# Oregon Geographic Names (1952)/N

​NAMORF, Malheur County. Namorf station west of Harper was named for George Froman, a local resident, by spelling his name backward.
NANSENE, Wasco County. The name Nansene seems to have been derived from an Indian word used to describe Fifteenmile Creek. Fremont gives the style Tinanens Creek, but it is doubtless the same as Nansene. Nansene post office was established May 17, 1880, with William C. Adams postmaster. It was on the ridge southeast of Dufur and the name has been perpetuated by Nansene School. Nansene post office was closed in February, 1894.
NAPTON, Malheur County. This station was named for J. S. Napton, a local resident. The place is on the Union Pacific Railroad 17 miles south of Nyssa.
Narrows, Harney County. Narrows is a descriptive name suggested by the narrow channel connecting Malheur and Harney lakes. When these lakes are full this is the only point for a considerable distance where they may be crossed. There has been a bridge over the Narrows for many years. There is a post office nearby called Narrows. C. A. Haines started the community about 1892. A post office named Springer was established in this area in August, 1889, with Lewis B. Springer postmaster. The name was changed to Narrows in April, 1892.
Nash CRATER, Linn County. This crater in the Cascade Range was named for Wallis Nash. See under NASHVILLE. The railroad enterprise in which Nash was interested, projected a line into eastern Oregon, and several geographic features near the survey were named for the promoters. Nash Crater is just south of the junction of the North and South Santiam highways and has an elevation of 4770 feet. Little Nash Crater, elevation 4101 feet, is just west of the junction.
NASHVILLE, Lincoln County. Nashville was named for Wallis Nash, a native of England, who visited Oregon in 1877, and came to this state to settle in 1879. He was prominently identified with various enterprises in Benton and Lincoln counties, including the construction of the railroad between Corvallis and Yaquina Bay. He lived at Nashville for ​
many years. For interesting notes on his career, see his A Lawyer's Life on Two Continents. Nash was born near London August 16, 1837, and died at Nashville in 1926.
NASOMA, Washington County. Nasoma is a station on the Oregon Electric Railway southwest of Tualatin. When the railroad was built many Indian names were applied to the stations. The word Nasoma was apparently derived from one of the bands of Indians that originally lived near Port Orford in Curry County. The name was used by the railway company because it had a pleasing sound and not for any local reason.
NATAL, Columbia County. The name Natal was once applied to a post office situated on Nehalem River between Pittsburg and Mist. This post office was established October 2, 1889, with Roderick D. Cole first and only postmaster. The office was discontinued to Mist January 26, 1891. Omar C. Spencer has had a chance to dig up some evidence about the name Natal and on March 2, 1949, reported, among other things, that it was Mr. Cole's notion that the name of the office should honor N. C. Dale, who had owned land in the locality in the early '70s and had accommodated his neighbors by fetching their mail from Mist to his own home. He served as county clerk for Columbia County from July, 1884, until July, 1888. Dale's first name was Nathaniel and the best available information is that the name Natal was an arbitrary contraction of his first name. The locality is still called Natal and the name is used by Natal Grange.
NATRON, Lane County. Natron is the name of the native carbonate of sodium, or mineral alkali. Natrolite is a hydrous silicate of aluminum and sodium common in cavities in basalt and other igneous rock. It is generally of a white color and transparent or translucent. Natron station, east of Eugene, is said to owe its name to a confusion of the two substances described above. Richard Koehler, of Portland, for many years an official of the Southern Pacific Company and its predecessors, told the compiler that some natrolite was found near the station, and it was planned to name the place on that account, but owing to a mistake, the name Natron was selected.
NAYLOX, Klamath County. Naylox was the name of a pioneer stage station or roadhouse on the east shore of Upper Klamath Lake about midway of Klamath Falls and Modoc Point. It was not far from the wellknown Barkley Spring. For story about this old stopping place by Mary W. Case, see magazine section of the Oregon Journal, March 17, 1946. Naylox took its name from Naylox Ridge, a prominent geographic feature that stands just east of the highway. The Klamath Indian word Nilaksh or Nilaks was the basis of the name Naylox, meaning Daylight Mountain, or mountain over which the sun rose. White settlers also used the style Nailix, but the form Naylox has been in general use for the locality for many decades. For additional information, see Gatschet's Dictionary of the Klamath Language, page 243. Naylox post office was established February 7, 1882, with Leroy S. Dyar first postmaster. The office was finally closed June 30, 1896.
NEACOXIE CREEK, Clatsop County. This is a stream on Clatsop Plains. Its course has undergone several changes since pioneer days, largely because of drifting sands. Part of the stream flows north from Cullaby Lake, then around a hairpin bend near Camp Clatsop. During recent years the south part of the stream has drained Neacoxie Lake ​
southward into the estuary of Necanicum River. If the long sand ridges shift positions, the course of the stream may me interfered with still further. The name is derived from Neahcoxie, the Clatsop Indian name of the village at the mouth of the creek. The form Neacoxie has been adopted by the USBGN, and is in general use. George Gibbs, in Alphabetical Vocabulary of the Chinook Language, New York, 1863, says this name, which he spells Ni-a-kok-si, is said to refer to the small pine trees near the mouth of the stream. Neacoxie Lake is sometimes called Sunset Lake, but that is not the historic name. Sunset Lake is a style that "as resulted from real estate activity.
