The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-04-08
mOntananS
Ask What's
In A Name?
Want To Know History
Back Of Strangely Named
Geographical Places.
COMMERCIAL CLUB
SENDS IN LOCAL LIST
What's in a name?


That question is sometimes asked but
not in the sense that the query was re-
Gently put to the Libby Commercial
| club.
Not long ago the club received let
ter from Montanans, Inc, the state
chamber of commerce, which said that
Montana has an unusual opportunity
for regular weekly publicity all over
the United States. through the Farm
and Home Hour which is broadcast
over a coast-to-coast hookup by the
National Broadcasting company"
The writer then went on to say that
the Farm and Home hour is DESTROYS Of
obtaining the history of especially coll
orful names of localities Greeks, rivers,
mountain ranges, towns, etc. and
weaving them into story that would
be of wide general interest to the radio
audience. AS an example he cited such
names as Crazy Mountain, Kicking
Horse Reservoir, Hungry Horse Noun
tain, etc. The idea is to tell how such
unusually named places got their
names.
In line with that desire the publicity
committee of the Libby Commercial
club got to work and it was found that
the forest service keeps record OF such
geographical names with the history
back of them. A. A. Wood of the Libby
publicity committee, ran over that list
and selected the following and on Mon
day the list, with condensed historical
Inc.
Ya'kin kak creek-There's mouth
filling word and yet one with a musi-
cal sound 1t is a Kootenai Indian
word meaning the Trail of the Moose"
The creek starts near the east boun-
dairy of the Kootenai forest and flows
into the North Fork OF the Flathead.
1t is said to be an old moose run from
the Glacier Park country into Canada.
Cuckoo Creek-East of Eureka. For
estry notations says. Because no one
knows where it flows--it is in and out
Of the ground SO much
Mt. Thompson Seton-Northwest COR
ner of Flathead forest. Named in hon.
or of the nature story writer.
Krag Peak-Associated with Thomp-
son Seatons story of ''Krag, the Koote
mai Ram North of Eureka on
highway No. SO. What thrill we got
from reading that story when young
lad Little did we dream when fol-
lowing the dour Scotchman in his re-
lentless pursuit of Krag that we would
some day be living in the very country
that was the locale of that thrilling
story.
Krinklehorn Peak-Opposite Krag
Peak.
Not Grizzly Bear Mountain-Old tim
ers smile when asked for an explana-
ton. Apparently dude features in
this story, East and north Of Libby.
Hanging Valley--Great glacial cirque,
south of Libby
Bluebird Basin-Forest ranger meas
uring depth Of snow in this valley in
March was surprised to see blue
bird that early. South Of Libby.
Peco Creek-Recommended on rang
er's suggestion to take the place of the
original name, Pecolet Creek, because
1T is more easily understood over the
phone Empties into Fisher river.
He'll Roaring Creek-In the Yak
country. No further description Of the
creek than its name is necessary.
China Rapids-Wel known rapids on
the Kootenai west of Libby. China
creek flows in from the north There is
dispute among local people regarding
the history of this name. Legend has
1T that Cinnamon were run out Of the
Libby creek diggings in the early days
when the Cinnamon were caught rob
bling sluice boxes of the gold in them.
Ii is said the Cinnamon were seized by
the angered placer miners and sent
over the rapids on raft and that near
ly all of them were drowned. This
story is denied by Al Howard, pioneer
placer miner, who was instrumental h,
getting the Cinnamon to come in from
Missoula and buy claims from him. 1t
is said Cinnamon were left stranded in
Missoula after the Northern Pacific was
completed There is one well estab-
lished grave on the north bank of the
river near the rapids.
What's in name?n The above
answers that query for a number OF
local names.