ELKHORN, Marion County. This is a community on Little North Santiam River a few miles northeast of Mill City. While the origin of the name is obvious, the writer does not know the circumstances in which it was applied. The Geological Survey map of the Mill City quadrangle shows Elkhorn and Elkhorn School to be several miles apart in the valley. Elkhorn post office was established in March, 1892, with William D. Morehouse postmaster. The office was finally closed in June, 1917. Its principal business doubtless had to do with mining activity along the upper reaches of Little North Santiam River. There was an earlier post office in this neighborhood called Ivie, established in June, 1890, with Martha J. Heath postmaster. The name of this office was changed to Elkhorn in March, 1892, but the writer does not know if the offices were at the same place.
ELKHORN SPRING, Wallowa County. This spring is in township 5 north, range 42 east. It was named by William Adams and Hector McDonald because of a pair of elk horns that lay nearby for a number of years.
ELKTON, Douglas County. Elkton was laid out and named in August, 1850. See OHQ, volume XVII, page 356. However, it did not have a post office until September 26, 1851. David B. Wells was first postmaster. Elkton received its name because it was at the junction of Elk Creek and the Umpqua River. At one time the Hudson's Bay Company maintained an establishment known as Fort Umpqua very close to the present site of Elkton. For further information see Leslie M. Scott's article on John Work in OHQ, September, 1923. John Work visited the Umpqua River in 1834 and Fort Umpqua, which was on the south side of the Umpqua River at the mouth of Elk Creek, apparently did not exist at the time of Work's visit. He mentions "umpqua old fort" which appears to have been established in 1832 near Calapooya Creek. There was of course, later on, Fort Umpqua, near the mouth of the river, which had nothing to do with the Hudson's Bay Company forts. Ella, Morrow County. Ella post office was established April 24, 1882, with Frank Oviatt first postmaster. The office was discontinued on September 30, 1910. The place is about seven miles east of Cecil. Four miles south of Ella is Ella Butte. Roy Scott of Cecil wrote the compiler in 1927 that at the time the matter of establishing a post office was considered, a meeting was held in a blacksmith shop owned by Oviatt. It was decided that the office should be established in Oviatt's house, as that seemed to be the best location, but a name could not be agreed upon. Oviatt's little daughter, Ella, was playing around the blacksmith shop and having hurt herself, began to cry. One of the men told her that they would name the office for her if she would stop crying, which she did. Ella Butte was formerly known as Well Spring Butte. Well Spring was a prominent point on the immigrant road about five miles east of the location of Ella post office. The spring is mentioned in many emigrant journals.
ELLENDALE, Polk County. This pioneer community was about two miles west of Dallas, on Rickreall Creek. In 1845 James A. O'Neal built the first grist mill in Polk County, a few hundred feet west of what was later Ellendale. About 1849 O'Neal sold the mill to James W. Nesmith and Henry Owen, who operated it until 1854, and then sold it to Hudson & Company. The post office O'Neals Mills was established January