NEAHKAHNIE MOUNTAIN, Tillamook County. There has at times been some controversy about the meaning of the Indian name of this bold headland north of Nehalem River. Neahkahnie is a place of romance and mystery. Tales of buried treasure, marooned Spaniards, galleons laden with beeswax candles and suchlike, have drawn the attention of the white man for three-quarters of a century. Chunks of engraved wax and curious letters on half-buried stones have been all the more mysterious. Joseph H. Frost's diary of 1841 in OHQ, volume XXXV, page 242, says: "This mountain is called Ne-a-karny—after one of the deities of these natives, who, it is said by them, a long time since, while sitting on this mountain, turned into a stone, which stone, it is said, presents a colossal figure of Ne-akarny to this day. And in our passage over the mountain, which is a prairie on the side next the ocean, we discovered a stone which presented a figure of this kind." Silas B. Smith says in OHQ, volume I, page 321, that Ne-kah-ni meant the precipice overlooking the ocean, the abode of Ekahni, the supreme god. Lee and Frost in Ten Years in Oregon, 1844, page 343, give the Clatsop word Acarna, meaning chief deity. Mrs. Ed Gervais, a Nehalem Indian, is authority for the statement that the name Neahkahnie had its origin in the word used by the supposed Spanish wreck survivors when they saw elk on the side of the mountain, and exclaimed: "Carne," meaning meat. This is probably fanciful. Neahkahnie is one of a number of Indian names beginning with the prefix Ne-, which had to do with villages or places where certain tribes lived. These names include also Necanicum, Nehalem, Neskowin, Netarts, Nestucca and Neacoxie. John Gill informed the writer that a Clatsop Indian told him ne meant a place. Neahkahnie Mountain presents a bold front to the Pacific, and stands 1795 feet above the water, an imposing sight. The best collection of romances and facts about the place is in the book by S. J. Cotton, Stories of Nehalem. Thomas H. Rogers' Nehalem should be read by all interested in Neahkahnie. It contains an excellent picture of the glyphic rock. For additional references see under NEHALEM.
NEAL CREEK, Hood River County. Peter Neal ran a saw mill on what is now known as Neal Creek in the early '80s, and the stream was named for him. He built a dam near what was later the Wilson Fike farm, and the mill pond was a favorite fishing place.
NEAWANNA CREEK, Clatsop County. This stream flows into the estuary of Necanicum River just north of Seaside. In earlier days it was generally called Wahanna Creek, although some people called it Ohannah or Wahannah in the belief that it was named for a member of the family of R. W. Morrison, whose name was Hannah. This etymology always seemed dubious to the compiler, and was without substantial confirmation. The result of this variety of names was confusion. In 1930 Miss M. ​
Clara C. Munson of Warrenton interested herself in the business of getting a better form of name for this little stream, and proposed Neawanna Creek, in the belief that the spelling more nearly expressed the original name. This style closely approximates the word Newanah which came to the compiler on the authority of the late John Gill of Portland, who was a reliable student of Chinook place names. Various official and civic organizations sponsored the change, and as a result, the USBGN on February 4, 1931, adopted the style Neawanna Creek and apparently everyone in the vicinity is happy. The meaning of this Indian word is unknown, although it is probable that it referred to a location along the bank of this stream near a rapid, or a waterfall. A large number of Indian place names in northwestern Oregon began with the syllable Ne. See under
NEAHKAHNIE MOUNTAIN.
NECANICUM, Clatsop County. This community no longer has a post office. It was originally called Ahlers, for Herman Ahlers, a local resident. The name was changed to Push on April 13, 1899. The post office was subsequently known as Necanicum on account of Necanicum River which flowed nearby. For the origin of the name of Necanicum River see under that heading. Necanicum post office was at the Sly place about twelve miles southeast of Seaside on the Wolf Creek Highway. Ahlers selected the name Push because he expected the place to turn into an enterprising community. The name was changed from Push to Necanicum on May 27, 1907. Ahlers was postmaster at all three offices mentioned.
NECANICUM RIVER, Clatsop County. Necanicum is one of the many Indian names in northwest Oregon beginning with Ne, which was apparently a prefix indicating place. This stream flows into the Pacific Ocean at Seaside. William Clark named it Clatsop River on January 7, 1806, but that name did not prevail. Necanicum is derived from Ne-hayne-hum, the name of an Indian lodge up the stream, according to H. S. Lyman, OHQ, volume I, page 321. The name is given as Nekonikon in
OPA Transactions, 1887, page 86. In 1929 Herman Ahlers, for some years postmaster at Necanicum post office, wrote that the name meant a gap in the mountains, apparently referring to the valley. In pioneer days the stream was known as Latty Creek, for William Latty, who took up a land claim in what is now the south part of Seaside. Necanicum is the form of spelling in general use and has been adopted by the USBGN.
NEEDY, Clackamas County. Geo. H. Himes told the compiler that this place was named, not because of the character of the soil, which was excellent, but because of the unfortunate condition of some pioneer settlers who lived there. Leslie M. Scott in History of the Oregon Country, says that the place was also known as Hardscrabble. Inquiries made by the compiler in 1943 failed to confirm stories of poor soil in the locality. Needy post office was established February 16, 1855, with John M. Bacon postmaster. John S. Vinson in an article on the Oregonian editorial page, March 17, 1928, says that James H. Brents originated the names Needy and Hardscrabble, and gives additional history of the place.
NEER City, Columbia County, Neer City is a ghost town on the Columbia River Highway at a county road junction about a half a mile north of Goble. This place was laid out by Abe Neer and the plat filed for record on August 31, 1883. It was a point on the Columbia River where boats found it convenient to get cordwood for their boilers and a little settlement of woodcutters developed at Neer City. An account ​
of the activity, by Mrs. Abe Neer, is in the Saint Helens Sentinel-Mist, March 24, 1942. The Postal Guide for January, 1888, lists Neer post office, with that style.
