# Oregon Geographic Names (1952)/R

​Rabbit Ears, Douglas County. These two peculiar rocks are in the mountains west of Rogue River opposite Crater Lake. The higher has an elevation of 6031 feet. The Indian name was Kalistopox, according to Will G. Steel. Two forest rangers, William E. White and Melvin E. Layton climbed one of them in 1912 and built a cairn on its summit. A stream nearby is Rabbitear Creek.
RACHEL, Linn County. Rachel post office was situated on what is known as Middle Ridge at a point about five miles southeast of Sodaville. It was at the home of James W. Pierpoint, the first and only postmaster, and was named for his mother, Rachel Pierpoint. Rachel post office was ​established February 16, 1915, and discontinued June 15, 1916, with papers to Sodaville.
RACKHEAP CREEK, Tillamook County. This stream is in the extreme north part of the county and flows into North Fork Nehalem River from the east. Little Rackheap Creek is just to the north and flows into Rackheap Creek. In January, 1944, J. H. Scott of Nehalem wrote the compiler that the term rackheap was used by loggers to indicate a heap or pile of logs to be driven down stream by splash dam operations. It also means an accumulation of waste and scrap logs and debris. An eddy in the North Fork Nehalem River piles up a collection of debris and brush at the mouth of Rackheap Creek, which is the reason for the odd name of the stream.
Ragic, Curry County. Ragic is Cigar spelled backward. G. W. Meservey wrote from Illahe saying that a distinctive name was wanted, and Ragic was the result! Ragic post office was established September 10, 1898, with John H. McElhaney first postmaster. The office was closed October 5, 1900, and mail sent to Wedderburn. Ragic was about nine miles up Rogue River from Wedderburn, apparently on the McElhaney place about a mile west of the mouth of Lobster Creek.
RAILROAD CREEK, Douglas County. This stream is in the west part of the county and is tributary from the east to North Fork Smith River at a point about a mile and a half up stream from the mouth of North Fork. In May, 1948, William Wroe, a local resident, wrote that the name Railroad was applied because there was once a logging railroad near the creek. Wroe added: "That was way over fifty years ago and there is no trace of the railroad left."
Railroad GAP, Jackson County. The name Railroad Gap has been used in the upper Evans Creek area for many years. It is applied to a natural pass and also to a Forest Service lookout, both of which are situated in the southwest corner of township 32 south, range 2 west. When the Oregon and California Railroad was being projected south from Roseburg in the '70s, a survey was run through this section in hope of finding a practicable route from the drainage of Cow Creek into the Rogue River. This location was not used but the fact of the survey gave rise to the name Railroad Gap. For the geography of the locality, see USGS map of the Trail quadrangle, issued in 1945.
RAINBOW, Lane County. The name of this post office was suggested by Mrs. L. Quimby, whose husband bought the property where the office is situated, in May, 1922. The office was established July 1, 1924. Mrs. Quimby selected the name because McKenzie River nearby is the home of the popular rainbow trout, Salmo irideus.
RAINBOW Point, Klamath County. This point is on the south shore of Crescent Lake. It was named by F. W. Cleator of the Forest Service in 1925 because of the presence of many rainbow trout in the water nearby.
RAINIER, Columbia County. The town of Rainier was founded by Charles E. Fox, who settled there in 1851, and was the first postmaster. The name of the town was taken from Mount Rainier. The earlier name was Eminence. Mount Rainier, in Washington, has been the center of probably the most acute geographic name controversy in the history of the country. It was named by George Vancouver on May 8, 1792, for Rear-Admiral Peter Rainier, of the Royal Navy. For facts about the discovery and Admiral Rainier, see Meany's Vancouver's Discovery of ​
the a th Puget Sound, page 99. For additional information about the mountain and the name Tacoma as applied thereto, see Mount Rainier, by the same author. Eminence post office was established June 5, 1851, with Charles E. Fox first postmaster. The name of the office was changed to Rainier on January 6, 1852.
RAINROCK, Lane County. This station is west of Eugene. The name was applied by H. L. Walter of the operating department of Southern Pacific Company. Walter told the compiler he selected this name arbitrarily and it had no particular significance.
RALEIGH, Washington County. The name Raleigh was derived from an old-time resident of the neighborhood, Raleigh Robinson. The place is on the Scholls Ferry road at a point about a mile southwest of the Hillsdale-Beaverton Highway crossing, and just southwest of the Portland Golf Club. Raleigh post office was established April 26, 1892, with Frank T. Berry first postmaster. The office was closed April 29, 1904, with papers to Beaverton. In recent years the locality has been called Raleigh Hills, which sounds like a name coined by real estate operators. Ramo FLAT, Union County. This flat is southeast of Union. Dunham Wright of Medical Springs informed the compiler in 1927 that it was named for a Frenchman, one Raymou, who lived thereon.
RAMSEY LAKE, Multnomah County. This lake lies south of the mouth of the Willamette River. It was named for F. H. Ramsey, a pioneer settler of the neighborhood.
RANCHERIA CREEK, Jackson County. Rancheria Creek rises on the west slopes of the Cascade Range south of Rustler Peak and flows southwestward to join South Fork Big Butte Creek east of Butte Falls. This name has been shown on maps since pioneer days, Rancheria is a Spanish word used to refer to an Indian village or frequently for creeks flowing by such villages. The compiler has been told that Rancheria Creek was named because of the Indian village not far from its mouth and also not far from the old military freight road from Jacksonville to Fort Klamath.
RANDLEMAN CREEK, Coos County. Randleman Creek, which flows into Bear Creek east of Bandon, was named for Michel Randleman, who settled near the stream in 1874. The Randleman family has been prominent in Coos County affairs for several generations,
RANDOLPH, Coos County. Randolph is a community on the north side of Coquille River about three miles from the Pacific Ocean. Walling's History of Southern Oregon, page 492, says the place was established in the days of the Coos County mining excitement, by Dr. Foster and Captain Harris and was named for John Randolph of Roanoke, Virginia. Randolph was first situated several miles northwest of the present location, near the mouth of Whisky Run, a small stream flowing into the ocean. Nearby sands were mined with feverish activity between 1853 and 1855. A dreary picture of Randolph in October, 1855, after the fever, is given in an article by William V. Wells, in Harper's Magazine, October, 1856, page 595.
RANGE, Grant County. This post office was established June 4, 1908, and was named by its patrons because of the good stock range in the vicinity. Craig Thom was first postmaster.
RANN, Grant County. Rann post office was established April 8, 1886, with William D. Baker first of two postmasters. The office was closed to ​
Canyon City, February 29, 1888. Rann and Ryan were in the livestock business in the central part of the Silvies Valley, and Rann post office was at or near the Rann ranch. It may be assumed that the office was named for this stockman.
RATTLESNAKE CREEK, Lane County. Rattlesnake Creek Hows into Middle Fork Willamette River east of Pleasant Hill and west of Trent. Rattlesnake Butte, elevation 1374 feet, is just east of the south end of the stream. The creek was named by Elijah Bristow in pioneer days because of the prevalence of rattlesnakes in the vicinity. See Walling's Ilustrated History of Lane County, page 447. The place now called Trent was once called Rattlesnake because it was on the banks of Rattlesnake Creek. Ray GOLD, Jackson County. This is the railroad name for Gold Ray. Colonel Frank Ray built a power plant on Rogue River nearby and named the place for himself with Gold added because it was hoped the enterprise would be a gold mine. The power plant is still known by its original name, but the railroad reversed the order of things because of confusion with Gold Hill nearby.
REBEL Hill, Grant County. This small eminence in the southeastern part of Canyon City was named during the Civil War because some southern sympathizers lived on the hill and made their presence in the community very much noticed.
REBEL Rock, Lane County. Rebel Rock is on the west slope of the Cascade Range near South Fork McKenzie River. It is said to have been named for a pioneer sheep herder who boasted that he was the only rebel who had never been whipped, captured or surrendered.
RECTOR, Tillamook County. When the Wheeler Lumber Company established a logging camp at this place about 1909, it was named after Edward Rector, the manager of the company. The post office was established August 1, 1913, with Mrs. Elizabeth M. McClure first postmaster.
REDBOY, Grant County. Redboy post office was established to serve the Redboy mine in the Blue Mountains a few miles southwest of Granite. The office was put in service December 5, 1907, with Percy W. Brick first of two postmasters. It was closed out to Granite December 15, 1910.
