Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/582

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nim. Captain William Clark named the river Louis, or Lewis, when a few miles below the confluence of the Salmon and Lemhi rivers. See Thwaites' Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, volume

III, page 10. For editorial by Harvey W. Scott on the name of Snake River, see Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume II, page 209. For notes by Leslie M. Scott and comments by T. C. Elliott of Walla Walla about the application of the name Lewis River and other references, ibid., page 324., et seq.

SNELL CREEK, Wallowa County. Snell Creek was named for George Snell, a nearby rancher. This stream is in township I south, range 48 east.

SNIDER CREEK, Jackson County. For some years there has been a difference in the names applied to the stream that flows southward between Upper and Lower Table rocks, and it has been shown on maps as Snider Creek, Table Creek and Table Rock Creek. In 1937 the

USGS adopted the name Snider Creek for this stream, apparently for an early settler. This was the recommendation of Paul B. Rynning, county engineer. The name Rock Creek is now given to the stream north of Lower Table Rock which flows into Sams Creek to the west. The geography of the area is shown on the map of the Medford quadrangle.

SNOW, Klamath County. The post office called Snow was in the extreme southwest corner of Klamath County. It was established June 22, 1894, with Adelbert B. Smith first of four postmasters. The office ran along with its original name until November 22, 1898, when it was changed to Pokegama. This change doubtless came about because the Pokegama Lumber Company projected a railroad north into Oregon from Thrall, a station on the Southern Pacific near Klamath River, Cal. ifornia. For a time this railroad was an important factor in the development of Klamath County. Snow post office was probably named for Snow Peak, a point about twelve miles to the northeast. In recent years Snow Peak has been called Chase Mountain, but the compiler does not know when the change was made. Emphasis must be called again to the fact that when the names of post offices were changed the offices themselves were frequently moved, sometimes a considerable distance. The compiler does not know if the Snow post office was in the same building as the Pokegama office or not. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Pokegama office had more than one location before it was closed in 1911.

SOAP CREEK, Benton and Polk counties. This streain rises in the eastern foothills of the Coast Range and Rows into Luckiamute River about two miles from the junction of that stream with the Willamette. Soap Creek is so called because of its white, soapy appearance. Soap Creek post office was established in Benton County November 4, 1854, with David D. Davis postmaster. The compiler does not know its location, but it was doubtless near the stream. The name of this office was changed to Tampico December 3, 1854, and it was closed November 3, 1860. The compiler has not learned the significance of the name Tampico as applied to this office. Soap CREEK, Deschutes County. This stream flows east from North Sister. Hodge, in Mount Multnomah, says it was named because of the white, glacial silt carried by the water.

SOAP FLAT, Wallowa County. This flat is in section 18, township 5 north, range 45 east, and was named because of the soapweed that grows