LRS
spirits or skookums lived on it. It was at one time called Cosper Butte for a family of early settlers. Dr. Rodney Glisan and other officers stationed at Fort Yamhill climbed this mountain on October 30, 1856, but Glisan does not mention it by name in Journal of Army Life, pages 374-75.
SPLINTERCAT CREEK, Clackamas County. This stream is a tributary from the south to Roaring River in range 7 east. It received the fantastic name of the legendary flying cat of the woods which was supposed to splinter branches from trees and tear out dead stumps. See editorial page of the Oregonian, April 17 and 24, 1944.
SPORES FERRY, Lane County. Jacob C. Spores, a native of Montgomery County, New York, came to Oregon in 1847 and was one of the earliest settlers in Lane County. He operated a pioneer ferry on McKenzie River south of what is now Coburg a few hundred feet upstream from the Southern Pacific Company railroad bridge. This enterprise was of course named Spores Ferry in compliment to the owner. For information about Spores, see Illustrated History of Lane County, page 481 and also under MOHAWK RIVER.
SPRAGUE RIVER, Klamath County. There have been two different post offices in Oregon with the name Sprague River, established at different times and places. They were both named for the stream. The first Sprague River office was established November 12, 1873, with John W. Gearhart postmaster. The office was at first on the Jackson County list, but since it was east of the Cascade Range, it was not in what is now Jackson County. Later the office was moved to the Lake County list. John A. Smith became postmaster on March 24, 1876, and the office operated with other postmasters and with some intermissions until January 31, 1883, when the name was changed to Bly. The record does not show if the office was moved when the name was changed. The Gearharts were stock raisers on the upper reaches of Sprague River, but probably not as far east as what is now Lake County. The compiler is of the opinion that this office was in what is now Klamath County and never far from Bly. The second Sprague River office was established September 14, 1923, with Benjamin E. Wolford first postmaster, to serve a well-known lumber community. The office is much further west of and downstream from the old office and is about fifteen miles westward of Beatty.
SPRAGUE RIVER, Lake and Klamath counties. Sprague River was named for Captain F. B. Sprague, who was a participant in various phases of the Snake and Piute Indian wars, and who was in command at Fort Klamath in 1866. His name was applied to the stream at least as early as 1864. The Klamath Indian name for Sprague River was Plai, or Plaikni Koke. Koke was the general word for river, and plai indicated that the stream came from the upper or higher country. Seen under BLY.
SPRAY, Wheeler County. Spray was named for its founder, John Fremont Spray, and his wife, Mary E. Spray. Spray was born in Iowa in 1859, and came to the Willamette Valley in 1864. After living in various localities in Oregon, he came to the site of Spray in 1900. The town plat was filed for record May 19, 1900, by Mrs. Spray. Spray post office was established May 31, 1900, with John F. Spray first postmaster. For information of the Spray family, see editorial page of the Oregon Journal, December 13, 1934. John F. Spray died at Fossil January 11, 1930. See the Oregonian, January 18, 1930, for obitu
