Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/431

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ed it [W2 1, bir 1993 згі birthplace in New York state. The name Mohawk River came into use as a result of this incident. Jacob Spores was one of the earliest settlers in Lane County and operated a pioneer ferry on McKenzie River not far from the present site of Coburg. A post office named Mohawk was established on the banks of the Oregon stream on December 20, 1862, with Robert M. Robertson first postmaster. This office has not been operated continuously, but in 1946 it was still in service. It has doubtless been moved a time or two, depending on the availability of a postmaster. Gannett in The Origin of Certain Place Names, says that the name of the eastern Mohawk tribe signifies an eater of live meat.

MOHLER, Tillamook County. Mohler post office was originally established as Balm in May, 1897, with Everett R. Bales postmaster. The office was on Foley Creek, a little above the mouth, and about two miles southeast of the present site of Mohler. In December, 1911, the name of the office was changed to Mohler and it was moved to the new location. The change is said to have been made at the request of E. E. Lytle, who built the Pacific Railway and Navigation Company line into that part of Tillamook County. The station and post office were named in compliment to A. L. Mohler, a prominent railroad official and one-time president of the Union Pacific. Mokst BUTTE, Deschutes County. This butte in the Paulina Mountains was named by the Forest Service with the Chinook jargon word for two, as it was the second of a series all named at the same time.

MOLALLA, Clackamas County. This is an important community that takes its name from Molalla River nearby. See under that name. Molalla post office was established April 9, 1850. It was at or near the present site of Liberal and was discontinued August 25, 1851. Harrison Wright was the postmaster. The office was reestablished December 2, 1868, with Wright postmaster, but available records do not give its location. It operated until March, 1874. It was reestablished again in January, 1875, and it seems probable that this was the date it was placed at the present community of Molalla.

MOLALLA RIVER, Clackamas County. Molalla was the name of the tribe of Indians that inhabited much of the territory now in Marion and Clackamas counties. The Molallas were a Waiilatpuan tribe akin to the Cayuses, forming the western division of the family. The Cayuses have a tradition that the Molallas were detached and driven west in wars with hostile tribes. The Molalla dialect shows that the separation from the Cayuses took place in remote times. Whether the Indians took their name from what is called Molalla River, or vice versa, is not known. For a short account of the Molalla Indians see Handbook of American Indians, volume I, page 930. Many methods of spelling the name by a variety of authors are listed. By decision of the USBGN, the name Molalla River extends to the headwaters of the main south branch of the stream. The stvle South Fork is wrong. The middle branch is Table Rock Fork.

MONITOR, Marion County. Robert H. Down says that local residents have a story to the effect that this place was named for a certain type of flour mill known as a Monitor mill, which was in use at Monitor in early days. This sounds reasonable, and is probably the origin of the name.

MONKLAND, Sherman County. N. W. Thompson of Moro told the compiler that his father named the community of Monkland, presum