on Wednesday, January 8, 1806. He called the stream Ecola, or Whale Creek. Since pioneer days the stream has been called Elk Creek. The village near its mouth at the north end of Cannon Beach was first called Elk Creek, then Ecola, but for many years its postal name has been Cannon Beach. See under Ecola and Cannon Beach for additional information. Thwaites on page 324 of volume III of his Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is confused about Whale Creek and mistakes it for Nehalem River, the more important stream to the south. He has done the same with other features visited by Captain Clark during the first days in January, and identifies them with points too far south. See under Tillamook Head.
Elk Creek, Douglas County. Elk Creek joins Umpqua River near the town of Elkton. The stream has borne the name of Elk Creek since the period of the fur traders. The writer does not know when the stream was first named, but John Work mentions it as Elk River in his diary on June 7, 1834. See OHQ, September, 1923. Elk appear to have been plentiful in the Willamette Valley and in the Umpqua country, and there are many features named for them in those parts of the state.
Elk Creek, Douglas County. Judging by the number of geographic names in Oregon commemorating elk, that animal must have been both plentiful and popular in the days of the fur traders and the pioneers. Elk furnished more than their share of early-day provisions. A recent count by the State Engineer shows about thirty Elk creeks in the state. An important stream named Elk Creek flows into South Umpqua River at Tiller, in the southeast part of the county. It was named in pioneer times. There was an Elk Creek post office near the mouth of the stream, established December 18, 1877, with S. C. Cramer first postmaster. This office operated with the name Elk Creek until August 22, 1884, when the name was changed to Perdue, in compliment to John Perdue, Sr., then postmaster. Perdue took office June 11, 1884. About this time the office was moved west and down South Umpqua River about six miles below the mouth of Elk Creek, and the new locality became known as Perdue. It is not clear from available records just when this move was made. Tiller post office was established near the mouth of Elk Creek October 15, 1902, with Alfred B. Marquam first postmaster, and was still in operation in 1945. Tiller was named for Aaron Tiller, a local settler. The locality has become of importance in the news because of its place on the Tiller-Trail highway.
Elk Flat, Union County. Elk Flat is east of Elgin. It is an extension, to the south, from Cricket Flat. In January, 1947, Geo. T. Cochran of La Grande wrote the compiler: "Elk Flat joins Cricket Flat on the south. There is probably no dividing line between the two areas. In pioneer days there were many elk that grazed along the south part of Cricket Flat, and from that fact the locality became known as Elk Flat. I can remember going there many times with my father to get our winter's meat in the form of elk." Elk Flat post office was established April 17, 1878, with Joseph M. Tucker first postmaster. The office was discontinued November 11, 1886. Tucker took up his homestead and built a house and blacksmith shop in section 17, township 1 north, range 40 east. According to Mr. Cochran he later found that his improvements had been installed on the wrong land. This was such an irritation that he gave up the post office and returned to his old home in Iowa. How
