Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/208

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office may have actually been moved from one county to the other, the writer thinks it probable that a relocation of the county boundary brought about the change. Divide, Wallowa County. Divide was the name of a post office that operated in Wallowa County from January, 1891, until November, 1893, with Annie E. Shaw first postmaster. This office was situated in what is called the Divide country between Sheep Creek on the east and Little Sheep Creek on the west. When Annie E. Shaw had the office it was in section 11, township 3 south, range 46 east, and during the rest of its existence it was not far away. When the office was first asked for, it was suggested by Joe Wasson that it be named Threebuck because it was near the headwaters of that stream, but it was decided that the name was too cumbersome.

DIXIE, Baker County. Dixie, a locality on Burnt River about five miles north of Lime, was named because it was near the confluence of Burnt River and Dixie Creek, which flows in from the west. Dixie Creek was named in the mining days because of the prevalence of southerners on its upper reaches. Dixie post office was established March 21, 1913, and was discontinued April 30, 1924. The post office was not in the mining area, but close to the railroad along Burnt River.

DIXIE, Washington County. Dixie post office was established in the extreme northeast corner of Washington County on November 21, 1887, with John Dix first of four postmasters. It seems obvious that the office was named for the family of the postmaster and not for Dixie, the land of the magnolia and the mocking bird. The office was five or six miles southwest of Scappoose, and when it was closed May 4, 1905, it was closed to that office. The name Dixie Mountain is still used for a prominent ridge in that part of the state. The fact that the office was named for the family was confirmed by a letter dated February 2, 1948, signed by W. D. Moreland of the Skyland Land Company, which operates in Multnomah and Washington counties. Mr. Moreland says that when real estate in this area was put on the market in 1933 it became desirable to adopt a locality name. The property was near Wallace school, but that name was considered rather unsatisfactory. A community picnic was held about 1936-37 at the John Tannock picnic grounds. There was a good deal of discussion about a place name. When a formal vote was taken nearly eighty percent of those present were in favor of Dixie to commemorate the old Dixie post office and John Dix, its postmaster. Dixie CREEK, Grant County. This stream fows into John Day River near Prairie City. Patsy Daly of Prairie City told the compiler in 1927 that the stream was named during the mining excitement of the early '60s because there were so many southerners mining along its banks. Dixie JETT GULCH, Wallowa County. Dixie Jett Gulch drains into Sheep Creek in township 2 south, range 47 east. The name is an odd one, and was applied to commemorate a settler who built a cabin in the canyon. The compiler has been furnished with several spellings of this man's name, all purporting to be the veritable form. These include: Dick Se Jett, Dixie Jett and Dick Surjett. The man himself, a prospector and hunter, went his way many years ago. The Forest Service uses the spelling Dixie Jett because it is the simplest and is in general use. Dixon CREEK, Benton County. Dixon Creek, north of Corvallis, was named for William F. Dixon, a pioneer of Oregon, who took up a dona office elas the fake has low co