NEET, Douglas County. Neet post office was near the middle of township 31 south, range 2 west, about five miles south of the place now called Tiller. The office was established October 11, 1899, with Charles W. Neet first and only postmaster. The office was closed February 28, 1901. The office was named in compliment to the postmaster. Charles Neet was a homesteader. In March, 1947, Mrs. Bertha B. Pennell of Tiller wrote the compiler that the office was in the log home of Neet, standing on the side hill west of Drew Creek, a little over a mile from the place now called Drew. This old building, apparently still standing in 1947, was a couple of miles up stream from the mouth of Drew Creek. Drew post office was not established until about a year after Neet was discontinued.
NEHALEM, Tillamook County. The Nehalem Indians were a Salish tribe, formerly living on Nehalem River. Duflot de Mofras gives the name as Nahelem in Exploration, 1844, volume II, page 104. The name is Naalem in Senate Executive Document 39, Thirty-second Congress, first session, page 2, 1852; Ne-ay-lem in OHQ, volume I, page 320, by Silas B. Smith. The name is used for the town of Nehalem and Nehalem River. The latter flows in all four of the northwest counties of the state, and cuts completely through the Coast Range. The first bold point extending to the sea north of Nehalem Bay is Neahkahnie Mountain. There is no little romance about Nehalem and Neahkahnie, having to do with treasure and marooned Spanish sailors. See under NEAHKAHNIE. In addition to references given thereunder, see Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume III, page 125, for data on the Nehalem beeswax controversy. USGS Bulletin 590, Geology of Northwestern Oregon, goes into the geology of the Nehalem region and strongly supports the beeswax theory of the Nehalem wax as against the natural mineral theory. John Gill told the compiler in 1927 that many years ago he had discussed the origin of Clatsop County names with a Clatsop Indian, Mrs. Jenny Williams, the widow of Bill Williams, who lived near Seaside. Mrs. Williams informed Mr. Gill that the Indian word Nehalem meant "place where people live" and indicated that the prefix Ne used frequently in the Indian names of northwestern Oregon, meant a place or locality. Nehalem post office was established in August, 1870 or 1871, with Samuel Corwin first postmaster. This office was probably about two miles north of the present community at the locality sometimes called Upper Nehalem, which is not now organized. The post office was moved to suit the convenience of the available postmasters and was from time to time at the Hunt, Scovell and Alley places. When John M. Alley was postmaster the name of the office was changed on February 6, 1884, to Onion Peak. By this time the office was some miles north up the valley of North Fork Nehalem River and it was of course named for the nearby mountain, Onion Peak, a conspicuous landmark. This office was closed April 7, 1893. While all this was going on a new post office with the name Nehalem was established May 12, 1884, with Henry Ober postmaster. This office was at or near the present community and has been in continuous operation since it was established.
NELLIES Cove, Curry County. Nellies Cove is the middle of three ​
coves just west of the bay at Port Orford and just southwest of the town of Port Orford. Nellies Point is the promontory on the east of Nellies Cove. These features were named for Sarah Ellen Tichenor, youngest daughter of Captain William Tichenor, the famous pioneer of the locality. She was known as Nellie and the cove and point were her favorite spots on the old Tichenor property. The cove to the east of Nellies Cove is Tichenor Cove. Sarah Ellen Tichenor was born in Illinois in 1848. She was brought to Port Orford probably in May, 1852, and spent her girl. hood there. Later she married E. W. McGraw and lived in San Francisco. In early days the town of Gold Beach in Curry County was called Ellensburg, in compliment to Ellen Tichenor.
NELSCOTT, Lincoln County. This has become an important summer resort on Oregon Coast Highway. A letter by Mrs. Alma Anderson, published in North Lincoln Coast Guard for May 4, 1939, indicates that the name was formed by combining parts of the names of Charles P. Nelson and Dr. W. R. Scott, who opened the townsite in April, 1926. Nelson died in December, 1946. For editorial comment about his activities, see Sunday Oregonian, December 25, 1946.
NENA CREEK, Wasco County. Nena Creek rises in Mutton Mountains in the northeast corner of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. It flows into Deschutes River. Indians inform the writer that the word means tall white cottonwood trees that grow near the stream. The style Nee-nee was used in the Pacific Railroad Surveys Reports in 1855. The form Nena Creek does not reflect the real Indian pronunciation, but it appears on government maps and is the name of a railroad station, and seems to be here to stay.
NENAMUSA, Tillamook County. Nenamusa Falls are on the east border of the county in the west part of township 4 south, range 17 west, in the Nestucca River drainage. Nenamusa post office was established nearby January 16, 1912, with Peter N. Forsyth first and only postmaster. The office was closed August 31, 1917. It was about eight miles east of Blaine. Information about the origin of the name of the falls is unsatisfactory. The word is said to be Indian, meaning sweetheart, or love, but the writer has not been able to trace any such word or meaning in available Indian dictionaries. It is reported that the word may have been brought to Oregon from an eastern state. Indians known by the writer had no knowledge of the sentiment of love as known to white people, or of the word sweetheart, either. The prefix ne in the northwest Oregon area was used by Indians as a locative, and may be translated, roughly, as a place. The nearest approach to Nenamusa offered by the Chinook jargon is the expresion ne moosum, which may be translated as place to sleep. It might refer to a place for a temporary camp. It has been suggested that Nenamusa means a place for a honeymoon, but all this is conjectural.
