1874 and, town is an of the
TAMILTO 1927 Aunty em that love of that name connected with the Astor enterprise. For biography of William L. Halsey, see the Oregonian, February 22, 1884, page 3.
HAMBONE BUTTE, Clackamas County. This butte is between Salmon and Roaring rivers. Its elevation is about 4900 feet. It was named by T. H. Sherrard of the Forest Service, who said that the selection of the name was arbitrary, and that it had no peculiar significance.
HAMILTON, Grant County. Hamilton was named for J. H. Hamilton, a pioneer stockman of the neighborhood and also the first settler where the town is now situated. Hamilton located there some time in 1874 and lived there until his death in 1909. The first store was built by Anson C. Frink who was the first postmaster. The Hamilton ranch was headquarters where settlers met to try the speed of their favorite horses, as Hamilton was a fancier of horseflesh.
HAMILTON CREEK, Linn County. C. H. Stewart of Albany wrote the compiler in 1927 as follows: "Hamilton Creek is one of the foothill streams of Linn County east of Lebanon. I have been told it was named for a family that settled in that locality at an early date and only resided there a short time."
HAMLET, Clatsop County. Hamlet post office was established about 1905, with Albert Hill as first postmaster. The story of the name is printed in the Seaside Signal for January 10, 1929. Herman Ahlers, an old settler on the Necanicum River, is authority for the statement that when he was postmaster at Necanicum, a petition was brought in by a man named Hutinen, living in the valley of North Fork Nehalem River, asking for a post office to be called Hamlet. Ahlers said he asked if the place was named for Shakespeare's play or because it was just a small community. Hutinen told him the latter. The same story contains a statement by A. W. Utzinger, also an old resident, that Hamlet was once called Push in honor of the Astoria Push Club and the name was changed to Hamlet in compliment to Harry Hamlet, member of the club, which was interested in the development of the locality. In a subsequent letter Ahlers denies all this and points to the fact that it was Necanicum post office that was called Push, not the Hamlet post office, and that the Astoria club had no interest in the locality. Government records confirm Ahlers' statement that Push was used at Necanicum and not at Hamlet.
HAMMER CREEK, Benton County. Hammer Creek bears the name of Jacob Hammer, a pioneer settler on its banks. The stream is west of Monroe. For biography of Jacob Hammer, see History of Benton County, Portland, 1885, page 514.
HAMMERSLEY, Josephine County. A post office with the name Hammersley was established June 7, 1894, with M. Hammersley postmaster. For some reason it was never placed in service and the appointment was rescinded October 8, 1894. The compiler is informed that the office was intended to serve the locality of the Hammersley mine on the extreme east edge of the county northeast of Grants Pass.
HAMMOND, Clatsop County. Named for Andrew H. Hammond, a pioneer of the Pacific Northwest. He was born in New Brunswick July 22, 1848, and in 1866-67 came to Washington and then settled in Montana, where he lived about 30 years, successfully engaged in mercantile and railroad affairs. From 1895 to 1898 he built the Astoria and Columbia River Railroad, later acquired by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle
