronde River in section 27, township 1 north, range 39 east. This fact apparently was the reason for the name Indian Valley, applied to an early post office in the north part of Union County. The Indian Valley office probably moved around a little, but it was always in the south part of the township mentioned. The compiler cannot find that it was ever in the actual valley or canyon of Indian Creek itself. Also the compiler has not been able to find the name Indian Valley applied to any topographic feature in the vicinity. Indian Valley post office was established April 10, 1873, with John W. White postmaster. The office was discontinued January 13, 1874. Indian Valley post office was reestablished June 11, 1877, with Joel Weaver postmaster. This office operated until October 26, 1881. There were three other postmasters.
INGLIS, Columbia County. Inglis post office, which was established September 30, 1902, was given the family name of the first postmaster, John E. Inglis. Inglis post office and railroad station lay about midway between Clatskanie and Quincy. The office was out of service from 1910 to 1914, and was discontinued again in 1918. Ingram Point, Crook County. This mountain is northeast of Prineville and bears the name of Douglas C. Ingram of the U. S. Forest Service. The name was applied on May 3, 1933, to honor Ingram, who lost his lfe in August, 1929, in a fire in Chelan National Forest. He was born in Scotland, November, 1882, and joined the Forest Service in 1909. He served in the field and in the Portland office, and was an authority on range management. He had an important collection of forest plants. He first used Ingram Point, then known as Tamarack Point, as a lookout and it is quite fitting that the place should bear his name. Ingram Butte, elevation 4333 feet, about sixteen miles airline northeast of Oakridge and near the headwaters of Christy Creek, was named for the same man.
INLOW, Lane County. In January, 1947, Elwin A. McCornack of Eugene wrote the compiler as follows: "The first wagon road from Eugene to Mapleton left the present route at Hale or Elk Prairie west of Noti and by following Chickahominy and Nelson creeks intersected the Lake Creek road near Greenleaf. For years this route was followed by Whisman Brothers four and six in hand stage coaches. On the Chickahominy end of this section there lived a pioneer settler by the name of Igo Inlow. His place was well known and it may be there was a post office established there at one time." Well, the post office actually was established on June 20, 1899, with Clemons E. Carlisle first postmaster. The office was closed to Hale on January 16, 1901. In April, 1948, McCornack wrote that the office was named for "Doc" Inlow, father of Igo Inlow. The office was said to have been in "Doc's" house. His given name has not been recalled.
IONE, Morrow County. The name of this small community in eastern Oregon furnished Harvey W. Scott with ammunition for a characteristic editorial which appeared in the Oregonian for June 22, 1903, after the Willow Creek flood of June 14 had brought into prominence various geographic names in that part of the state. He said: "Let us take advantage of the present occasion to correct the current pronunciation of 'Ione,' the town on Willow Creek, below Heppner. In current use they call it I-one, with accent on the last syllable, almost universally. But Ione is a name of three syllables, the accent properly on the second. So, many of our people say I-rene, two syllables,
with accent on the last. But Irene is a name of three syllables, with accent on the second. We have a steamboat that most persons call Cal-liope, with accent on the final syllable. But Calliope is a name of four syllables with accent on the second. Again, in the name Arion, the accent is commonly placed on the first syllable. But the correct pronunciation places it on the second syllable making the 'i' long. Our schools and academies should insist on right pronunciation of these and other names. In Idaho, on the Oregon Short Line, they call a town Sho-shone -two syllables, with accent on the ultimate. Now, Shoshone is not a classical Greek name, as the foregoing are, but an Indian one. Nevertheless, the Indians called it Sho-sho-ne, accenting the final syllable, as emigrants who came across the plains perfectly remember." The town of Ione was named by E. G. Sperry, who owned land, in 1883, for Ione Arthur, a girl from Brownsville who was visiting the Sperry family. She was with her father, John Arthur, and others of her family. The post office was established in 1884, with Aaron Royse first postmaster. He ran the first store in the community. Iowa Hill, Washington County. Iowa Hill is a prominent point about three miles airline east of Gaston and just north of Laurelwood. It has an extreme elevation of about 1165 feet at its north end. This hill has been called Iowa Hill for about two generations because of the fact that several families of settlers came to the locality from Iowa. The name is firmly established. lowA SLOUGH, Coos County. Iowa Slough flows into Coquille River from the north just west of Riverton. Walling, in his History of Southern Oregon, page 488, says the stream was once called Deadman Slough because of the murder of two white men, Venable and Barton, upon its banks in 1854. Five Indians were thought to be guilty of the crime and three were hanged. A post office named Iowa Slough was established in March, 1872, with Harrison E. Nosler postmaster. The office was discontinued in November, 1878. 1PSOOT BUTTE, Klamath County. This butte, in the extreme northeast corner of the county, is named with the Chinook jargon word for hidden, or secluded. The word ipsoot should not be confused with itswoot, meaning bear.