REDESS, Harney County. Redess was named for "Red S" brand of the Pacific Live Stock Company's ranch nearby. It is between Burns and Crane on the Union Pacific Railroad.
REDLAND, Clackamas County. Redland is a locality six or seven miles east of Oregon City, so called because of the color of the soil. Redland post office was established March 21, 1892, with William J. Johnson first of five postmasters. The office was closed October 12, 1903, apparently because of the extension of rural free delivery.
REDMOND, Deschutes County. Redmond was named for Frank T. Redmond, who settled near the present site of the town in 1905. His house was a stopping place for transients. The town was laid out in 1906. For history of Redmond see University of Oregon Commonwealth Review, April-July, 1924. Redmond post office was established on August 29, 1905, with Carl N. Ehret first postmaster.
REDNE, Marion County. Redne post office was established January 10. 1918, with Gladys Grate first postmaster. The office was discontinued August 31, 1921. The writer was told in January, 1947, that the office ​
ame Reedin, up the pece was establishea post office, was at a logging camp or headquarters on North Santiam River between Niagara and Detroit. It is said that the name was coined by spelling the proper name Ender backward. Ender was also a logging station, previously in service just east of Niagara, but it was not a post office,
REED, Lane County. Reed post office was established February 8, 1900. John L. Tavlor drew up the petition for the post office and suggested the name Reed in honor of Thomas Brackett Reed, for many years speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
REEDER POINT, Multnomah County. Reeder Point is on the west bank of Columbia River and on the east shore of Sauvie Island in the extreme northeast corner of Multnomah County. It is about a mile south of the north boundary of the county. It is not a sharply defined point, in fact no more than a single bend in the river. It bears the name of pioneer settlers in the locality, Simon M. and Catherine Reeder. The Reeders established themselves on their donation land claim in the '50s. See under SAUVIES.
REEDSPORT, Douglas County. This town was named in honor of Alfred W. Reed, a pioneer resident of the western part of the county. The name was first applied about 1900 when the townsite was platted. The post office was established July 17, 1912.
REEDVILLE, Washington County. This town was named for Simeon G. Reed, who was a foremost figure in Columbia River transportation during the years 1859-79. He was a leading member of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, and a large part of his fortune came from the sale of that company to the Villard syndicate in July, 1879. Reed was born at East Abington, Massachusetts, April 23, 1830, and came to Oregon in 1852. In 1859 he became a partner in the mercantile firm of Ladd Reed & Company. He engaged in various activities after the sale of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. He died at Pasadena, California, November 7, 1895. For his biography, see the Oregonian, November 8, 1895, page 10; June 26, 1904, page 33. Reed operated a blooded stock farm at what is now Reedville. For description of the farm and the live stock, ibid., October 12, 1875. His property became the endowment of Reed College after the death of his wife, Amanda Wood Reed. Mrs. Reed was born at Quincy, Massachusetts, August 26, 1832; was married to S. G. Reed in October 1850, and came to Oregon in 1852. She died at Pasadena May 16, 1904. Reedville post office was established January 2, 1877, with George Thing postmaster.
REID GLACIER, Clackamas County. This glacier is on the west slope of Mount Hood. It was named in 1901 for Professor Harry Fielding Reid, of Johns Hopkins University, an authority on glaciers. For his article on Glaciers see Mazama, July, 1903; Glaciers of Mount Hood and Mount Adams, ibid., December, 1905. Professor Reid was born in Baltimore, May 18, 1859; died June 18, 1944.
REMOTE, Coos County. Remote was named in pioneer days because of the location, which was well isolated from other settlements. The post office was established June 1, 1887, with Herman S. Davis first postmaster.
RENFREW GLACIER, Lane County. This glacier, on the northwest slope of the Middle Sister, bears the name of P. C. Renfrew, one of the incorporators of the McKenzie toll road project.
RESERVE, Lane County. This station on the Cascade line of the Southern Pacific was named many years ago when national forests were ​
called reserves. It was at the boundary of the Cascade Forest Reserve.
REST, Harney County. A post office with the agreeable name Rest was established on the Harney County list on April 3, 1890, with Samuel F. Hutton first and only postmaster. This office was closed to Riley on April 29, 1891. In March, 1947, Archie McGowan wrote the compiler as follows: "Samuel F. Hutton was a pioneer settler in the vicinity of Wagontire Mountain. This area became quite famous during the last home. stead era because of the feuds between the pioneer stockmen and the later settlers over the famous Wagontire waterholes. Mrs. America Sutherland, daughter of S. F. Hutton, reports that there were very few patrons for this early post office. It was situated in her father's home, and since patrons had to come so far for their mail, they had to rest before starting on their return journey. The name Rest was applied on that account."
RESTON, Douglas County. This place is said to have been named by a traveler who sat on the front porch of Edmond E. Weekly's stage station. Weekly was considering a name for the post office, which was established August 25, 1890, and the stranger suggested Rest because of the conveniences furnished to tired travelers. Weekly found there was another post office named Rest and he added an additional syllable. The place has been called Reston ever since, but it was not a post office in 1941.
RETLAW, Washington County. This station is on the line of the Southern Pacific Company and was named by spelling the word Walter backward. The place was named for H. L. Walter, a member of the operating department of the company in Portland.
REUBEN, Columbia County. On February 29, 1940, the Rainier Review published a short article about Goble and Reuben, Reuben is a place about a mile south of Goble and apparently it was named for Reuben R. Foster who was the second postmaster. The post office was established September 5, 1890, with Eli G, Foster the first postmaster. The office ran with one interruption until it was discontinued to Goble October 25, 1923. Members of the Foster family were prominent in the history of Goble and vicinity. The place called Reuben is at or near a locality once known as Enterprise. It was planned to name the post office Enterprise in 1890, but that proposal fell by the wayside because there was already an Enterprise in Wallowa County, where the post office was established in 1887.
REUBEN CREEK, Josephine County, Reuben Creek is a tributary of Grave Creek west of Leland. It was named for Reuben Field, who fought in the Rogue River War. See under MOUNT REUBEN.
REX, Yamhill County. Rex is a community in Chehalem Gap a few miles east of Newberg, very near the Washington-Yamhill county line. The writer has not been able to learn why the name was selected. Soine time in the '90s Charles F. Moore, a local landowner, platted some property in the place and named it Charleston, presumably for his own given name. A railroad station was installed with the name Charleston and on March 27, 1900, Charleston post office was established with Harry L. Ward postmaster. Very soon confusion developed with the town of Carlton in the same county. Mail and railroad shipments went astray. The railroad changed the station name from Charleston to Rex and on May 14, 1901, the name of the post office was changed to Rex. Local ​
residents say the railroad selected the name Rex, but no one seems to know why.
RHEA CREEK, Morrow County. The name Ray Creek is incorrect, The stream was named for Columbus Rhea, son of Elijah Rhea, pioneer of Lane County. Columbus Rhea settled in eastern Oregon about 1870, near the junction of Willow and Rhea creeks. Other brothers settled in the neighborhood. Columbus Rhea was engaged in a number of enterprises beside farming and was living in Heppner in 1928. He died July il, 1934.
RHINEHART, Union County. Rhinehart station is a flag stop on the Union Pacific Railroad a few miles south of Elgin, but the name is misspelled. Henry Rinehart and other members of the family were early and prominent settlers in the locality, and the station is supposed to bear the family name, but has too many of the letter "h." For information about members of the Rinehart family, see Illustrated History of Union and Wallowa Counties, pages 337, 344, and 411.
RHODA CREEK, Coos County. This stream flows into South Fork Coquille River south of Myrtle Point. It was named for William Rhoda, one of the so-called Baltimore party that settled nearby in pioneer days. Rhoda is said to have been a skilled cabinet maker.
RHODES CREEK, Wallowa County. This stream flows into Lightning Creek in the northeast part of the county. It was named for one Doc Rhodes, a local resident.
RHODODENDRON, Clackamas County. Rhododendron is the post office for a popular summer colony on the Mount Hood Loop Highway. The place was originally called Rowe for Henry S. Rowe, who was one time mayor of Portland and who was interested in the development of Oregon's scenic attractions. Later the post office was known as Zigzag. Still later the name was changed to Rhododendron because of the large number of rhododendron shrubs growing in the neighborhood.