NEOTSU, Lincoln County. Neotsu is a post office on the Oregon Coast Highway near the north end of Devils Lake, and the name is said to be an Indian word referring to the lake. The compiler has been unable to get a satisfactory translation. There are a number of Indian legends about Devils Lake, some of which are doubtless apocryphal. Apparently it was a place where evil skookums flourished. Davidson, in the Coast Pilot, 1889, uses the spelling Na-ah-so, but does not explain the word. The compiler has heard Devils Lake referred to as a me-sah'-chie chuck, which is Chinook jargon for evil water. ​
office hed Decembe, on Octobe stream froh," in 192what
NESKOwin, Tillamook County, Mrs. Sarah H. Page in a letter to the Oregonian published June 30, 1925, says that the name Neskowin is an Indian word, meaning plenty fish. Mrs. Page was appointed postmistress of this office in 1887 and the locality was then known as Slab Creek. Years before a ship had been wrecked on the coast and a quantity of slabwood washed up on the beach. One day she heard an Indian say as he pointed to the nearby stream, "Neskowin, Neskowin." She asked him what Neskowin meant and he said "plenty fish, plenty fish." In 1925 the
USBGN was asked to change the name of the stream from Slab Creek to Neskowin Creek, and this was done, on October 7 of that year. Neskowin post office was established December 4, 1886, with Weston Burdick first postmaster. The office has not been in continuous service, and not always in the same place. When a small boy, the compiler always heard this locality referred to as Neskowin, with the accent on the second syllable, rhyming with how. Tillamook County pioneers have confirmed this pronunciation.
NESMITH POINT, Multnomah County. Nesmith Point, elevation 3878 feet, is the highest point on the cliffs overlooking the Columbia River in the gorge through the Cascade Range. It is just south of Warrendale and east of Yeon Mountain. The Point was named as the result of a suggestion made in 1915 by a committee of the Mazamas who selected a number of names for un-named geographic features adjacent to the Columbia River Highway. James Willis Nesmith was born in New Brunswick July 23, 1820, while his parents, residents of Maine, were on a short visit. The Nesmith family was of Scotch ancestry, and came to New England from the north of Ireland in 1718. James W. Nesmith, as the result of his father's financial reverses, had no early advantages, and was forced to lead a more or less roving life eventually reaching the state of Ohio. He attempted to emigrate to Oregon in 1842, but was too late to join Dr. White's party that year. He was a member of the emigration of 1843, and was elected orderly sergeant. For his diary of events during the emigration see OHQ, volume VII, page 329. For his reminiscences of the emigration see OPA Transactions for 1875. The diary describes a severe windstorm on the Columbia River below the Cascades, which compelled him to put ashore and finish the day reading The Merry Wives of Windsor. It was this incident that suggested his name to the committee for Nesmith Point. Nesmith was a judge under the provisional government, representative from Polk County, captain in the Cayuse and other Indian wars, colonel of volunteers in the Yakima War, United States marshal, and superintendent of Indian affairs. He served in the United States Senate from 1861 to 1867, and although a Democrat, served on the military committee, and upheld the cause of the Union in every possible way. He served as representative in Congress from 1873 to 1875, and spent the rest of his life on his farm at Rickreall, where he died June 17, 1885. For Harvey W. Scott's estimate of Colonel Nesmith, see the Oregonian, June 18, 1885, and also Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume V, page 172, et seq. For description of Nesmith's grave and epitaph, see the Oregonian, May 8, 1895, page 3; for tribute from U.S. Grant, ibid., March 13, 1901, page 8; for episodes of Nesmith's life, ibid., July 18, 1897, page 6. For other references see Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume I, page 308. There is a railroad station Nesmith, in Polk County, south of Rickrcall, but a short distance from the Nesmith farm. There is also a ​
railroad station Nesmith on the Oregon Electric in Washington County.
NESTOCTON, Tillamook County. The Nestocton post office was one of the oldest in Tillamook County. It was established February 7, 1867, with Leonard Killam first postmaster. This post office remained in service until June 13, 1904, when it was discontinued, probably because of the extension of rural delivery which brought about the closing of so many post offices about that time. The locality of Nestocton was settled in the sixties. It is about eight or nine miles south along the Oregon Coast Highway from Tillamook. It is obvious from the names of its ten postmasters that the office was moved to fit their availability. Nestocton was the second post office in Tillamook County. The first post office was Tillamook, established March 12, 1866. The name is obviously an Indian word, but the compiler has been unable to learn its meaning.
NESTUCCA RIVER, Tillamook and Yamhill counties. Nestucca is an Indian name for a part of this stream or a point on its banks, or for a tribe living nearby. As far as the writer knows there is no English translation of the word Nestucca. This stream is frequently called Big Nestucca River in contradistinction to Little Nestucca River nearby, but federal map makers leave off the word Big from such names, and it is apparent that the Indian name of the stream was not Big Nestucca. As a matter of fact the stream called Little Nestucca River was known to the Indians as Nestachee, so there would be no occasion for them to call the other river Big Nestucca. Little Nestucca River does not flow into Nestucca River but into Nestucca Bay. The spelling Nestugga is wrong. The Handbook of American Indians says the Nestucca Indians took their name from the country in which they lived, but that their real tribe name was Staga-ush. J. H. Frost in his journal of 1841, published in OHQ, volume XXXV, pages 253 and 254, used the name Nea-Stocka in referring to a place on Nestucca River.
NETARTS, Tillamook County. Netarts post office is on Netarts Bay south of Tillamook Bay. Netarts is an Indian name, and the writer has been unable to get its English meaning, although it is presumed to refer to the home of a small family, or tribe that lived on the bay. Netarts is one of the number of Indian names beginning with Ne which were probably used to indicate localities or the homes of certain tribes. See under NEAHKAHNIE MOUNTAIN and also OHQ, volume I, page 321. George Davidson, in the Coast Pilot of 1889, page 433, refers to this bay as Na-ta-at or Oyster Bay. He does not explain the meaning of the Indian name and does not imply that it is the same as oyster.