IRELAND MOUNTAIN, Baker and Grant counties. This peak, which is on the summit of the Blue Mountains, has an elevation of 8330 feet. It was known for some years as Bald Mountain, but the name was changed to Ireland Mountain by the USBGN at the request of the Forest Service and eastern Oregon citizens. This was in honor of Henry Ireland who was for many years supervisor of the Whitman National Forest, and who died May 31, 1916. Before being connected with the Forest Service he was with the Department of the Interior.
IRISH BEND, Benton County. Irish Bend is a land area with limits not exactly defined lying west of Willamette River and east of Long Tom River, a few miles northeast of Monroe. The name of the locality comes from a prominent eastward bend in Willamette River in township 14 south. Several Irish families settled in this vicinity about 1860, and gave the name to the river bend and to the bottom land west of the Willamette. The families of James Martin, James Herron and Robert Herron have been among the leading contributors to the development of the area.
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IRMA, Curry County. Irma was a post office on the old road about midway between Gold Beach and Harbor. It was very close to the north line of township 39 south, range 14 west. The office was established February 11, 1895, with Clara A. Clarke first postmaster. This office was discontinued July 23, 1902, Dodge's Pioneer History of Coos and Curry Counties lists N. D. and Clara A. Clark as having settled in that part of Oregon in 1891. Clark appears to have been interested in a variety of things and was an inventor of sorts. Among the children of Mr. and Mrs. Clark was Irma, born in 1879, and it is reasonable to suppose that the post office was named for this sixteen year old girl. Post office records use the spelling Clarke but Dodge has simplified it. The compiler does not know which is correct but past experience has shown post office records in respect of the spelling of proper names are generally reliable. Emma Hardenbrook was appointed postmaster of Irma post office on June 20, 1898, and it is reported that the office was moved about five miles south at that time.
IRON MOUNTAIN, Clackamas County. Iron Mountain is the name applied to an area west of Oswego and north of Oswego Lake. In recent years the principal application of the title has been in the expression Iron Mountain Boulevard. An iron ore called limonite was mined extensively in this locality from 1867 to about 1894. F. W. Libbey of the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries has sent the compiler a short statement about this activity which was carried on at first by a company known as the Oregon Iron Company. A small blast furnace was built close to the town of Oswego in 1867, probably the first of such furnaces on the Pacific Coast. The furnace was used fairly continuously to 1886, when a new furnace of modern type was built and put in operation in 1888. Record of iron production ceased after 1894. The new furnace produced nearly 11,000 long tons in 1890 and the industry was of great importance to the Pacific Northwest.
IRON MOUNTAIN, Coos and Curry counties. This mountain is a north-south ridge about 15 miles east of Port Orford and has a maxi. mum elevation of about 4000 feet. The compiler does not know by whom the name was applied, but the style Iron Mountain was in use as early as March, 1856. See Glisan's Journal of Army Life, page 295. In December, 1943, Earl K. Nixon, director of the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, wrote the compiler that the moun. tain was probably named because of the reddish-brown color of the rock mass and not because of the presence of iron ore as such. The rock outcrops are prominently stained with ferric oxide and there is a lot of manganese stain but no commercial ore deposits. Iron MOUNTAIN, Harney County. This is about ten miles west of Harney Lake and has an elevation of 5367 feet, according to the
USC&GS. It is known as Iron Mountain because of the hard metallic appearance of the rock of which it is composed. During the Indian disturbances of the '60s, this point was called Pleasanton Butte, apparently in compliment to a well-known officer in the regular army, Alfred Pleasanton, who had been stationed in the Pacific Northwest.
IRON MOUNTAIN, Lincoln County. Iron Mountain, elevation 654 feet, a conspicuous point near the Pacific Ocean about four miles north of Newport, is remarkable for its conical symmetry. The upper part is red brown and has a sort of burned, metallic appearance, hence the name. The mountain is just east of the Oregon Coast Highway.
IRONSIDE, Malheur County. The name Ironside was first applied in 1891. It is said that J. M. Young, who was the first postmaster, suggested the name of the post office. The name was chosen because of the proximity of Ironside Mountain, the most prominent geographical feature nearby.
IRONSIDE MOUNTAIN, Malheur County. This is the most important landmark in the north part of the county. The highest point is 7804 feet above the sea. It is so called because of its iron-like appearance.
