The Washington herald., 1908-01-19
Mule. Snake, BakeOyen Have
Historical Significance.
NAMES OFTEN DUE TO FREAKS
HaystacIS, Tanks, Echo, Box, Apiary,
GOOsebeFry, Looking Glass Are "a
Few ether Strange Titles Of Post
Offices In Pacific Coast State-As-
Bestos Not Hottest Place ON Earth.

pioneers who settled in this far Western
State often selected a name for their new
location from the first chance occurrence
in connection with st.
Indian names and some drawn from the
classics appear in Oregon's post-0fiice
list, but predominant are the names in
dicative Of the life Of the West Animals.
birds, and trees have also contributed
their names to settlements.
The part chance has played in forming
Oregon's post-ofFice list is illustrated in
Bakeoven. In early days a Frenchman
started from The Dalles, which, by the
way. takes its name from the dalles or
falls in the Columbia River. with a cargo
of -four for the mines ct Canyon City.
another town named srom its geograph-
lcal location.
Indians Capture Mules,
The first night he went into camp
band Of Indians came along and drove
of all Of his mules Unable 70 move his
-four. ne gathered some rocks together.
built a big oven, and then gradually
baked his -four into bread.
The bread was sold to passing miners
and travellers along the trail at a much
greater profit than he would otherwise
have received. As a result OF this
occurrence, the little town which now
stands on the site or the FTenchman's
camp is named Bakeoven. and residents
Yet point out the blackened rocks which
We're a part Of the original bake oven
that gave the place its name.
Similar in origin 10 Bakeoven are Hay
stack Tanks. Echo. Box. and Apiary.
Haystack was named for the only ching
standing on the ground when the post
office was established, and Tanks is a
station on the O. r. & y. Railroad IN
Umatina County where the watering
tanks Of that division are situated
Gooseberry. Looking Glass. and Mule
all appear on Oregon's map. When
post-0fice was established At Gooseberry
the department told l. r. Esteb who was
appointed postmaster. 10 select a name
different from any other in the United
States. His inspiration came from an
immense g0Gseberry bush. There is also
a post-Odice in Oregon named Straw
berry.
Origin Of the Name.
The name Of Looking Glass comes from
the clear stream which runs near this
post office. Among other names chosen
On account Of surroundings are Juniper
which stands among the juniper trees
of Eastern Oregon. Peak located near
the foot OF Marys Peak. the highest
point iu the coast range; Fossil, county
seat Of Wheeler County, and near fossil
I 4. d u
Meadow. an named because OF the chief
characteristic Of their natural surround
ings.
The post-office OF Mule IS In Harvey
County II draws It's name from the
fact that its postmaster. J. F. Mahon,
in whose residence the post-otiice IS To-
Gated. conducts one Of the largest mule
ranches in the West.
There is no town at Mule. but the
rauchers wanted "a post-oftice. When Ma
hon, who headed the petition, was asked
to select a name be suggested Ander-
son, as his ranch is in Anderson valley
But the department replied that there
were too many AudersOus In the country
already and "A shorter name would be
advisable. So MahOn suggested Mule
and IL was accepted.
Asbestos is the name OF a thriving Ore
gon settlement. and one might suppose IL
10 be the hottest town in the State But
/ Il stands well up in the mountains Of
[ Josephine County. and secured its name
/ from the asbestos mine near by. Other
I oregon towns which were named after
nearby mines are Greenhorn, Greenback,
and Lucky Boy. There are also Mineral,
Promise, Agate, Nugget, Oretown, and
I Prospect.
A Historic Name.
a historic name is Grants Pass. county
seat Of Josephine county.
When L, s. Grant was a young lieu-
tenant in the regular army he led a de-
tachment Of soldiers from California
northwest through oregon TO Vancouver
Barracks. In crossing the Southern Ore
gon mountains the soldiers wandered
away from the regular trail and found
their way down out Of the mountains
through a new pass. In later years when
Grant led the Union armies TO victory
and became famous. his name became
/ associated with this pass. and the city
which grew up in the pass between the
hills took the name.
| In early days the settlers. In order %
be near wood and water. went well back
| into the hills to take donation land
claims, ignoring the rich valley lands.
which are now the scene Of trade and
wealth. A party thus seeking new homes
/ found a pleasant little valley in what is
now the eastern part of Linn County. Be
1 lieving they had found a Utopia, so far
/ as natural conditions were concerned,
/ they named their settlement Sweet Home.
But though thriving cities now dot the
valleys far below it, Sweet Home is yet a
foothill village.
/ San Francisco capitalists founded a
town near the mouth Of the Siuslaw River,
and thinking they had an ideal location
/ for a sawmill town, both in timber sup
| ply and shipping facilities they named 1t
Acme. It has never attained the dignity
| Of a city,
Origin OF An1dem.
Anidem secured its name in an unusual
way When a pOst-offce was established
in the Quartzville mining district in Linn
County, Lawler, the London capitalist
who owned the mines. wanted to name 1t
! for his friend Medina. But his name was
so similar 10 Mehama, which is only 2
few miles away, that the Post-office De-
partment rejected it. Lawler reversed
the letters and called the post-office Ami
dem.
| Corvallis. county seat OF Benton County,
/ is Latin in origin, meaning the heart of
the valley. 1t was originally named
Marysville. About 1870 this town and
Salem, the capital of Oregon. and Albany.
the county seat of Linn County. desired
names which were not so common
Marysville became Corvallis. Albany
changed to Taknah and Salem became
Chemeketa. The first town kept its new
name, but the latter two soon changed
back to the old names.
Price No Indication.