time, lined with freight teams pulling out toward The Dalles, loaded with huge sacks of wool. Not a few outfits had as many as three wagons and ten or twelve horses. Most drivers sat on a high seat and deftly manipulated a line for each horse. Many rode the left wheel horse and drove the leaders. At least one team in each outfit had warning bells on an arch fastened to the hames. Some horses were sleek and strong, well harnessed, others were pitiable creatures, victims of cruelty and ignorance. You could almost read a man's character by his team and wagon. One of the best outfits on the road belonged to Jack McCauley who had a family of ten children on a little homestead near the town of John Day. After I was grown I stayed one night with them when the stage broke down, and was struck with the splendid discipline and high moral tone of the family."
GRAEME, Clackamas County. The name of Graeme post office in the extreme west part of the county came from the Scottish family name Graham. There was a Graham's Ferry in this vicinity in early days and it was situated two or three miles upstream from Wilsonville. The compiler has been told that when an application was made for the establishment of Graham post office postal authorities objected to the name Graham because of possible confusion with Gresham post office in nearby Multnomah County. The name Graeme was used as a compromise. Graeme is an alternative form of the Scotch word Graham. The Graham family was well known in the locality and one member, Robert Graham, was living in Oregon City in 1948. Graeme post office was established February 1, 1896, with T. Howard Baker first postmaster. It was discontinued August 12, 1903. The compiler has been told that Baker bought the Graham house about the time Graeme post office was established.
GRAND ISLAND, Yamhill County. This is one of the largest islands in the Willamette River, and is so named on that account. It is separated from the rest of Yamhill County on the west by Lambert Slough, over which there is a bridge. In pioneer days it was known as Deer Island, which caused some confusion with Deer Island in Columbia County. Later it was called simply the Island Island settlers organized a community club about 1913, and the name Grand Island was adopted by popular vote. For short history of Grand Island by Mrs. C. A. Ferguson, see Salem Statesman, October 2, 1931. The island contains about 4000 acres of tillable land, mostly rich river soil. Statements that it is only 46 feet above sea level are not substantiated by government maps, which show that much of the area is about 100 feet above sea level, with one point 107 feet in elevation. Grand Prairie, Lane County. In pioneer days that part of the Willamette Valley floor northwest of Eugene and southwest of Harrsiburg was generally referred to as Grand Prairie, but the name has sunk into disuse. Grand Prairie post office was established June 22, 1854, with Jonathan Butler first postmaster. E. Blachley became postmaster on September 3, 1858, and Jonathan Butler, Jr., on March 18, 1859. The office was closed March 30, 1860. The office was of course named for the natural feature. In February, 1947, J. M. Nighswander of Eugene wrote the compiler that this office was probably near the "center, the school, or the thickest of the settlement." This center was near the northeast corner of the Andrew Jackson Simmons donation land claim, at the place later called Meadow View and also Grand Prairie School. Mr. Nighswand.