RIBBON Ridge, Yamhill County. Ribbon Ridge is a spur in the southwest part of the Chehalem Mountains, about east of Yamhill. The top of the ridge twists like a ribbon, hence the name. A story in the Newberg Graphic, April 25, 1940, says that Ribbon Ridge was named by Colby Carter, who came to Oregon from Missouri in 1865, and was an early settler in the Chehalem Mountains. Rice CREEK, Douglas County. Rice Creek is east of Dillard. It was named for Harrison Rice, who settled near this creek in 1852.
RICE HILL, Douglas County. Rice Hill was named for I. F. Rice, who settled there in 1850. It is a summit on the Southern Pacific Company line on the watershed between Elk Creek and Umpqua River. For many years Rice Hill was the bugaboo of pioneer travelers and it even presented a problem in railroad construction. The elevation of the government bench mark near the top of Rice Hill is 710 feet. Rich GULCH, Malheur County. This gulch is in the very north part of the county, and drains south into Willow Creek a few miles west of Malheur. It was named during the gold fever of the '60s when rich placers were found in the vicinity.
RICHARDS BUTTE, Douglas County. This butte is about four miles north of Wilbur, and west of the Pacific Highway. It was named for James Richards, one of the earliest settlers in the lower Calapooya Creek section of the county. ​
Richardson BUTTE, Lane County. This butte is northeast of Elmira. It was named for a pioneer family. See OHQ, volume V, page 136. Richardson Butte has an elevation of 812 feet.
RICHARDSON GAP, Linn County. Richardson Gap is east of Franklin Butte and southeast of Scio. It was named for a family of early settlers who resided nearby. Plats dated 1878 show several members of the family owning land in the vicinity of the gap. The principal man in the clan was W. W. Richardson. This gap connects the valleys of Thomas and Crabtree creeks.
RICHLAND, Baker County. W. R. Usher platted this community and named it Richland on account of the character of the soil.
RICHMOND, Wheeler County. Richmond was named by R. N. Donnelly. He gave the site and was the prime mover in establishing the community. The writer is informed that Donnelly selected the name as a result of a controversy he got into with William Walters, another pioneer resident, who objected to Donnelly's selection of the site for a school building. Donnelly called Walters"Jeff Davis" because of Walters' rebellious tendencies about the school, and applied the name Richmond because it was the name of the capital of the confederacy.
RICKARD, Benton County. Rickard post office was named for John Rickard, a well-known Benton County pioneer. The office was established April 28, 1879, and was closed October 5, 1880. Robert S. Brown was the only postmaster. The office was situated on the Rickard claim about two miles east of Bruce.
RICKEY, Marion County. The community of Rickey is southeast of Salem and about a mile south of the Penitentiary road. The locality, which is not incorporated, was named for James Rickey, a very early settler. Rickey School is the principal landmark. For a short account of the place, see Salem Statesman, October 10, 1931. RickREALL CREEK, Polk County. Few geographic names in Oregon have caused such a dispute as the name of this stream, which rises in the Coast Range and how's eastward through Dallas and Rickreall to the Willamette River west of Salem. Members of pioneer families living along its banks have written fully on both sides of the subject, without converting those of opposite belief. The controversy deals with two problems, one concerning the original, pioneer name of the stream, and the other about the meaning of the word Rickreall. One group of early settlers is of the opinion that the pioneer name of the creek was La Creole, and that this name had its origin in the fact that an Indian was drowned at the ford near the present site of Dallas. The French-Canadians referring to the event used the word la creole, meaning the native. Another group insists that the first name of the stream was Rickreall, an Indian word. The matter is complicated by the belief by some that Rickreall is a perversion of la creole, and not an original name, while others insist that Rickreall comes from livak chuck, Chinook jargon for swift water. It has also been suggested that the word Rickreall was an Indian name for a locality near the stream. As far as the compiler knows, the first use of the name is in Wilkes Narrative, 1811, volume V, page 222, Creole Creek, Joel Palmer uses the name Rickreall in 1845-46 in his Journal of Travels, published in 1847. A school at Dallas (La Creole Academy) retains the early name. This school was founded by Horace Lyman. See letter of J. T. Ford in the Oregonian, August 4, 1916, page 8, on Indian origin of the name Rick ​chool was chartered 853. The name is the references give Franz ile reall. The school was chartered with the name Rickreall, by the territorial legislature in December, 1853. The name is given Ricrall in an advertisement in the Oregonian, February 7, 1852. The references given above indicate that there was a difference of opinion about the name of the stream in the early days of pioneer settlement. It seems to the writer that different localities near the stream might have had different names, and while La Creole was used to refer to the creek near Dallas, Rickreall might have been an Indian name for another place on its banks. This would explain some of the discrepancies. The USBGN has adopted the name Rickreall Creek, and Rickreall is the name of the post office. Rickreal post office was established June 30, 1851, with Nathaniel Ford postmaster, but was discontinued April 11, 1857. The office was reestablished June 19, 1866, with the spelling Rickreall and with Colonel Ford again postmaster. It has been in continuous operation since it was reestablished. The controversy over the name Rickreall was particularly acute during the summer of 1916. Letters on the subject were printed in the Oregonian July 23, 26, 30, August 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, September 10, October 2 and 8, 1916. During the Civil War and for some time thereafter Rickreall village was frequently referred to as Dixie because of Southern sentiment in the community. The name Dixie was used colloquially for several decades, but it was never the name of the post office. Riddle, Douglas County. Riddle is a town on the Siskiyou line of the Southern Pacific, south of Roseburg. It was named for William H. Riddle, who came to Oregon from Springfield, Illinois, in 1851, and settled near the present site of the town. The old form Riddles is wrong. For information about the Riddle family, see the Oregonian, March 29, 1925. Riddle CREEK, Harney County. This creek and Riddle Mountain, just to the north, were named for Stilley Riddle, an early settler. The mountain is about ten miles southeast of Malheur Lake. Riddle Mountain has an elevation of 6356 feet, according to the USC&GS. The highest point is near the east end. T. S. Riddle was a member of a pioneer family of Oregon. For his biography, see Walling's History of Southern Oregon, page 539. Ridge, Umatilla County. Ridge post office was given a name descriptive of its situation which was about a dozen miles southwest of Pilot Rock. The ridge was the watershed between the Birch Creek and Butter Creek drainages, and there was sufficient local timber to provide business for a sawmill and for an output of poles and posts. Ridge post office was established October 5, 1882, and was in service until May 15, 1906. William R. Stansell was the first postmaster.
RIDGEWAY, W'asco County. Ridgeway post office was established March 3, 1892, with Mary S. Cooke first postmaster. The othice was finally closed October 31, 1905, with papers to Shaniko. The locality called Ridgeway was west of Antelope in the southeast part of the county. In May, 1946, Judge Fred W. Wilson of The Dalles wrote the compiler in part as follows: "Mrs. D. V. Bolton, wife of our county clerk, was the daughter of H. C. Rooper and raised right in the Ridgeway country. She remembers all about it. When she was a girl, the stagecoaches going to Canyon City on the one hand and to Prineville on the other used one road from The Dalles to Bakeoven. Then at Bakeoven ​
the roads branched and the road for the Canyon City coaches went by way of Antelope, Cold Camp, Burnt River and Mitchell, while the other road to Prineville went from Bakeoven to the head of Cow Canyon and then through Cross Keys and Hay Creek. Mrs. Bolton says that when she was a little girl there was a post office at Ridgeway and that she used to ride a horse to get the mail. The reason for the name is easily explained. The road, after it left Bakeoven, went along a rather high ridge until it reached the head of Cow Canyon, and it was by reason of this ridge that the office got the name Ridgeway, and the area out there is still called the Ridgeway country, though the post office has long since been abandoned."
RIDGEWAY BUTTE, Linn County. This butte, east of Lebanon, was named for a pioneer settler, James Ridgeway. The name Chamberlain Butte is incorrect.
RIETH, Umatilla County. When the railroad company constructed new shops and terminals west of Pendleton, the station was named Rieth after a family of pioneer settlers who owned land nearby. The postal authorities named the post office Reith. This discrepancy in spelling prevailed for some time until the writer made an investigation of the matter, and found that local opinion was in favor of Rieth, and the post office name was accordingly changed. For obituary of Louis Rieth, one of the two brothers who owned the land where the town now stands, see the Oregonian, September 23, 1926.
RIGDON GUARD STATION, Lane County. This guard station on the Middle Fork Willamette River, was once the site of a station or stand of Steve Rigdon of Pleasant Hill. During the times of the emigrations he traded there with the pioneers. Riggs MEADOW, Lane County. This meadow is just northwest of Odell Lake. Dee Wright of Eugene informed the compiler that it was named for Dave Riggs, a sheep man of central Oregon, who pastured his flocks nearby. Riley, Harney County. William Hanley of Burns told the compiler that this place was named for Amos Riley, an early stockman. Archie McGowan, also of Burns, wrote the compiler as follows: "This rural post office was named about 1885 for Riley of Riley and Hardin. Prior to the birth of Riley post office there was an office located about 75 miles north and west named Hardin, which was named for Mr. Hardin of this firm, so it was suggested by residents of Silver Creek that the new office be named Riley."
RILEY CREEK, Curry County. Riley Creek flows under the Oregon Coast Highway at Gold Beach. It was named for Judge Michael Riley, who was born in New York state in 1827 and came to Curry County in 1853. He was a well-known pioneer citizen. He served as sheriff and also in the state legislature. For many years he was county judge of Curry County. Additional biographical information will be found in Dodge's Pioneer History of Coos and Curry Counties. Riley Creek is about a quarter of a mile south of the main part of Gold Beach. The stream should not be confused with Dean Creck which flows through the main part of town. Ringo Point, Clackamas County. In pioneer days a locality about 15 miles southeast of Oregon City was called the Ringo settlement, named for the Ringo family. It was near the place that was later called Clarke. Ringo Point post office was established May 16, 1876, with ​
áld William J. Allison first postmaster. The office was closed April 3, 1878. The compiler has not been able to identify the exact geographic feature called Ringo Point and it does not appear on available maps.
RITTER, Grant County. The post office at Ritter was named for the Reverend Joseph Ritter at whose ranch it was first established. The office has not always been in its present location. It is now near hot mineral springs, formerly known as McDuffee Hot Springs, but now known as Ritter Hot Springs. Joseph. Ritter was a pioneer Baptist minister of the John Day Valley. The springs were discovered by William Neal McDuffee, an early day packer between Umatilla and the John Day mines. River Mill, Clackamas County. This station and power plant north of Estacada were so named because they were established near a sawmill on the banks of Clackamas River.
RIVERDALE, Tillamook County. Shortly after the turn of the century a post office with the descriptive name Riverdale was in service for a lit. tle over a year at a point about three miles north of Tillamook. This office was close to Kilchis River and was named on that account. The office was not far from the locality later called Cloverleaf. Riverdale post office was established in June, 1901, and was closed in August, 1902. Theodore P. Bowlby was the postmaster. Rivers, Deschutes County. Rivers post office was in the extreme north part of township 20 south, range 19 east, a little to the northeast of Brothers. Post route and other maps show this place as on the north border of Deschutes County, just over the line from Crook County. An office with the descriptive name Highland was established on the Crook County list September 6, 1913, with Mrs. Mary T. Rivers postmaster. This was before Deschutes County was established. On March 9, 1914, the name of the office was changed to Rivers in compliment to the family of the postmaster. The office was discontinued December 21, 1918. The later record of this office was put on the Deschutes County list by postal authorities and it is assumed that the Highland-Rivers office was always in what is now Deschutes County, but by a narrow margin.
RIVERSIDE, Malheur County. Riverside was given a descriptive name because the place was on the banks of Malheur River near the junction of the South Fork. Riverside post office was established November 21, 1889, with Teresa E. McRae first postmaster.
RIVERTON, Coos County. Riverton is a community on the Oregon Coast Highway about 12 miles east of Bandon. It is on the east bank of Coquille River and got its name on that account. Riverton post office was established June 30, 1890, with Orlando A. Kelly first postmaster. Riverton was laid out by E. Weston, a civil engineer, in 1889. The townsite was originally part of the Nathaniel Thrush property. Kelly, a teacher, is said to have been the first settler in the place. For more information about Riverton, see Dodge's Pioneer History of Coos and Cury Counties, page 249.
ROARING SPRINGS, Harney County. These springs are at the western foot of Steens Mountain. They are so called because of the peculiar noise they make.
ROBERTS, Crook County. Roberts was named for an early settler in Crook County, J. E. Roberts, who was for a time postmaster, but not the first. ​
ROBERTS, Linn County. Roberts is a place on Quartzville Creek not far above the mouth. It seems to have been named for John Roberts, a miner and prospector, who lived beside the stream for many years, mining at various localities. For an account of his activities, see Sweet Home New Era, July 3, 1941.
ROBERTS, Marion County. Roberts is a station on the Oregon Electric Railway four miles southwest of Salem. When the railway was built south of Salem about 1911, the station was named Livesley in compliment to T. A. Livesley, a prominent hop grower of the locality. Livesley was associated with John J. Roberts and the style of the firm was T. A. Livesley & Company. In 1925 Roberts bought the Livesley interest and the firm became John J. Roberts & Company. The name of the station was changed to Roberts at that time.
ROBERTS, Yamhill County. Roberts post office was in service in the north part of the county from April 5, 1892, to August 28, 1895. It was about east of Wapato and near the south end of Wapato Lake. James H. Robertson was the first postmaster of Roberts post office and the name of the office is said to have been derived by abbreviation from the postmaster's family name.
ROBERTS BUTTE, Wallowa County. This butte is about 14 miles north of Enterprise and was named for Mrs. Nellie (Stillwell) Roberts Averill, who ranged stock nearby about 1885.
ROBERTS MOUNTAIN, Douglas County. This mountain, and Roberts Creek, just to the north, were named for Jesse Roberts, a pioneer landowner. The mountain is important because of the fact that for many years the stage road passed through a gap on its summit, and the steep grade and narrow road resulted in many accidents and not a few deaths.
ROBINETTE, Baker County, James E. Robinette, born in Maryland in 1852, emigrated to Nevada about 1870 and came to Union County, Oregon, in 1884. He was associated with various mining enterprises, and in October, 1887, settled at what is now Robinette on the west bank of Snake River. When the railroad was built from Huntington down Snake River about 1909, a station and a townsite were named for Robinette. A post office was established about the time the railroad was built. For biography of James E. Robinette, see Gaston's Centennial History of Oregon, volume III, page 715. The spelling Robinett is wrong.
ROBINS NEST, Clackamas County. Robert Moore, who came to Oregon from Illinois with the Peoria party in 1840 used the name Robins Nest for his little settlement on the west bank of the Willamette River across from Oregon City. The place was later called Linn City and now is known as West Linn. On December 20, 1945, Ernest E. East of the Illinois Historical Society wrote the Oregon Historical Society as follows: "It is not impossible that Robert Moore got the poetic inspiration for 'Robin's Nest from the name of the log house in which lived Philander Chase, first bishop of the diocese of Illinois, Protestant Episcopal Church. Chase bought land in the valley of Kickapoo Creek about 12 miles west of Peoria and established Jubilee College. His first house was called Robin's Nest,' because, as he said, it was built of mud and sticks, and filled with young ones.' Robin's Nest was a United States post office. Philander Chase was the first postmaster. Robin's Nest Farm today occupies part of the original Jubilee College farm. The chapel and dor ​mitory, erected in or about 1839, with 90 acres is maintained by the State and Jubilee College Park."
ROBINSON, Washington County. Robinson is a station where the Scholls Ferry Road crosses the Southern Pacific line south of Beaverton. It was named for William J. Robinson, whose donation land claim was situated nearby.
ROBISONVILLE, Grant County. Robisonville was one of the early post offices in the Blue Mountain mining region, in the extreme east part of Grant County. Obviously it was named for a man, but the compiler has been unable to learn the circumstances. The post office was established June 27, 1878, and was discontinued July 23, 1884. Charles W. Daggett was the only postmaster. The name of the office has been spelled in several different ways on government maps, but post office records use the style Robisonville, and that form is said to be correct by various old timers in the vicinity. Robinsonville and Robertsonville are reported to be misspellings of the official name. Robisonville was close to the summit of the Blue Mountains and in the vicinity of the place later called Greenhorn, which was in Baker County.
ROBY HILL, Marion County. Roby Hill lies in the bend between Willamette River and Santiam River and is just south of Ankeny Bottom. It has an elevation of 345 feet. It was named for R. Roby, who took up a donation land claim nearby in pioneer days. Rocca, Polk County. Rocca post office was on Rock Creek in the extreme southwest corner of the county, and during its entire existence it was in the Hampton home. The office was established April 30, 1895, with Miss Maggie Hampton first of four postmasters. The office was closed on August 31, 1918. When the office was first proposed it was planned to have Sam Center act as postmaster, but as he was moving from the neighborhood, other arrangements were necessary. Center asked to have the office named for his daughter, Mary Rocca Center. This girl had been named for a friend of her mother who had married an Italian. Rock CREEK, Baker County. There are at least fifty streams in Oregon called Rock Creek, a name applied by early-day residents with the greatest of ease and not without reason. One of the best known of these creeks is that which flows eastward out of the Blue Mountains to join Powder River near Haines. This Rock Creek was named during the days of the mining excitement of the '60s. There is a community area about six miles west of Haines that goes by the name Rock Creek. A post office was established in this locality shortly after the turn of the century, with Edward P. Castor postmaster, but available information about its life history is meager. The compiler finds it listed as Rockcreek in the Postal Guide as of December 1, 1903, but elsewhere the style Rock Creek is used. The office doubtless gave way to rural free delivery. Rock CREEK, Gilliam County. A post office called Rockcreek was es. tablished in 1906. There was an earlier office farther down stream which operated with the name Rockville. Information about a post office called Rock Creek has come to light. It was established June 3, 1872, with Alexander Smith postmaster. The second postmaster was James R. Alfrey. The office was discontinued March 11, 1874. While it is obvious that this post office was on or near Rock Creek the compiler does not know if it was in the same location as Rockcreek office. . ​
Rock CREEK, Hood River and Wasco counties. This stream is west and south of Wamic. Joel Palmer crossed a stream in this vicinity on October 4, 1845, and named it Rock Creek. See his Journal of Travels. While exact identification is impossible, it may be assumed that the stream now called Rock Creek is the one Palmer named. Rock CREEK, Jackson County. This stream is north of Lower Table Rock and flows westward into Sams Creek. It has been known in the past as Table Rock Creek, but in 1937 Paul B. Rynning recommended that the name Rock Creek was more suitable and that is the form used on the Medford topographic map of the USGS. See also under SNIDER CREEK. Rock CREEK, Washington County. Early maps show the stream as Stony Creek, but for many years Rock Creek has been the universally accepted name. The name Dawson Creek, applied to the lower part of the stream, is incorrect, and was ruled against by the USBGN on October 6, 1926.
ROCK MESA, Lane County. The word mesa is Spanish for table, and is used in geographic nomenclature to describe hills and peaks with more or less flat tops. Rock Mesa is south of the Three Sisters. Rock POINT, Jackson County. Rock Point is now principally famous because of a fine concrete arch over Rogue River carrying the Pacific Highway. It is two miles west of Gold Hill, and is named because of the geological formation. In pioneer days this general locality was known as Dardanelles, and there was a post office by that name established October 19, 1852, with William G. T'Vault first postmaster. It was also an important travelers' station. The T'Vault place was on the south bank of the river about two miles east of the Rock Point bridge. Dardanelles post office operated intermittently until December, 1878. There was also a post office named Rock Point, established in November, 1859, with John B. White first postmaster. This office operated until October, 1912. Early writers sometimes referred to this locality as Point of Rocks. RockAWAY, Tillamook County. Rockaway is north of Tillamook Bay. The Rockaway Beach Company projected this summer resort and named the townsite. The place is obviously named for Rockaway, Long Island, New York, a famous eastern seashore resort.
ROCKCREEK, Gilliam County. Rockcreek takes the name of the longest creek in the county. The name of the creek is accurately descriptive. The community name is generally used in two words, but the post office uses the form Rockcreek,
ROCKFORD, Hood River County. This is a community on the west side of Hood River Valley and is said to have been named because of the rocky character of the surroundings.
ROCKLAND, Douglas County, Rockland post ofhce was given a name descriptive of the surroundings. It was a few miles southeast of Dixonville, and in the southeast quarter of township 27 south, range 4 east. The office was established June 28, 1910, with Alfred Mathews first and only postmaster. The office was discontinued to Dixonville on October 15, 1913. Rockville, Gilliam County. Rockville was a place on Rock Creek not far above the mouth, probably not more than two or three miles and not as far as the railroad station now known as Rock Creek. The ​
writer cannot determine the exact location. The first post office in this locality was called Scotts, and it was established February 4, 1867, with Daniel G. Leonard first postmaster. This office was at or close to the mouth of Rock Creek near the place known as Leonards Bridge. Leonards Bridge was over John Day River and was a toll enterprise. The name Scotts seems to have been derived from a local settler or landowner. There is a Scott Canyon making into John Day River a few miles south of Rock Creek. The name of the post office called Scotts was changed to Rockville on November 26, 1878, and Thomas S. Lang became postmaster. It was in operation until August 2, 1889. It is apparent from a War Department map of 1887 that when the name was changed to Rockvile, the ofhce was moved eastward two or three miles. Thomas Lang was an early day sheep raiser in the Heppner area and he carried on part of his activities near lower Rock Creek in what is now Gilliam County. Later he was a well-known citizen at The Dalles. He used a canyon to the northeast of Rockville to get his wool down to the Columbia River boats, and this canyon is still known as Lang Canyon. Scotts post office referred to above was apparently the first post office in what is now Gilliam County.
ROCKVILLE, Malheur County. Rockville is on the east border of the county in the Sucker Creek drainage and about fifteen miles north of Sheaville. There is plenty of rock in the area and the name is descriptive. Rockville post office was established January 27, 1912, with Etta E. Mullinax first postmaster.
ROCKWOOD, Multnomah County. Rockwood community on the Base Line Road a little over two miles northwest of Gresham was named for the rocks and trees that characterized the locality in earlier days. The post office was established March 14, 1882, with Cyrus C. Lewis first postmaster. The office was closed February 28, 1903, with the advent of rural delivery. Lewis, the first storekeeper, wanted a post office to help his mercantile establishment. Francis Tegart, frequently called Lord Tegart, local landowner, is said to have applied the name Rockwood in the hope of impressing members of his family in Ireland with his "estate." When the post office was established, he insisted on the selection of the name Rockwood. Rocky BUTTE, Multnomah County. This butte has been known in the past as Wiberg Butte, but that name has fallen into disuse. The present name is appropriate because of the quarry on the east face. Rocky Point, Klamath County. Rocky Point bears a descriptive name for a place on the shore of Pelican Bay of Upper Klamath Lake. It is an area that has been used for some years by summer residents. A post office called Pelican was established in this vicinity on July 5, 1888, with Charles Stidham first of five postmasters. This office ran along until October 29, 1907, when it was closed to Ashland. The next office for the Pelican Bay area was named Recreation, established October 15, 1913, with May D. Willson first postmaster. This office operated on and off until February 11, 1924, when the name was changed to Pelican Bay. The name Pelican Bay was changed to Rocky Point on June 30, 1924, and that is the way it was in the 1945 Postal Guide. It may be noted that there was at one time a railroad station on the east side of Upper Klamath Lake opposite Pelican Bay with the name Pelican. ​
Rocky Top, Marion County. This conspicuous mountain is near Niagara. It was named in 1863 by Thomas J. Henness, a pioneer of the North Santiam Valley, because of its formation at the summit. See the Salem Capital Journal, June 18, 1927, page 1. Ropeo, Harney County. This railroad station is named with the Spanish word for roundup. It is a cattle shipping point. The correct pronunciation is with accent on the "e." Rodeo is on the Union Pacific Railroad just southeast of Burns. Rodgers CREEK, Marion County, Rodgers Creek rises in the hills south of Salem and flows eastward to join Battle Creek near Turner. The Pacific Highway East crosses this stream a little to the east of Jackson Hill. Rodgers Creek has been known as Taylor Creek, but on April 12, 1940, the USBGN adopted the name Rodgers Creek. The name of the stream commemorates Clark and Sarah Adams Rodgers, pioneers of 1852, who were married in Marion County in 1856 and settled near the banks of the stream in 1857. In 1939 residents of the vicinity petitioned to have the name Rodgers Creek officially adopted, and this petition was approved by the county commissioners and by various state agencies.