NEVERSTIL, Columbia County. On February 3, 1946, the Oregonian printed an editorial about Neverstil, inviting information. The place was described with some fidelity, and while it was referred to as a logging community, it was in fact the location of the repair shops for A. S. Kerry's logging railroad. A lively correspondence resulted from this editorial and letters were printed on February 5, 6, 10, 12 and 13. A number of stories were furnished about the origin of the word Neverstil, some based apparently on high-geared imagination. An impartial review of the evidence indicates to the compiler that the name was coined by Mr. Kerry of the Kerry Timber Company to describe the bustle and noise attendant upon the timber company railroad shops. The place was at the old Harvey ranch about two miles south of Birkenfeld where Deep Creek Hows into Nehalem River. Neverstil post office was established June 10, ​
1916, with Florence M. Bennett first postmaster. The office was closed December 31, 1919. The logging railroad was in operation as early as about 1913 and it is said that the place was first called Evergreen, but that name could not be used for a post office because of duplication with another Evergreen, Oregon. There must have been some other reason for not continuing the name Evergreen, as there was no other post office with that name in Oregon during the period in question. New Bridge, Baker County. New Bridge post office was originally on the banks of Eagle Creek near where an important pioneer bridge was built across the stream. The post office was established on July 22, 1878. Joseph Gale was the first postmaster. For information about him see under Gales CREEK. New Bridge post office was burned about 1880. The post office is not now in its original location. New Era, Clackamas County. There are two stories about how this community got its name. Several persons have told the writer that the naming came about as the result of the construction of the railroad as far as the mouth of Parrott Creek, which made it possible for Willamette River boats to stop there and deliver produce. This was hailed as a new era in river transportation as boats then would not have to go to the falls below at Oregon City. This story has the earmarks of truth, but on the other hand it should be said that one correspondent has informed the compiler that a local family were spiritualists and devoted to a publication called the New Era and named the place on that account. New PINE CREEK, Lake County. This is said to be the oldest town in Lake County. It was originally intended to name the place Pine Creek because of a nearby stream, but postal authorities objected to this because of duplication, so the name New Pine Creek was adopted. The post office was established December 8, 1876, with S. A. Hamersley first postmaster.
NEWBERG, Yamhill County. C. B. Wilson, postmaster at Newberg, Oregon, in 1926, informed the writer that Newberg was named November 5, 1869, by Sebastian Brutscher who was the first postmaster. Brutscher formerly lived in Germany at a place called Neuberg and adopted for the new office the English translation of the name of his former home. Modern atlases show a Neuberg in Styria, Austria, but none in Germany.
NEWBERN, Linn County. Newbern was the name of a short-lived post office, established June 18, 1874, and closed on September 1 of the same year. The General Land Office map of Oregon of 1876 shows the place near the west edge of township 11 south, range 2 west, on the old road from Albany southeast toward Lebanon. The office was about six miles southeast of Albany and a mile or so north-northwest of what was later known as Tallman. The compiler has not been able to get the significance of the name Newbern, which is spelled Newburn on the map mentioned above. Benjamin N. Hardman was postmaster at the place. Newbern sounds like a family name and it may be represented by the postmaster's middle initial, though this is no more than a surmise.
NEWBERRY CRATER, Deschutes County. Nature narrowly missed giving Oregon two crater lakes almost equal in size and beauty, but like many other attempts to improve upon a masterpiece, this one failed. Twenty-five miles south of Bend lies Newberry Crater, a result of vulcanism much more recent than the caldera occupied by Crater Lake. Newberry Crater is situated in the summit of the isolated Paulina Mountains W ​SC.
and in this crater are two lakes, Paulina Lake and East Lake, at an elevation of about 6350 feet or several hundred feet higher than Crater Lake. It is apparent that the caldera was at one time occupied by one lake, but subsequent volcanic action has built up a series of small craters running north and south across the middle which divides the depression and leaves East Lake with neither inlet nor outlet. Paulina Lake overflows to the west down Paulina Creek, a tributary of Little Deschutes River. Paulina Creek is blessed with several pretty waterfalls. Newberry Crater broke down its western side and if it had not been for this break it is apparent that the water level would be much higher in the crater, and the surroundings would have more nearly resembled Crater Lake itself. At some points around the two lakes the walls are precipitous and high and Paulina Peak, which is just south of Paulina Lake, affords one of the finest views in Oregon. It stands 7985 feet high, or 1600 feet above the lake, and its sides to the north are rough and jagged. From the Forest Service lookout on top the writer has seen the great snow peaks of the Cascade Range spread out like a fan in magnificent panorama, extending from Mount Adams on the north to Mount McLoughlin on the south. In 1903 Dr. I. C. Russell examined this part of Oregon for the Geological Survey, and attempted to name the Paulina Mountains and Paulina Peak Mount Newberry, for Dr. John Strong Newberry who explored central Oregon for the Pacific Railroad Surveys in 1855. Dr. Russell's proposal has never been adopted in local practice, but instead the great caldera is now generally known as Newberry Crater, and Dr. Newberry is well honored, though not in the manner intended by Dr. Russell. Additional information may be found under PAULINA PEAK.
