Background on Place Names

There is background on why and how some things in the district were named on trail pages. For items that didn’t fit on a trail page, they have been put here.

  • Dead Horse Butte – Dee Wright, a native of Molalla, informs the compiler that in pioneer days several stray horses were lost in this canyon and perished, hence the name. Dead Horse Butte nearby took its name from the canyon.1
  • The Farm – this term appears on old Maps – Farm Creek was named by Joe Davis, Jim Russell, Andy Wyland and Joe Dickey, who prospected and mined in that part of the county in the 80’s (1880’s).  They found good horse feed at the head of Farm Creek and left their stock there to pasture, calling the place “The Farm”.1
  • Linney Creek – This was named for an engineer connected with the Mount Hood Railway and Power Company project.1
  • Battle Axe – There are two stories as to how it received its name.  One is to the effect that it is sharp and has the appearance of a battle axe, while the other is that is was named by an old woodsman of the North Santiam Valley for a brand of chewing tobacco which was popular in the 90’s (1890’s) and which he used liberally while exploring in the neighborhood of the mountain.1
  • Faraday – This is the station for the Cazadero power plant of PGE on the Clackamas River.  It was named by B.O. Coldwell, for Michael Faraday, the great British scientist, who discovered the induction of electric current.1
  • Hambone Butte – It was named by TH Sherrard of the Forest Service, who says that the selection of the name was arbitrary, and that it had no peculiar significance.1
  • Oak Grove Butte – Named for the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River and not because of any groves of oaks on its slopes.1
  • Oak Gove Fork, Clackamas River – In early days, Wapinitia, on the east side of the Cascade Range was known as Oak Grove, and because this fork headed in that general direction it was known as Oak Grove Fork.1
  • Silver King Mountain – It was named for a mining claim nearby which was located by some Portland men.1

 

1Oregon Geographic Names, McArthur, Lewis.