IRRIGON, Morrow County. Irrigon is near the site of Grande Ronde Landing, a former rival of Umatilla. For information about these places see under UMATILLA. Later the place was called Stokes, and it was a station on the railroad with that name even after Irrigon post office was established. Irrigon post office was established November 16, 1903, with Frank B. Holbrook first postmaster. Addison Bennett made up the name of the place from the words Oregon and Irrigation. Irrigon was the scene of a promising irrigation enterprise, hence Bennett's style of name. He was editor of the first newspaper in the place, called the Oregon Irrigator, later the Irrigon Irrigator, its initial number appearing January 27, 1904. After various ventures in the newspaper business, he served for many years as a staff writer on the Oregonian and died in Portland, September 30, 1924. Stokes post office was in operation from May 26, 1897, until April 25, 1899, with Douglas W. Bailey postmaster.
IRVING GLACIER, Lane County. Dr. E. T. Hodge of the University of Oregon gave the name Irving Glacier to a small glacier between Middle Sister and South Sister. This was in commemoration of Washington Irving, the author of Astoria and The Adventures of Captain Bonneville.
ISLAND CITY, Union County. Island City got its name because it is on an island formed by a slough which leaves Grande Ronde River west of the town and rejoins the river several miles to the east. The slough is south of the main stream. Isolate, Douglas County. Isolate was named because of its isolation, and apparently well-named at that. The office was near Days Creek (stream) about ten or twelve miles northeast of Canyonville, near the northwest corner of township 30 south, range 3 west. Isolate post office was established April 17, 1917, with Thomas F. Epping first postmaster. The office was closed to Days Creek office on April 30, 1919.
ISTHMUS SLOUGH, Coos County. Isthmus Slough was known as Wapello Slough in pioneer days, but the name was changed because the slough led to the isthmus over which there was a trail to Beaver Slough, a tributary of Coquille River. The isthmus lies east of Isthmus Slough. East of the isthmus are Ross Slough, Catching Slough and the mouth of Coos River. A post office named Isthmus was established in the vicinity of Isthmus Slough December 11, 1871, with Gilbert Hall postmaster. The name of the office was changed to Utter City February 11, 1875. The office was closed June 22, 1880. Utter City was named for the Utter brothers, who operated a coal mine. Iyan, Klamath County. Ivan station on the Southern Pacific Company railroad between Klamath Falls and the California state line is said to have been named shortly after the railroad was built. The compiler has been unable to get confirmed information, but several sources, generally reliable, are of the opinion that the station was named for Ivan Daniels. Daniels was a railroad employee, probably a pump expert, who is said to have been killed in a tunnel accident not far from the state line. Statements to the effect that the station may have been named for Ivan Kesterson, connected with a local sawmill enterprise, are wrong. In June, 1948, Irving E. Kesterson wrote from Atherton, California, ruling out any connection between the station name and that of his brother Ivan. The two Kestersons were at one time associated in the operation of a sawmill near Ivan station. Irving Kesterson says that he bought the mill in 1917 and his brother Ivan joined the enterprise in 1918. The station had been named some years before. Ivan post office was established November 18, 1926, with Andrew J. Hanan postmaster. The name of the office was changed to Worden in March, 1930. The office was doubtless moved several miles to Worden at that time. There had been a post office at Worden some years previously.
IVISON, Lane County. Ivison was a post office on Wildcat Creek west of Eugene and a few miles east of Walton. The office was established March 3, 1893, with Isaac S. Day first postmaster. Thomas T. McGlynn was appointed postmaster May 11, 1909. The office was discontinued September 15, 1909, with mail to Elmira. In February, 1947, Mrs. C. A. Stephens of Eugene wrote the compiler that she was the daughter of Isaac Day, the first postmaster, and at the time the office was established, Day was asked to submit a name for the place. There was a school. teacher boarding at the Day home, and the teacher was given the selection of the name, and she chose Ivison. She was with the impression that Day's given name was Ivison and not Isaac, and she selected Ivison in supposed compliment to Day. By the time the error became apparent, postal authorities had established the office with the name Ivison.
Ivy, Clatsop County. This railroad station east of Astoria was so named because of a heavy growth of ivy over the remains of a building south of the track.
IZEE, Grant County. In 1927 J. E. Snow of Dayville told the compiler that this post office was so oddly named because a local stockman, M. N. Bonham, used the letters I Z for his cattle brand. Postal authorities inform the compiler that Izee post office was established November 6, 1889, with Carlos W. Bonham first postmaster.