NEWELL CREEK, Clackamas County. Newell Creek is a small stream east of Oregon City, flowing north into Abernethy Creek. This little creek was named for one of the most prominent and picturesque pioneer citizens of the Oregon country. "Doctor" Robert Newell rated his title by affectionate courtesy rather than by professional training. He was a mountain man when he was scarcely out of his 'teens, and it was in the mountains that he learned to plug bullet wounds, set broken bones and prepare natural remedies for sick dogs, horses, Indians and fellow trappers. His companions held him in esteem for his timely help and doubt. less the dogs licked his hands. Robert Newell was born in Ohio, probably in 1807. He started trapping out of St. Louis when he was 22. T. C. Elliott has written entertainingly of his career in OHQ, volume IX, page 103. Not much is known of his life in the Rocky Mountains, but in December, 1840, he was in Oregon City. He played a conspicuous part in the formation of the provisional government; he was a member of the Legislative Committee and twice speaker of the House of Representatives. He took an active part in Indian problems. He moved to Lapwai, Idaho, in the '60s and died at Lewiston in November, 1869.
NEWPORT, Lincoln County. This post office was established July 2, 1868, with Samuel Case postmaster. The compiler has not succeeded in learning who christened the community, although the name is obviously intended to be descriptive, and was doubtless suggested by Newport, Rhode Island.
NEWTON CLARK GLACIER, Hood River County. This glacier is on the southeast part of Mount Hood. Newton Clark was a native of Illinois, and after living for a time in Wisconsin, he served in the Civil
of Alsea hat the ​p1828 an for salma"short Joyed by War, and then settled in what is now South Dakota. It is said that Clark County in that state was named for him. He was a teacher, and also a surveyor. He came to Hood River Valley in 1877. He was interested in nature, and spent considerable time on and around Mount Hood, and the glacier was named for him on that account.
NEWTON CREEK, Hood River County. This stream, together with Clark Creek to the south, drains Newton Clark Glacier. The two creeks were named by splitting the name of the glacier. See under that heading.
NIAGARA, Marion County. Niagara, a place on North Santiam River about eight miles east of Mill City, was named for a small falls or step rapids in the stream, but whether there was a touch of sarcasm in the business the compiler does not know. Maybe it was just enthusiasm. The post office was established October 3, 1890, with William H. Burns first postmaster. Whatever were the facts about the significance of the name, there followed a dach of confusion in the procedure, for the first office was called Niagora. It ran along that way until July, 1893, when the spelling was changed to Niagara. The office was finally closed in June, 1894, but the falls remain as before.
NIBLEY, Union County. This place was named for C. W. Nibley, a well-known member of the Mormon church and prominent in various industrial enterprises in the Pacific Northwest. Nice, Lincoln County. Nice was a community on the north side of Alsea Bay. J. H. Middleton, who lived there, informed the compiler in 1927 that the place was named for Harry Nice, who was born in New Brunswick about 1828 and came to California about 1867 and to Oregon about 1869. He fished for salmon and built boats on the Columbia River, and after having spent a short time in British Columbia, returned to the United States and was employed by the government in the construction of jetties near Newport. He later became interested in salmon packing on Alsea Bay. He died about 1922. The post office situated near the present site of Nice was established with the name Drift Creek on August 6, 1874, with Matthew Brand first postmaster. The name was changed to Collins on January 31, 1876, with Brand postmaster. On June 17, 1881, the name was changed to Waldport with David Ruble postmaster. The name was changed back to Collins on February 23, 1882. Collins was the name of a local family. The name of the office was changed to Lutgens on May 17, 1890, and Albert H. Lutgens was appointed postmaster on the same day. On July 29, 1893, the name of the office was changed to Stanford and W. C. Shepard was appointed postmaster. The name was changed again to Lutgens on June 21, 1897, and Albert H. Lutgens was appointed postmaster. The name was changed to Nice on April 24, 1917, with Nona L. Strake postmaster. The office was discontinued on November 15, 1919.
NICHOLS, Douglas County. Nichols has been a railroad station in Cow Creek Canyon for many years. It is southwest of Riddle, and was named for a well-known Douglas County family. Nichols post office was established December 31, 1914, with Mrs. Viola B. Nichols postmaster. It was discontinued December 31, 1929. The railroad station Nichols was established when the railroad was built in the early '80s.
NICKEL MOUNTAIN, Douglas County. This mountain is four miles west of Riddle. It has a deposit of green silicate of nickel (garnierite). This mineral is extensively mined for nickel in the island of New Riout 1869. He fished and came to California ice, who was born i United Statespent a short built boats 067 and to or ​
Caledonia, but the Oregon deposit has not yet been successfully worked. Nigger BEN MOUNTAIN, Jackson County. Nigger Ben Mountain, elevation about 4500 feet, is in the Siskiyou Mountains, a little to the southwest of Ruch and the Applegate River. The name is very old, and appears to have been derived from a Negro named Ben who operated a small blacksmith shop near the river and accommodated miners by sharpening picks and other tools. In his spare time Ben worked a tunnel on a small prospect he had developed. There are a number of stories about Ben, most of them probably apochryphal. Ben's last name appears to have been lost to posterity. Nish, Sherman County. Nish is a railroad station near Moro. It was named for Alexander Nish who was born in Scotland February 15, 1847, and came to the United States in 1852. He served during the Civil War and later settled in Sherman County. It is said that his name was originally McNish or MacNish, but he changed his name at the time he entered the army. Nixon, Linn County. This is a station on the Oregon Electric Railway southwest of Halsey. C. H. Stewart of Albany told the compiler that it was named for a pioneer resident, Samuel Nixon. Noah BUTTE, Coos County. Noah Butte is east across Coos Bay from the town of Coos Bay and north of Coos River. Members of the Noah family were early settlers in the county and the butte was named for one, but the compiler does not know which.