RODLEY BUTTE, Douglas County. Rodley Butte, elevation 6838 feet, is about two miles west of the north end of Diamond Lake and bears the name of Oscar Rodley, a fire guard of the U. S. Forest Service who was drowned while swimming in Diamond Lake on July 14, 1928. He was brought up near Lookingglass and was a graduate of Lookingglass High School and had worked for the Forest Service several seasons. The name Rodley Butte was adopted by the USBGN on January 8, 1930, in place of Bald Butte on the theory that there were more than enough Bald buttes in Oregon to meet existing needs.
ROGNES, Wallowa County, Rognes post office was short lived. It was established in August, 1909, with Louis O. Roggs postmaster and was discontinued in November, 1910. It was situated in the north part of section 10, township 2 north, range 44 east, about 18 miles airline north of Enterprise. The office was named for Rognes Sever, a Norwegian Lutheran minister, who lived in the locality.
ROGUE RIVER, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties, Rogue River rises in the extreme northwest corner of Klamath County at Boundary Springs near the northern boundary of Crater Lake National Park. On December 20, 1904, Max Pracht wrote a letter to the Oregonian giving a well-known but incorrect version of the origin of the name Rogue River, ascribing it to the French word Rouge on account of the alleged red color of the water during food seasons. This letter was printed in the Oregonian for December 22, 1904, page 11. Harvey W. Scott wrote a spirited reply to the Pracht letter, giving the real source of the name and printing it on the same page with the communication. The reply is as follows: "This is fanciful, purely so, though the 'Rougestory is old. There would have been reason for calling the Klamath River Rouge River, or Red River; for its waters are much discolored by the marshes of the lake basin which it drains. But Rogue River is one of the clearest of streams, and even in food its waters are not red. An old French map has been mentioned-though no such map is known to be in existence-whereon the Klamath and Rogue rivers are united and called Rouge-Clamet, or Red Klamath. But Rogue River, as an individual ​
tre with
PIT ci Pia bb Ti 10 This stream, has been known by its present name ever since white men first visited the country. Bishop Blanchet's account of the Catholic Church in Oregon says the French were first to call it by this name. The Indians there were a peculiarly troublesome lot; hence,' says Blanchet, the name "Les Coquins" (the Rogues) and "La Riviere aux Coquins" (The Rogue River) was given to the country by the men of the brigade. So far then, is it from the fact, that Rogue River is a corruption or change from the alleged 'Rouge' River of the French. The actual truth is that the French called it Rogue River themselves. Everything is against the assumption that it once was 'Rouge River'—changed by Missourians to Rogue River, on the theory that 'them French couldn't spell'." In his journal for Monday, September 16, 1833, John Work of the Hudson's Bay Company uses the name River Coquin, referring to what is now known as Rogue River, and the text indicates that the name Coquin was already in use by the fur brigades. In September, 1841, Henry Eld of the Wilkes Expedition used the names Rogue River and Rascally River in his journal. Wm. P. McArthur charted this stream as Rogue River for the U. S. Coast Survey in 1850. Rogue River was called by the Indians Trashit, and by act of the territorial legislature, January 12, 1854, Gold River. See Session Laws, page 29; also the Oregonian, November 15, 1883; letter by "Pioneer." The old name was restored in 1855. For history of the name, see the Oregonian, November 15, 1883. For entertaining editorial about name Rogue River, larded with poetry, ibid., May 23, 1935. Rogue River, Jackson County. Rogue River is the name of a town on Rogue River at the mouth of Evans Creek. It was for many years known as Woodville, but about 1912 the name was changed to Rogue River, presumably on account of the better advertising the community would get with that name. In the early '50s the settlers near the mouth of Evans Creek and west to Evans Ferry were served through Gold River post office, which was at the ferry about three miles from the present site of Rogue River office. See under Evans CREEK. Woodville post office was established February 8, 1876, with John Woods first postmaster. Presumably the place was named for Woods. The post office was changed to Rogue River on March 11, 1912. Rogue River, Polk County. This stream flows into South Yamhill River. It was named because Rogue River Indians lived along its banks after they came from southern Oregon to Grand Ronde Agency.
ROLAND, Coos County. Roland post office was established February 12, 1880, with William N. Warner first and only postmaster. The office was closed November 20, 1882, and what business there was turned over to Myrtle Point. The name of the office was intended to compliment William Rowland, a noted pioneer settler in the south end of the county, but there was a slip in the spelling. Information about William Rowland will be found under RowLAND PRAIRIE and Fort ROWLAND.
ROLLING GROUNDS, Douglas County. These are about 15 miles west of Diamond Lake. They are so called because stock comes from some distance to roll in the light volcanic soil that abounds thereabout.
ROLYAT, Deschutes County, Rolyat is Taylor spelled backward. The post office was established September 15, 1910. It is said that Taylor was the name of a postal official in Washington who had something to do with establishing the office. Victor Schreder was first postmaster. ​
Roman Nose MOUNTAIN, Douglas County. This name is said to have been applied by government surveyors, who determined its elevation, 2856 feet (USGS). The pioneer name was Saddle Mountain, which was considered unsatisfactory because of frequent duplication.
ROME, Malheur County. This post office was established July 26, 1909. The first postmaster was Leonard R. Duncan. The writer is informed that the place was named by Wm. F. Stine because the peculiar geological formations nearby suggested the ruined temples of Rome, Italy.
ROME, Marion County, Rome post office was established June 30, 1851, with Christopher C. Cooley postmaster. It was discontinued March 19, 1852. It is not shown on early maps available to the writer but the Cooley claim was a little east of the present site of Woodburn and it may be assumed that the office was in that locality. There seems to be no record of the reason for the name,
RONDOWA, Wallowa County. Rondowa is a made up name. The station is at the junction of the Grande Ronde and the Wallowa rivers and railroad officials coined the name by taking parts of the names of the two streams.
ROOSEVELT BEACH, Lane County. For some years this community was known as Heceta, in honor of the Spanish explorer who is mentioned under the heading HECETA HEAD. Heceta post office was near the lighthouse, but a few years ago the office was moved several miles north to a ranch near the mouth of Big Creek. The name was changed to Roosevelt Beach in 1922, at the suggestion of Mrs. Gladys Murrow, of Portland. This was because the Roosevelt Coast Military Highway was projected through the ranch, and the name Heceta seemed no longer appropriate because the office had been moved from the cape. The name comes of course from Theodore Roosevelt. The place was not on the post office list in 1939. The 1900 post route map shows a post ofhce named Samaria near the mouth of Big Creek, but the compiler has no information about the origin of the name.
ROOSTER Rock, Clackamas County. This conspicuous peak, elevation 4628 feet, is in the south part of the county near Molalla River. It was named by Bob Ogle of Molalla, a prospector of the early '60s, because of its resemblance to a rooster's comb. This information was furnished by Dee Wright of Eugene. Rooster Rock, Multnomah County. This is probably the rock mentioned by Lewis and Clark as their camping place on the night of Saturday, November 2. 1805. Wilkes, in U. S. Exploring Expedition, volume XXIII, Hydrography, refers to it as the Obelisk, a name that has not persisted. The modern name is of phallic significance. A post office called Rooster Rock was established in May, 1876, with John Gilstrap first postmaster. The name was changed to Latourell Falls in August, 1887. There is nothing in the records to show that the office was always in the same place.
ROOTS CREEK, Lincoln County. This stream flows into Siletz River from the east about a mile north of Mowrey Landing. It was named for a local settler. Roots post ofhce was established in this locality on May 24, 1897, with Thomas A. Roots first postmaster. The office was ​
closed on October 15, 1906. The post office seems to have been moved from time to time if maps of that period are to be relied on.
ROPERS BUNION, Jackson County. This eminence at Ashland bears an unusual name derived from a local resident. It is just south of the business center of the city and east of Lithia Park. Rosa, Linn County. Rosa post office was established April 4, 1892, with Joseph D. Cosgrove first postmaster. The office was closed October 17, 1895. The compiler has been informed by Rex Peery of Bay City that the office was named for his sister, Rosa Peery. The office was a few miles southwest of Scio, in an area previously served by Dotyville ofhce.
ROSARY LAKES, Klamath County. These lakes are in the extreme northwest corner of the county and are very close to the summit of the Cascade Range. They are in a series, simulating to some extent a string of beads and are named on that account. The lakes are very popular among summer residents around Odell Lake. A stream heading at the lakes was formerly known as Maiden Creek because it headed near Maiden Peak, but about 1939 the USBGN changed the name to Rosary Creek to fit popular use.
ROSEBURG, Douglas County. Roseburg was named for Aaron Rose who settled at the site of the community September 23, 1851. Rose was born June 20, 1813, and came to Oregon from Michigan in 1851. During many years his house at Roseburg was a public tavern. He was a well-known character in southern Oregon. He died March 11, 1899. The locality, Roseburg, was first known as Deer Creek, being at the junction of Deer Creek and South Umpqua River. Roseburg's rival was the town of Winchester. In 1854 Roseburg won the county seat by popular vote, aided by settlers of Lookingglass Valley. Rose gave three acres of land and $1000 for the court house. The important buildings of Winchester were moved to Roseburg prior to 1860. For references to Roseburg, see Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume II. page 299. Deer Creek post office was established September 28, 1852, with William T. Perry postmaster. Lewis L. Bradbury became postmaster March 31, 1854. The name of the office was changed to Roseburgh on July 16, 1857. It operated with that name until March, 1894, when the spelling was changed to Roseburg. During that time people of the community generally used the form Roseburg and not Roseburgh.
ROSEDALE, Marion County. Rosedale, which is about six miles south of Salem, has borne its descriptive name for many years. It is at the point where the old highway from Salem to Albany crosses Battle Creek and its pleasing little dale. There are plenty of wild roses in the vicinity. Rosedale post office was established April 20, 1892, by change of name from Dencer, with James M. Lawrence first postmaster. The Dencer office had been in operation since February 12, 1899, at the home of Jacob Dencer about two miles northwest of Rosedale.
ROSLAND, Deschutes County. The origin of the post office name Rosland is one of the mysteries of central Oregon nomenclature. This office was just a little north of the present location of Lapine, on the old stage road, west of The Dalles-California Highway. Rosland post office was established April 13, 1897, with B. J. Pengra first of seven postmasters. It is probable that Pengra named the office, but so far the compiler has failed to discover the reason. The name of the office was changed to Lapine on September 21, 1910. 721"asoned the lengra
​Rose Lodge, Lincoln County. Rose Lodge post office was established February 8, 1908, at the home of Julia E. Dodson, the first postmaster. Mrs. Dodson had a rose bower or "gazabo" over her front gate, and named the office on that account.
Ross ISLAND, Multnomah County. This island was named for Sherry Ross, who owned and lived on it in pioneer days. See the Ore. gonian, December 23, 1926, and Oregon Journal, editorial page, July 12, 1927. The name Ross Island is correctly applied to the northwestward of two islands that lie near each other. The southeast island is known as Hardtack Island by decision of the USBGN. There is a third small island, not more than a gravel bar, lying westward of the south end of Ross Island. These islands are shown as Oak Islands in the atlas accompanying Wilkes' U. S. Exploring Expedition, volume XXIII, Hydrography. Early in 1943 Henry E. Reed of Portland sent the compiler additional information about the small gravel-bar island. A special plat of this island, approved by Surveyor-General E. L. Applegate on January 23, 1869, shows it as Toe Island, obviously because of its shape. Another survey was made in 1883 and the gravel bar was shown as Island No. 3. For additional information, see under HardTACK ISLAND. A good deal has been written about the famous Blue Ruin whisky of pioneer days and some narratives say it was made on Ross Island. It was a fluid of high voltage. Some early settlers drank it neat, or barefoot, as the saying goes. Others reduced its ferocity by making it into long toddy. Blue Ruin was probably made from a mash of wheat, shorts or middlings and molasses. The topers played bean poker for Blue Ruin. Every now and again temperance enthusiasts swooped down on the stills and dumped the stuff in the river.
Ross SLOUGH, Coos County. This is a tributary of Catching Slough, southeast of Coos Bay. It was named for Frank Ross, a respected pioneer resident of Coos County.
ROUEN GULCH, Baker County. Rouen Gulch drains northward from a spur of the Blue Mountains at a point about six miles west of Baker and whatever water it carries finds its way into Salmon Creek. According to Isaac Hiatt in Thirty-one Years in Baker County, page 33, the creek was named in the summer of 1862 by a prospector who found paying gold in the gulch. Hiait does not give this man's name, but says that he named the stream Ru Ann Creek for his eldest daughter. This is an unusual name for a girl, but of course not impossible. There is nothing to explain how the spelling got changed by later users, but Rouen has been the style for many years and is doubtless here to stay.
ROUGH AND READY CREEK, Josephine County. Rough and Ready Creek rises in the Siskiyou Mountains and flows eastward to join West Fork Illinois River. It Rows under the Redwood Highway about two miles north of O'Brien. Rough and Ready Creek was named in the mining excitement of the fifties when Waldo was a boom area in the Illinois Valley. Rough and Ready was the affectionate nickname given to General, later President, Zachary Tavlor. The stream was probably named by a veteran of the Mexican War who admired General Taylor, or perhaps for some miner named Tavlor who appropriated the nickname. The former is more likely. General Tavlor died in 1850 and the Josephine County goldrush began but a few years after that.
Round Prairie, Douglas County. Round Prairie is a well-known place on South Umpqua River between Roseburg and Myrtle Creek. ​It bears a descriptive name. Round Prairie post office was established November 22, 1853, with James D. Burnett postmaster. This office has operated intermittently.
Row RIVER, Lane County. This stream rises on the western slopes of the Cascade Range, and flows into the Coast Fork Willamette River at Cottage Grove. It was at one time known as East Fork Coast Fork, but two neighbors who lived on its banks quarreled continually until the stream was changed to Row River, pronounced with a short "o."
RowE CREEK, Wheeler County. In 1868, J. W. Rowe moved into what is now Wheeler County and engaged in the stock business on the banks of a stream flowing into John Day River. The stream is south of Fossil and its name commemorates this early settler.
ROWENA, Wasco County, Pierce Mays, for many years a resident of Wasco County, told the compiler that this place was named for H. S. Rowe, in the early '80s. Rowe was an official of the railroad company that was building along the south bank of the Columbia River. Mrs. Lulu D. Crandall of The Dalles confirmed this statement, but Miss A. M. Lang, also of The Dalles, thinks Rowena was the name of a girl who lived in the vicinity.
ROWENA DELL, Wasco County. This is a peculiar canyon in the basaltic rock on the Columbia River Highway between Rowena and Mosier. In early days it was known as Hog Canyon, but after the highway was built, a more elegant name was desired, and residents of The Dalles selected Rowena Dell.
ROWLAND, Linn County. Rowland is a station on the Southern Pacific Company Springfield line five miles east-northeast of Harrisburg. It was named for a local resident. Rowland post office was established December 29, 1886, with Jere T. Rowland postmaster. The office continued in operation with various postmasters until February 15, 1905, when it was closed out to Harrisburg. Rural free delivery brought an end to the establishment.
ROWLAND Prairie, Coos County. In 1853 William Rowland and his wife, who was a dusky maiden of the forest, settled in the valley of South Fork Coquille River on what has become known as Rowland Prairie. Rowland was a well-known pioneer, and a fragment of his history is found in Dodge's Pioneer History of Coos and Curry Counties, pages 187-88. During the Indian troubles of 1855-56 the Rowland place was provided with some defense works and was called Fort Rowland. Rowland Creek, a tributary of South Fork Coquille River, is named for the same family.
ROXY ANN PEAK, Jackson County. Will G. Steel was authority for the statement that this well-known feature in the Rogue River Valley was at one time known as Skinner Butte. He said that the present name was bestowed by pioncer packers in 1854 in honor of Roxana Baker, an early settler nearby.
Roy, Washington County. Railroad officials applied this name to a station about 1906, which became a post office in 1907. It came from the Roy family, pioneer settlers of the vicinity.
Roy CREEK, Tillamook County. Roy Creek flows into Nehalem River a mile or so east of Mohler. It was named for Felix Roy, a local landowner.
