important stream just to the cast. Early in July, 1859, Captain H. D. Wallen, of the Fourth Infantry, in charge of a military expedition, passed Silver Lake and called it Whatumpa Lake, but gave no explanation of the name. See 36th Congress, 1st Session, Senate Executive Document 34, which gives an account of this expedition. For early history of this area by Robert C. Clark, see OHQ, volume XXXIII, page 101.
SILVER CREEK, Josephine County. This stream is in the western part of the county. Walling, in History of Southern Oregon, page 452, says the stream was named because of a pretended discovery of silver ore on its banks in 1879. Silver CREEK, Marion County. Silver Creek was named in pioneer days, and the town of Silverton was named for the stream. There are two stories about the origin of the name. The first is to the effect that a traveler on horseback had some silver in his saddle bags and tried to ford the stream near where the town of Silverton now stands. His horse got into deep water and in the struggle that ensued the saddle pockets were lost, silver and all. The loss was not recovered, and as a result the stream was named Silver Creek. The second and more probable story is that the stream was named for James Smith, who was called "Silver" Smith because he brought a quantity of silver dollars into the locality, possibly a bushel of them. Smith and John Barger built a sawmill at Milford, two miles above Silverton, about 1846. Old-timers generally favor this version. A post office with the name Silver Creek was established in Marion County November 16, 1854, with E. M. Waite postmaster. The compiler has not been able to get its location, but it was doubtless not far from the present site of Silverton. Silver CREEK Falls, Marion County. These falls are about fifteen miles southeast of Silverton, in Silver Creek Falls State Park. They constitute one of the important scenic attractions of Oregon and in ordinary times are visited by large numbers of sightseers. North and South Silver creeks join to form Silver Creek in the park, and the larger falls are on the two streams above the forks. In April, 1943, S. H. Boardman, state parks superintendent, had the heights of the falls accurately measured with the following results: North Falls, 136 feet; Twin Falls, 31 feet; Winter Falls, 134 feet; Middle North Falls, 106 feet; Drake Falls, 27 feet; Double Falls, 178 feet; Lower North Falls, 30 feet; Lower South Falls, 93 feet; South Falls, 177 feet. Below the junction of North and South Silver creeks are five small falls within the park, with the following heights: Crag Falls, 12 feet; Elbow Falls, 20 feet; Canyon Falls, 10 feet; Lisp Falls, 5 feet; Sunlight Falls, 5 feet. A community called Silver Falls City sprang up near these falls many years ago. The town was platted in 1888, with ambitious dimensions, but the enterprise folded up. See story by R. J. Hendricks, Salem Statesman, May 16, 1937. Silver Falls, Coos County. These falls are on Silver Creek, northeast of Allegany. They were named in contradistinction to Golden Falls nearby, in the belief that Golden Falls were named for the metal. According to information from S. B. Cathcart in 1929 Golden Falls were actually named for Dr. C. B. Golden, first Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of Oregon. Silver King MOUNTAIN, Marion County. This mountain, elevation 5238 feet, is in the north part of the county, north of Detroit. It was
