Clark Expedition, volume III, page 147. However, on their return journey the explorers called the stream Clarks River, presumably for William Clark. (Ibid., volume IV, page 292, and also atlas volume, map 32, part I, and map 40.) Neither of these names prevailed. The Klamath Indians apparently referred to the Deschutes as Kolamkeni Koke. Koke was a general name for stream, while kolam referred to a wild root used for food, possibly a species of Aralia. Keni was a suffix meaning place. A literal translation would be stream of the place where the kolam grew. In the fur trading period the stream was known as Riviere des Chutes or Riviere aux Chutes, meaning River of the Falls. As a result of the modern tendency to simplify geographic names, the expression is now universally written Deschutes. The trappers applied their name because the river flowed into the Columbia near the falls of that river and not because of any falls in the Deschutes itself. The following two quotations show this very clearly: "... I lost no time in joining Mr. Finan McDonalds party who I found encamped on the River of the Falls of the Columbia, about four days march from the Main stream." Peter Skene Ogden under date of October 10, 1826, in Fur Trade and Empire, page 281. . . "3. Mr. Ogden Hunted last winter in the Space of country Bounded on the north by the Head waters of the River of the Columbia falls, on the west by the Umqua, from thence East to the River Malheur in the Snake Country." John McLoughlin, August 11, 1827, in The Letters of John McLoughlin, First Series, page 49. F. N. Blanchet, in Historic Notes, 1883, page 14, has a paragraph about the name La Riviere des Chutes and says that it was for the Chutes in the Columbia River and not for the falls in the stream itself. The Rev. A. F. Waller, in his diary under date of May 8, 1845, refers to the Deschutes River by an Indian name, Wanawont. The diary gives no explanation of the name.
DESERT, Jefferson County. Desert post office was established June 21, 1890, with William G. Rogers first postmaster. It was named for the surroundings. The office was closed in April, 1892. The record shows that an effort was made to revive the office in May, 1904, with James O. Colb postmaster, but apparently the revival was not completed. It is possible that the 1904 office was in a different location from the earlier office. According to information sent by Devere Helfrich of Klamath Falls, Desert post office was in the northwest part of township 13 south, range 14 east, near Gray Butte School. According to Mr. Helfrich it is probable that Desert post office was at different times in sections 5 and 6 of the township mentioned above, and very close to the first location of Lamonta post office. Mr. Helfrich was born in the immediate neighborhood. Desert and Lamonta post offices were between ten and twelve miles airline southward of Madras
DESERT CONE, Crater Lake National Park, Klamath County. Desert Cone is north of Crater Lake, and has an elevation of 6651 feet. It is at the west edge of Pumice Desert, and is named on that account.
DESERT Ridge, Crater Lake National Park, Douglas and Klamath counties. This ridge is north of Crater Lake, and has an elevation of 6941 feet at its highest point. It is about a mile long. It gets its name because it is just west of Pumice Desert.
DESPAIN GULCH, Umatilla County. Despain Gulch is east of Hermiston, and the intermittent stream therein flows into Cold Springs Reser
