# Oregon Geographic Names (1952)/U

​UKIAH, Umatilla County. This post office was established September 22, 1890, with DeWitt C. Whiting first postmaster. E. B. Gambee, of Portland, informed the writer in 1926 that he suggested the name of the Oregon community which had been platted August 6, 1890, by the Camas Land Company. Gambee had previously lived in Ukiah, ​California, and offered the name on that account. The place in California was named for the Yokaia Indians, a division of the Pomo. The word is said to mean South Valley. Gambee was born in Michigan about 1852 and came to Oregon from California about 1881. He died in Portland October 8, 1939. For obituary, see Pendleton East Oregonian, October 10, 1939.
ULVSTAD, Jackson County. Ulvstad post office was on or near Sugarpine Creek, which flows into Elk Creek twelve or fourteen miles northeast of Trail. Martin Ulvstad served as the postmaster from July 16, 1904, to October 4, 1905, and the office was given his name. There was no community, just a very few small mountain ranches.
UMAPINE, Umatilla County. This place in the north part of the county was formerly named Vincent, but when a post office was applied for, it was found that there was another Vincent in the state. This was doubtless Vincent in Wallowa County. Citizens of Vincent in Umatilla County then changed the name of their community to Umapine, for a Cayuse or Umatilla Indian chief of some prominence. Umapine post office was established in June, 1916, with Edgar Holm first postmaster.
UMATILLA, Umatilla County. The town now known as Umatilla was surveyed by Timothy K. Davenport in 1863. It was first known as Umatilla Landing, and later Umatilla City. Eight miles west was the locality known for a time as Grande Ronde Landing, near the site of what is now Irrigon. Umatilla and Grande Ronde landings sprang up as stopping places for traffic with the Boise and Owyhee mines, but Umatilla Landing soon controlled the business and Grande Ronde Landing ceased to be of importance. Umatilla was known as Columbia about 1863, but soon resumed the old name. For information about the laying out of the town see Oregonian, May 16, 1863. Umatilla is at the mouth of Umatilla River and was named on that account. Postal records at Washington show that Umatilla post office was established September 26, 1851, with A. Francis Rogers postmaster. The office was discontinued January 6, 1852. See OHQ, volume XLI, page 69. This was the first post office in eastern Oregon. The Oregonian of August 2, 1851, says this office was at the Umatilla Indian Agency, about 150 miles east of The Dalles, on the route to Salt Lake. The news item gives the name of the postmaster as A. Francis Royer. Records at the Oregon Historical Society substantiate the name Royer and not Rogers. This pioneer post office was of course not near the present town of Umatilla, but probably near Echo. The post office for Umatilla town was established May 28, 1863, with Z. F. Moody postmaster.
UMATILLA COUNTY. This county was created September 27, 1862, and was carved out of Wasco County as it existed at that time. It was named for Umatilla River, which see. It now has a land area of 3231 square miles. The temporary seat of government for the new county was put at what was then known as Marshall Station, on the north bank of Umatilla River near Houtama, William C. McKay's place at the mouth of McKay Creek. About 1863 Umatilla County citizens changed the name of Marshall Station to Middleton. This name was selected because it was thought that the place was about half way between Umatilla Landing and the Grande Ronde Valley. In 1865 Umatilla City was selected as the county seat and was continued so until 1868 when the ​
legislature passed an act directing the citizens of the county to declare their choice between "the present location .... and Upper Umatilla, somewhere between the mouths of Wild Horse and Birch Creeks." The election favored the new location, and it was accordingly made county seat and named Pendleton, for George H. Pendleton, Democratic nominee for vice-president. Umatilla tried to rescue the seat by legal means, on the grounds of vagueness of the act of the legislature, but was not successful. For additional information, see under PENDLETON. See also Fred Lockley's article in Sunday Journal, June 3, 1945.
UMATILLA RIVER, Umatilla County. Umatilla is the Indian name for a river, given as Youmalolam, in Lewis and Clark journals; variously spelled in early books of Oregon. Alexander Ross gives You-matella and Úmatallow; Townsend gives Utalla and Ewmitilly; Irving gives Eu-o-talla; Fremont gives Umatilah; Parker gives Umatella; Wilkes and Nesmith give Umatilla. The compiler knows of no reliable interpretation of the Indian name. For references to the name and to the locality, see OGN, 1928 edition, page 363-64. The Umatilla Indians are a group of tribes formerly living on the Umatilla River and on adjacent banks of the Columbia River. Umatilla, as a tribe name, is of late application. These Indians were not originally Umatillas. The name came to be applied after the extermination of many of the Cayuses and Walla Wallas.
