The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-07-03
OREGON HISTORIAN
URGES SNAKE RIVER
NAME BE ABOLISHED
Says Name Misleading
and Applied by Foes
X of Shoshones

Expressing approval of the agfta
: ton being carried on to effect
change of name for the Snake river
j. Nelson Barry, of Portland, Ore.
| a historian especially familiar will
{ the early history of the northwest
has written the Blackfoot chamber
of commerce enclosing communica
ton recently forwarded by him tt
the U. S. Geographic board, which has
, under its jurisdiction matters of this
nature. Mr.. Barry's letter to the
board follows:
81 am rejoiced to see in the news
papers that the citizens of Idaho are
at last taking steps to abolish the
misleading name for the great river
and to restore one of the older
names.
While 1 am only interested as a
historian who has spent consider
able time and study in matters re-
lating to that interesting region, 1
will be obliged if you will kindly
place this letter on file for use In
connection with the matter when it
comes before your honorable body.
The great river of Idaho has ac-
complished wonderful feat in
gnawing a chasm through the stu
pendous Wallowa-Seven Devil re-
gion, creating canyon which is said
to be, at one place, deeper than any
canyon in the world.
The Snake river is not the old
or original name for the river, and
is misleading and undescriptive, 1t
being a name applied in later years
to the river because 1t flowed, in
part, through the country of the Sho-
shOne Indians, called the Snakes
by their Indian enemies. There Is
no reason for term of opprobrium
given by the enemies of tribes for
merly living upon one part of the
river, being still retained as the
name for great river where Amer
leans now live.
The earliest name was the Lewis
river, given by the Lewis and Clark
The first settlement of white men
upon the river was in 1910, or about
that date, when Andrew Henry erect
Fork of that river, but have been
unable to ascertain whether any 9TH
or name was then given to that part
Of the river.
The next party of white men to
visit the upper parts of the river,
above the Wallowa-Seven Devil re-
gion, was the expedition to Astoria
under Wilson Price Hunt, partner
If John Jacob Aston, during the win
~ them the Mad river, on account
If the rapids and difficulty of nav
eating 1t in canoes beyond Miner,
IDAHO (Caldron LINN. The Canad-
ans in the party termed it LA
Maudite riviere enragee"-the &C
cursed mad river-thus coupling a
with its name. (See As
oria, Chapter XXXVIII, and Ross
COX. Vol. I, page 90, Edition 1919
Owing to the division of the river
INTO two parts on account of the
treat canyon, 1t seems to have had
lifferent designations, since the part
which now flows through Washing
on was easy of access from the sea,
md commonly used for navigation.
Alexander Ross, a school teacher,
Who came to Oregon in 1810-1811
N board the ship Tonquin, to As
oria, and who was a clerk of the
'acific Fur company, (Astor's). and
alter clerk Of the Canadian North
Vest company and still later of the
hudson Bay company, until about
826, makes the statement in his
vork, Adventures of the First Set
lers on the Oregon or Columbia
.iver," chapter XIII, "By way of
tearing up some points not very
Ineligible to many, we may here
lention that the Great Snake river.
ouis river, South Branch, Shahap-
ain river and Nez Perez river, are
IL one and the same stream, with
ifferent denominations"
The lower and navigable portion
[ the river was appropriately called
le Shahaptain or Nez Perez river.
nee 1t flowed through the region
lhabited by that family of Indians
The upper portion of the river
owed through the region inhabited
Y the Shoshone or Snake Indians,
I'D so that portion became known
the Snake river.
The term Snake river has never
zen appropriate for the lower part
the river, since the Shoshone In
ans never occupied that part.
When the great influx of settlers
,curred, which brought white fam
les to the Oregon northwest, the
verland trail struck the upper part
the great river and followed it
r many miles. In this way the
me for that portion of the river
came fixed upon the river as q
lole.
There would be parallel case
the Indians living upon the Po-
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