ROYAL, Lane County. The Geological Survey map of the Cottage Grove quadrangle shows a place named Royal about five miles n ​orth west of and up Silk Creek from Cottage Grove. There is not much left of this little community except the school. Royal post office was established April 6, 1887, with Royal H. Hazelton postmaster. The office operated until September 19, 1899, and it was doubtless named for the first postmaster. Incidentally Silk Creek was at one time known as Hazleton Creek. Royal H. Hazleton received two patents for government land in this vicinity in 1867. Royce MOUNTAIN, Klamath County. This mountain is northeast of Crescent Lake. It was named for George Royce, an early day stockman of the Deschutes Valley. Royston, Klamath County. Royston was a post office in the east part of the county about eighteen miles northeast of Bonanza. The name Royston is still preserved at Royston Spring which is a little to the east of Yainax Butte on the old road from Bonanza to Bly. Royston post office was established December 14, 1892, and operated continuously until August 6, 1908, with Mrs. Lura E. White the only postmaster. Mr. and Mrs. Sanders White moved to a ranch in that part of Klamath County in the early nineties and soon felt the need of a post office. Erle R. White, a son, wrote the compiler from California in June, 1948, saying that his mother wanted the name Agnes for the office but this name in the form Agness was already in use in Curry County. Mrs. White selected the name Agnes in compliment to a sister living in Illinois. The name Royston was then suggested and accepted. Mr. White is of the opinion that his mother selected the name because she found it in a book she was reading. There are at least two places in England named Royston and it is possible that one of them may have been the source of the name of the Klamath County post office.
RUBY, Douglas County. Ruby post office, which was in operation from June, 1895, to August, 1901, was just east of Tahkenitch Lake in the extreme west part of the county. It was on the old Coast wagon road. The office was named at the request of Myrtle E. Wilson, daughter of Joseph E. Wilson, the first postmaster. This young lady liked the name Ruby because it had a pretty sound. Mrs. Mary Slonecker was postmaster at Ruby from 1898 to 1901. Ruby was ten or twelve miles north of Gardiner, and when Mr. Wilson had the office it was on Perkins Creek. When Mrs. Slonecker was postmaster the office was on Fivemile Creek. Ruch, Jackson County. Ruch was named for C. M. Ruch, who bought a small tract of land in 1896, where the community is now situated, and built a blacksmith shop, a store and a house. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster and was given the privilege of naming the post office, which he did, for himsell.
RUCKEL CREEK, Hood River County. This was formerly Deadman Creek, a melancholy designation. At the request of the Oregon Geographic Board, federal authorities adopted the name Ruckel in honor of j. S. Ruckel, who built the portage tramway on the south side of the Columbia River at the Cascades, completing the project in May, 1861. He was an original incorporator of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. Ruckel signed his name as here written and not Ruckle nor Ruckles.
RUCKLES, Douglas County. This place was named for M. C. Ruckles, who owned land where the Southern Pacific Company now has its station. The community was formerly known as Oak Grove, but when the post office was established this name could not be used on account � ​
Claire 525 ! ma of duplication so Ruckles was selected. The railroad station is Dole. It is understood that the railroad objected to the use of the word Ruckles because it sounded so much like Riddles and this presented the possibility of confusion in train orders. Riddles was the former name of the station now known as Riddle. Ruckles does not appear on the 1935 post office list.
RUDDOCK, Umatilla County. Ruddock post office was established July 25, 1888, with Isaac Ruddock postmaster. The office was closed October 12, 1895, and the business turned over to Gibbon. The office was at or near the railroad station North Fork, at the junction of that stream and Meacham Creek. The writer has been told that Ruddock, which was obviously named for the postmaster, was a post office established to serve people engaged in wood cutting operations in the Blue Mountains. *Rudio MOUNTAIN, Grant County. Rudio Mountain is in the west part of the county and Rudio Meadow and Rudio Creek are in the same general localitv. Rudio Creek flows into North Fork John Day River. About 1930 J. E. Snow of Dayville wrote the compiler that these features were named for one Rudio, a cattleman, who settled near the mouth of the creek in the early '70s. His first name was probably Peter. Rufus, Sherman County. Rufus was named for Rufus C. Wallis, the original settler in the community. Wallis later moved across the Columbia River and settled in Klickitat County, Washington. He received a U. S. patent for the Klickitat County land on December 13, 1876, for 163.75 acres.
RUJADA, Lane County. Rujada was a lumber camp at the eastern terminus of the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway, east of Cottage Grove. It is said the name was taken from a telegraph code book, and means "a considerable body of standing timber is available." Rujada does not appear on recent maps, but the name is preserved in Rujada Point Lookout on Rose Hill nearby. Rural, Coos County. The community called Rural was named for its surroundings, which were well described by the name. The place is in the south part of the county on South Fork Coquille River near the mouth of Salmon Creek. Rural post office was established August 21, 1890, with James D. Hayes first postmaster of a series of ten. The post office was discontinued September 30, 1915. Rush CREEK, Wallowa County. This stream is near Paradise. It received its name because of bulrushes growing on its banks. Russ CREEK, Clackamas County. This creek is a tributary of Collawash River. It was named for Hiram R. Wilcox of Estacada, formerly of the Forest Service, and universally known as Russ.
RUSSELL CREEK, Clackamas and Marion counties. This stream which flows into Molalla River, was named for Henry Russell, of Molalla, who, with several friends, prospected in this part of the state for a number of years.
RUSSELL LAKE, Marion County. North of Mount Jefferson, wedged in between living glaciers on the south and a rough precipitous mountain wall a thousand feet high on the north, lies Jefferson Park, a natural playground, invitingly level, directly athwart the Cascade Range. There is snow in this park even as late as the first of September, but generally during August the park is a mass of flowers. There are several lakes in the park, and the largest is but a few hundred feet in diameter, but looking down into it from the north, one gets a fine reflection of Mount ​Jefferson. This lake was named in honor of Dr. Israel C. Russell, one of the early geologists of the U. S. Geological Survey, who was an investigator in Oregon beginning in the early '80s. His principal contribution to the knowledge of Oregon geology is USGS Bulletin 252, Geology and Water Resources of Central Oregon. Russell Lake forms South Fork Breitenbush River until late in the season, when evaporation reduces its level to a point below the outlet. Its elevation is about 5900 feet.
RUSSELLVILLE, Multnomah County. Russellville is a community on the Base Line road east of Portland and about a mile east of Montavilla. The best information available to the writer is to the effect that the locality was named in compliment to Russellville, Illinois. In July, 1947, Mrs. H. A. Lewis, a resident of the Russellville community, wrote the compiler that in 1888 Leander Lewis circulated a petition for a post office, and it was planned to use the name Lewisville. Officials at Washington would not approve this name because it duplicated the name of Lewisville in Polk County. Mr. Lewis then suggested Russellville in compliment to a place in Illinois where he had relatives. The Multnomah County office was established February 11, 1889, with George W. Stafford first of a long list of postmasters. Russellville post office was closed as of July 15, 1904, probably as the result of rural delivery. According to Mrs. Lewis the Russellville post office was for most of its life in a store on the north side of the Base Line road near the present Northeast Ninety-seventh Avenue.
RUSTLER PEAK, Jackson County. This peak in the Cascade Range is said to owe its name to an incident connected with stock rustlers in early days.
RUTLEDGE, Sherman County, Rutledge post office was established June 6, 1884, with Joseph H. Rutledge first postmaster. This office continued in service until March 23, 1908. It served a territory a few miles east-southeast of Grass Valley. For information about the Rutledge family, see Illustrated History of Central Oregon, page 520. "Uncle Joe" Rutledge and his family came to central Oregon from California in the fall of 1882 and took up land south of Moro. However, actual residence on the land did not begin until the spring of 1883.
RYE VALLEY, Baker County. When the immigrants and miners came to Oregon, natural forage was more suitable than gasoline to the motive power then available. A good many geographic features in the state have been named for the native grains and grasses that have grown so abundantly in favorable places. Rye Valley is a name that had its start in the mining boom in northeastern Oregon in the '60s. This valley is in the Dixie Creek drainage about thirty miles southeast of Baker. Rye Valley post office was established September 27, 1869, with Navson S. Whitcomb first postmaster. This office operated on and off for many years, but was not in service in 1945. A prominent mesa in eastern Crook County just southeast of Paulina bears the descriptive name Ryegrass Table. The writer does not know just what types of ryegrass grow in the locations mentioned. Peck, in his Manual of Higher Plants of Oregon, lists no less than thirteen varieties of ryegrass native to Oregon, but a number of them do not grow east of the Cascade Range. While contemplating the fascinating subject of rye it should be noted that there is a locality in Sherman County known as Bourbon. Geographic nomenclature plays no favorites.