UMBRELLA FALLS, Hood River County. This descriptive name was suggested to the USBGN by Oregon residents, and adopted May 6, 1925. The falls are on one of the sources of East Fork Hood River about a mile and a half above the Mount Hood Loop Highway, southeast of Mount Hood.
UMPQUA, Douglas County. Umpqua is an historic name in the state. It was used by the Indians to refer to the locality of the Umpqua River and came to be applied to Umpqua River. For a discussion of the name see under UMPQUA RIVER. There have been several places known as Fort Umpqua. John Work visited the Umpqua River in 1834 and Fort Umpqua, which was later established by the Hudson's Bay Company near the present site of Elkton, did not then exist. Work mentions "umpqua old fort" which appears to have been established in 1832 near Calapooya Creek. See under ELKTON for additional information. In the summer of 1850 a party of prospectors, originally planning to visit the Klamath River, explored the Umpqua River and established Umpqua City on August 5, 1850. It was on the east side of the river, near its mouth. West Umpqua was the name selected for the community planned for the other side. Sec OHQ, volume XVII, page 355. There was some development at both places, but the towns had petered out by 1867. See Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume III, pages 42 and 46. Umpqua City post office was established on September 26, 1851, with Amos E. Rogers postmaster. Samuel S. Mann became postmaster on February 24, 1852. This office may have been on the east side of the river when first established but in 1860 the post office and community of Umpqua City were on the west side of the river about two miles north of the mouth. A military post was then at the same place. See under Fort
UMPQUA. The present Umpqua post office is on Umpqua River near the mouth of Calapooya Creek and a long way from the places mentioned above. The post office now known as Umpqua was originally called Umpqua Ferry and was first established March 16, 1877, with John C. ​
Shambrook postmaster. About 1905 the word Ferry was eliminated from the name.
UMPQUA RIVER, Douglas County. Umpqua was the Indian name of the locality of Umpqua River, and the name came to be applied both to the river and to an Indian tribe; given as Umptqua, or Arguilas River, by David Douglas, in 1825, OHQ, volume VI, pages 82, 84, 95. Peter Skene Ogden refere to Umqua Mts. on November 25, 1826, writing of the Cascade Range, which he was viewing from the Deschutes River,
OHQ, volume XI, page 210. John Work used the style Umquah Mountain in his journal for October 3, 1833, referring to the divide between the Umpqua and Rogue rivers. Alexander Ross gives Imp-qua in his First Settlers on the Oregon, page 237, and Umpqua in his Fur Hunters of the Far West, volume I, page 108. Wilkes' map (1841) shows Umpqua. William P. McArthur uses the form Umpqua in his survey of the Pacific Coast in 1850. Hale gives Umpquas in Ethnography and Philology, 1846, page 198, and Umpqua and Umkwa, page 204. The Umpquas are classed as an Athapascan tribe of the upper Umpqua River. The territorial legislature created an Umpqua County January 24, 1851. It ceased to exist October 16, 1862, its area having been added to other counties. The Hudson's Bay Company had an establishment in the Umpqua Valley as early as 1832, probably on Calapooya Creek. It was generally called Old Fort Umpqua. The company later had another Fort Umpqua near the present site of Elkton. During the Indian wars there was a federal establishment called Fort Umpqua just north of the mouth of Umpqua River. For many references to Umpqua River and to Umpqua Valley, see OHQ, volume XLIV, page 357.
UNION, Union County. Dunham Wright, aged 84 in 1926, of Medical Springs, informed the compiler that the town of Union was founded in 1862 by E. H. Lewis, Fred Nodine and Samuel Hannah, and was named for patriotic reasons during the Civil War. The town was named before the county was formed. Homemade flags from dresses and sheets were in the celebration on July 4, 1863. Union post office was established on May 8, 1863, with John A. J. Chapman first postmaster.
UNION COUNTY. Union County was created October 14, 1864, and was taken from the north part of Baker County as that county then existed. Its name was taken from the town of Union, which had been established about two years. Union County has a land area of 2032 square miles.
UNION CREEK, Jackson County. The locality known as Union Creek is on the upper reaches of Rogue River, about twelve miles north of Prospect and about ten miles west of the entrance to Crater Lake National Park. It took its name from the stream, which was in turn named for Union Peak in the park. Union Creek post office was established April 22, 1924, with Mrs. Helen C. Herriott first postmaster.
UNION MILLS, Clackamas County. Union Mills is a well-known locality about three miles southeast by road from Mulino. It is adjacent to Milk Creek. The name of the place has had an interesting history. The Cutting family operated a post office in this vicinity as early as September, 1867. Charles Cutting, Sr., was the first postmaster and the office was named in his honor. It was called Cuttingsville. The office did not operate continuously. On December 28, 1875, the name Cuttingsville was changed to Union Mills and Gabriel J. Trullinger became postmaster. ​
a. With one short interval he ran this office until August, 1904. In March, 1948, Isaac V. Trullinger, then living in Portland, and a son of Gabriel J. Trullinger, sent some information to the compiler. Gabriel J. Trullinger came to Oregon in 1847 and took up a donation claim on Milk Creek in 1852. He built a sawmill and later added wool carding machinery. Still later he added a planing mill and as a result of these various activities he called his establishment Union Mills. A flour mill was built in 1877. In 1875 the post office had been moved from Cuttingsville. The post offices of Cuttingsville and Union Mills were not in exactly the same place. Isaac V. Trullinger adds an interesting note that the planer was bought from Dr. John McLoughlin, who imported it from England. It is said to have been the first power driven planer to operate on the Pacific Coast. This piece of machinery is now in the museum of the Oregon Historical Society at Portland.
UNION PEAK, Crater Lake National Park, Klamath County. This peak was named for patriotic reasons by a party of prospectors who climbed it on October 21, 1862. Will G, Steel gives their names as follows: Chauncey Nye, H. Abbott, S. Smith, J. Brandlin, James Leyman and J. W. Sessions. The elevation of Union Peak is 7698 feet.
UNION Point, Linn County. Union Point post office was established February 18, 1854, with William B. Blain postmaster. Hugh Dinwiddie became postmaster March 2, 1855. The compiler suspects that the office was named for patriotic reasons but has no details. It was about four miles south of Brownsville. There is no longer a community with the name, but there is a Union Point School, Union Point post office was discontinued in August, 1859.
UNIONTOWN, Clatsop County. Uniontown is in the west part of Astoria and got its name from the Union Packing Company, which began operations in the early '80s, in the vicinity of Bond and Washington streets. The company was not successful and its real estate was platted into lots and deeded to the stockholders. The locality was called Uniontown and the name eventually spread until it included the entire west end of Astoria. For details, see Astorian-Budget, March 4, 1938.
UNIONTOWN, Jackson County. Uniontown was an early post office on Applegate River near the mouth of Little Applegate River. Theodoric Cameron, a native of Madison County, New York, and a pioneer of 1852, was the only postmaster the place ever had. Cameron was a staunch republican and during the Civil War had pronounced views on upholding the Union. The place was named on that account. Uniontown post ofhce was in operation at the Cameron store from April, 1879, until September, 1891.
UNIT LAKE, Wallowa County. This lake is in township 4 south, range 44 east, in the Wallowa Mountains. It is somewhat separated from other lakes in the vicinity and is named because it is a unit by itself.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Multnomah County. Portland has had a liberal supply of platted additions with fancy names, although many of them actually came into being before the city became a metropolis. In fact some of them antedated the Portland-East Portland-Albina consolidation of 189). A number of them, then suburbs, had post offices. An office called Portsmouth was established April 17, 1891, with Chapman S. Pennock postmaster. This was to serve the area of Portsmouth addition, ​
southeast of Saint Johns. It seems apparent that Pennock or the postal authorities were not satisfied with the name or location, for on August 25, 1891, the name of the office was changed to University Park to agree with that of an addition with that title. The plat for University Park had been filed in April, 1891. The post office may have been moved when the name was changed. University Park office was in operation until November 14, 1903, when it was closed out to Portland. In 1946 University Park was a station under the Portland office. The name of Portsmouth addition was doubtless suggested by the sight of water-borne commerce passing close at hand. University Park was named for Portland University, a Methodist institution established on the river bluff in 1890. This institution later became Columbia University, and is now University of Portland, both establishments of the Catholic church.
UPPER ASTORIA, Clatsop County. Upper Astoria post office was established March 19, 1877, with Christian Leinenweber first of five postmasters. The office was discontinued September 11, 1886, but was not in continuous service between the two dates given. Leinenweber was a prominent early-day citizen of Clatsop County, and probably named the office himself. It was about a mile and a half east of what is now the main business part of Astoria, but probably not always in the same place. The name was of course descriptive, as it was upriver from the older post office at Astoria. The general locality of what was Upper Astoria is now frequently called Alderbrook.
UPPER KLAMATH LAKE, Klamath County. The official and correct name of the largest lake in Oregon is Upper Klamath Lake and not Klamath Lake. There is a Lower Klamath Lake and a contradistinction is necessary. Beyond that, however, the name Upper Klamath Lake has a broad and deep historic background. In passing, it may be mentioned that John C. Fremont did not reach the shores of Upper Klamath Lake in the winter of 1843-44. In fact Fremont did not see the lake until his second visit to Oregon, in 1846. On December 10, 1843, Fremont reached and very accurately described Klamath Marsh, although at the time he supposed it was on "Tlamath lake." It can hardly be contended that Klamath Marsh is part of Upper Klamath Lake. The north end of the marsh is about 30 miles from the lake and approximately 400 feet greater in elevation. For the history of the name Klamath, see under KLAM ATH COUNTY. Upper Klamath Lake has an area of about 142 square miles at high stages, and is quite the largest in the state.
UPPER LAND CREEK, Coos County. This creek, together with Lower Land Creek nearby, was named for T. C. Land, a pioneer settler on South Fork Coquille River.
UPPER OCHOCO, Crook County. The early-day post office Upper Ochoco was not on the upper reaches of Ochoco Creek at all, but not more than about ten miles east of Prineville near the mouth of Mill Creek. It was near where the Claypool place was in 1946. Upper Ochoco post office was established April 13, 1871, with James H. Miller first of seven postmasters. The office was discontinued August 2, 1880.
UPPER TABLE Rock, Jackson County. There are two table rocks, north of Central Point. They are prominent landmarks, and well named. Upper Table Rock is the eastern one of the two. It is famous because of the council between the white soldiers and Rogue River Indians held on its southwestern slope, at the foot of the vertical cliff, on September ​10, 1853. For an account of this meeting by Colonel James W. Nesmith, see OHQ, volume VII, page 211.
UTOPIA, Wallowa County. The post office at Utopia was on the homestead of Charles N. Walker in section 24, township 4 north, range 42 east. Walker was not only a homesteader but also a schoolteacher and was so impressed with the surrounding country that he named the office for Sir Thomas More's imaginary paradise on earth. Utopia post office was established May 4, 1905, with Aurelia M. Walker postmaster, and it operated until May, 1911. The place was on Middle Point between Wallupa and Wildcat creeks about two miles southeast of Promise, and the name of the office at Promise may have suggested the name Utopia.
UTTER CITY, Coos County. In January, 1946, Mrs. Mary M. Randleman of Coquille, who has an extensive knowledge of Coos County history, wrote the compiler as follows: "There were two brothers, Fred and William Utter, residents of San Francisco, who opened the Dale and Utter coal mine about a mile south of Coaledo. They had large holdings in Contra Costa County, but resided in Utter City while operating the mine here. Utter City was about a mile south of the Coos City bridge. The town was never recorded so it is hard to locate it geographically. Mr. Utter built the Isthmus Transit railroad from Coaledo to Uiter City where the coal was put in bunkers and eventually shipped to San Francisco. Henry Sengstacken came from San Francisco to serve as bookkeeper, and store manager. There was a store, post office, hotel, brewery and a number of houses." Utter City was on Isthmus Slough south of the town of Coos Bay. A post office with the name Isthmus was established December 11, 1871, with Gilbert Hall postmaster. The name of the office was changed to Utter City on June 26, 1876, and the office was discontinued June 22, 1880. The compiler is told that the ravages of time have obliterated the community.