Oregon Geographic Names
Abberdeen, Linn County. Efforts to learn the reason for this odd name for a Linn County post office have not been fruitful. No real Aberdonian would waste the extra letter in the spelling, and the style must have been selected by someone other than a Scot. Abberdeen post office was established June 13, 1892, with Mary Flauger postmaster. The office was closed April 24, 1894, and the business turned over to Lacomb post office. About 1890 one John Flaugher started a store at his home about eight miles east of Lebanon and applied for a post office which was supposed to have been named in compliment to a former home, Aberdeen, Michigan. The compiler has been unable to find a place called Aberdeen, Michigan, in available records, but there may have been one about 1890.
Abbott Creek, Jefferson County. Abbot Creek flows into Metolius River from the west about twelve miles southeast of Mount Jefferson. It was formerly called Eagle Creek, one of many of that name in Oregon. In 1930 Robert W. Sawyer of Bend recommended that the name of the stream be changed to Abbot Creek to commemorate Henry Larcom Abbot, who as a young lieutenant in the United States Army attached to the Pacific Railroad Surveys, passed along its banks on September 28, 1855. The change was made by decision of USBGN. Abbot had a long and distinguished career. He was born in Massachusetts in 1831 and was graduated from West Point in 1854. He served with distinction in the Civil War and reached the brevet rank of major-general of volunteers, awarded "for gallant and meritorious conduct during the Rebellion." After the war his activities covered a wide range of military engineering, and he retired in 1895 only to serve for another three decades as a consultant to the government and to private enterprises. He died in 1927. The Forest Service has applied the name Abbot Butte to a point, elevation 4318 feet, in the northwest corner of township 12 south, range 9 east. It is just west of Abbot Creek and was named on that account. See also Camp Abbott.
Abbott Burn, Clackamas County. Abbott Burn was named for James Abbott, a well-known stockman of Wapinitia. It is near the headwaters of Salmon River.
Abbott Butte, Douglas and Jackson counties. The following quotation from a letter by Captain O. C. Applegate, of Klamath Falls, indicates the origin of this name: "In very early times Hiram Abbott, usually known as Hi. Abbott, was, I believe, a resident of Big Butte Creek, or of that vicinity, and had some employment, as a sub-agent, perhaps, with the Rogue River Indians. He never was in any way connected with the Indian service on the Klamath reservation. I am of the impression that Abbott Butte on the Umpqua divide was named for him." The spelling Abbot is wrong.
Abernethy Creek, Clackamas County. This stream rises at an elevation of about 1100 feet ten miles southeast of Oregon City, and flows into the Willamette River at Oregon City. It was named for George Abernethy, first governor of Oregon under the provisional government. He was elected to this position on June 3, 1845. He died on May 2, 1877.