NOBLE SCHOOL, Marion County. Noble School and the Noble district, about three miles southeast of Scotts Mills, were named for William Noble, who settled on the Abiqua some time prior to 1848. He sold out to Samuel Allen in the spring of that year, and went to Oregon City, where he soon died. See Down's History of the Silverton Country, page 41. Noble post office served this section from February, 1893, to May, 1908. Charles W. Roberts was the first postmaster of a series of six.
NOEL CREEK, Douglas County. Noel Creek flows into Smith River from the north a few miles northeast of Gardiner. It bears the name of Stephenson C. Noel who came to Oregon from Missouri. In pioneer days he and some companions left Eugene on a prospecting expedition and finally reached lower Smith River. Noel settled on the stream that now bears his name. See Reedsport Courier, April 10, 1936.
NOFOG, Douglas County. Nofog post office bore a strictly descriptive name. It was on the upper reaches of Cavitt Creek about due east of Roseburg. Nofog post office was established June 7, 1915, and Hezekiah J. Robinett, the first and only postmaster, named the place because of the clear atmosphere. The office was discontinued February 28, 1918. The compiler has an interesting letter by Victor Boyd of Roseburg, written in February, 1948, about his experiences teaching school in 1903-04 in a log building on the Cavitt place. Except for the window sash, floor, desks and seats, the whole school building was hand split from cedar logs. Mr. Boyd writes that at one time eight of the seventeen pupils were from the family of S. W. Furnell. Robinett later bought the Furnell home.
NOHORN CREEK, Clackamas County. This steam is in the southern part of the county and flows into the Hot Springs Fork of Clackamas River. Nohorn is the popularized version of the name Nachand. John Nachand was a pioneer prospector of eastern Clackamas County, with ​
449 orked. 11, ele South pears history except Oregon City. Hehorn is well es ening small Ben. have – was l'as James Russell and Joe Davis. It is said that Nachand had formerly mined in the Cariboo district in British Columbia. Little is known of his history except that during the later years of his life he lived at Park Place, north of Oregon City. He died about 1905. He was universally called Nohorn, and the name Nohorn is well established for the stream.
NONPAREIL, Douglas County. A locality on Calapooya Creek six or seven miles airline east of Oakland is called Nonpareil, a word meaning unrivaled or unique. Whoever named the place thought well of it. Nonpareil post office was established in December, 1882, with Elizabeth C. Sacry postmaster. The office was discontinued in July, 1884. The name was derived from the nearby Nonpareil quicksilver mine, which at one time produced a considerable quantity of the mineral. The Nonpareil mine has not been worked in recent years.
NORFOLK, Douglas County. Norfolk was a pioneer post office on Smith River in the west part of the county. It was near the mouth of North Fork Smith River. A report from Reedsport says that the post office was to have been called Norfork for the stream. However that may be, the spelling Norfolk was adopted by postal authorities and that is the way it appears on all records available to the compiler. Norris, Clackamas County. This station near Barton was named for G. Norris who took up a homestead nearby. His land office certificate was number 3012. North BEND, Coos County. The original settlement of North Bend was on the peninsula around which Coos Bay bends between the town of Coos Bay and the ocean. It is said that the name North Bend was originally applied in 1856 by Captain A. M. Simpson, the founder of the city. The post office was established February 27, 1872, with C. H. Merchant first postmaster. North Fork Smith River, Curry County. This is the principal Oregon tributary of a river in California, which is named for Jedediah Strong Smith, explorer and fur trader. Smith discovered the river in California on Thursday, June 19, 1828. See The Ashley-Smith Exploration by Professor Harrison C. Dale. For information about Smith's exploration along the Oregon coast, see under Smith River, in this volume. Smith River in Oregon and Smith River in California are so far apart that they are not confused. The California stream is shown as Smiths River on a map accompanying Senator Lewis F. Linn's report dated June 6, 1838. The Reverend Samuel Parker uses the same name on his map of Oregon Territory published the same year. North Fork Smith River heads just west of Chetco Peak. The important tributary that heads southeast of Chetco Peak is Chrome Creek. North FORK Smith River, Douglas and Lane counties. This is the largest tributary of the main stream. The name West Fork is wrong. West Branch is a small stream tributary to North Fork Smith River. For origin of the name Smith River, see under that heading. This refers to the Oregon river.
NORTH JUNCTION, Wasco County. North Junction station was established on the east bank of Deschutes River when the two railroads were built upstream from the mouth. From North Junction to South Junction, a distance of about twelve miles, but one track was provided. Later the Union Pacific track was torn up north of North Junction, so that the station name is no longer descriptive. The post office was ​
established in June, 1927, some years after the railroads were built in the canyon. J. C. McCurdy was the first postmaster. The place was not listed in the Postal Guide in the fall of 1933.
NORTH MINAM RIVER, Union and Wallowa counties. This important tributary of Minam River heads in Steamboat Lake. The name North Fork River is incorrect.
NORTH PLAINS, Washington County. The name North Plains is used for a post office in the northern part of Tualatin Valley. This locality was known in pioneer times as North Plains, and the office gets its name from that source. Stories to the effect that a farmer named Nord lived hereabouts and gave his name to the plains do not appear to be founded on fact, for the plains were known as North Plains long before any settler of that name lived thereon.
NORTH PORTLAND. Multnomah County. This post office was established March 24, 1910, and was named because of its position in respect to Portland. The first postmaster was Vaughn D. Crosby. It is said that the name was suggested by a representative of Swift & Company, which concern operated a large meat packing plant in the community. The post office of North Portland serves a large industrial area near North Portland Harbor.
NORTH PORTLAND HARBOR, Multnomah County. North Portland Harbor lies between Hayden Island and the flats north of St. Johns. The harbor is really a branch of the Columbia River. For many years it was known as Oregon Slough but at the request of Portland commercial interests the name was changed to North Portland Harbor because of the rapidly developing activity of that part of Portland. The
USBGN approved the change.
NORTH POWDER, Union County. North Powder took its name from North Powder River, a tributary of Powder River. For the origin of the name of Powder River see under that heading. North Powder was a pioneer station. James M. De Moss is said to have been the founder of the stage station. See under De Moss. Maps of Lewis and Clark show North Powder River as Ta-kin-par. North Powder post office was established December 2, 1866, with Joseph Austin first postmaster. North SANTIAM RIVER, Linn and Marion counties. This is the correct name of the main tributary of Santiam River, and not North Fork. South Santiam River is the correct name of the other important branch that combines with North Santiam River near Jefferson to form the main stream. See under SANTIAM RIVER. The principal tributary of North Santiam River is Little North Santiam River, not Little North Fork. North SCAPPOOSE CREEK, Columbia River. This is the correct name of the main north tributary of Scappoose Creek, not North Fork. See under SCAPPOOSE CREEK.
NORTH Sister, Deschutes and Lane counties. This is the fourth highest mountain in Oregon, and has an elevation of 10.094 feet. The Three Sisters have been so known since pioneer days, but the compiler has been unable to find out who first used the name. There is an old story to the effect that in early days the three peaks were known as Faith, Hope and Charity, the North Sister being Mount Faith. These names have not prevailed. See under THREE Sisters, North TENMILE LAKE, Coos and Douglas counties. This lake is known by the name given, and also by the name North Lake. The ​
USBGN has officially declared in favor of North Tenmile Lake. Its outlet is into Tenmile Lake, which in turn drains into the ocean through Tenmile Creek. The two lakes and other nearby features doubtless received their names from Tenmile Creek, which flows into the Pacific Ocean about ten miles south of Winchester Bay. See under TENMILE Creek and also TENMILE LAKE.
NORTH UMPQUA RIVER. This is the correct name of the north branch of Umpqua River, not North Fork. It rises on the west slopes of the Cascade Range, north of Diamond Lake, and joins South Umpqua River near Winchester, forming Umpqua River. For origin of the name Umpqua, see under UMPQUA RIVER.
NORTH YAMHILL RIVER, Yamhill County. This is the correct name of the main north tributary of Yamhill River, not North Fork. See under
YAMHILL RIVER.
NORTON, Clackamas County. A pioneer post office, named Norton for a local family, was established December 1, 1871, with Benjamin C. Lewis first postmaster. Zach C. Norton was the second postmaster. The office was closed June 9, 1881. The place is shown on old maps at a point about four or five miles northwest of Springwater, close to or actually on the Clackamas River, probably not far from the place known as Feldheimer Ferry. In response to an inquiry, the Oregon City Banner-Courier on January 1, 1946, published a statement by R. B. Holcomb, a pioneer resident of the county, who was in the late '80s a mail carrier. Mr. Holcomb avers that he recalled a building known as Norton's Hall at a point about four miles north of Springwater, although it does not appear from his statement that the building was on the river. Norton's Hall was apparently a meeting place of sorts, and bore insignia, possibly of the Masonic fraternity.
NORTONS, Lincoln County. This railroad station is in the extreme east part of the county. It was named for the Norton family, who owned a ranch nearby. The place was originally called Norton but postal authorities did not accept this name as there was another post office in Oregon of the same name, so the "s" was added. The post office was established in 1895. Norway, Coos County. Norway station and post office got its name from the fact that in early days the community was settled by Norwegians. The post office has been moved a few miles since it was first established in May, 1876. Noti, Lane County. Postmaster H. G. Suttle told the writer in February, 1926, of the unusual origin of this name in the following words: "In the early days an Indian and a white man were traveling together from a point on the coast into the Willamette Valley with one horse between them. In order to make as rapid progress as possible they were doing what was known as 'riding and tying.' One would take the horse and ride ahead a distance, tie the horse and proceed on foot. When his companion reached the point where the horse was tied, he in turn mounted and rode a given distance beyond his partner and tied the horse again. It is said that the white man had agreed to tie the horse at about the point where the Noti Creek joins Long Tom River, where the present town of Noti is now located, but instead double-crossed the Indian and rode on to Eugene and left the Indian to walk. When the In ​dian discovered that he had been jobbed, he is said to have exclaimed, 'Him no tie,' and therefrom the place received its name."
Noyer CREEK, Clackamas County. This creek north of Barton was named for Peter Noyer, who took up a donation land claim nearby in pioneer days. His land office certificate was number 3876.
NUGGET, Douglas County. This post office was named Nugget because of gold mines in the vicinity.
NYE, Umatilla County. Nye post office was about eight miles southwest of Pilot Rock near the present three-way highway junction. This junction is still referred to as Nye and the general impression is that the locality was named for A. W. Nye, a well-known early resident of Umatilla County. The post office was established March 9, 1887, with Henry C. Wright first postmaster. The office was discontinued June 30, 1917.
Nyssa, Malheur County. This post office was established June 15, 1889. The name was first applied to a station when the railroad was built, but the town was not incorporated until about 1903. Accurate information about the application of the name is not available. It is said that a Greek section hand named the place for a town in Greece, but the compiler has been unable to find such a place in any modern atlas. Another version is that it is an Indian name for sage-brush. In botany, Nyssa is the name of the tupelo tree commemorating one of the so-called water nymphs. Apparently these nymphs had a hand in rearing young Bacchus. What connection there is between all this and the name of the town, the compiler has been unable to learn.