Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/626

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the name has Indian name for 2016 a submarine and prior to World ibid. AprillesOregonidescriptio pony, was named Wood River 1887, page A one has ever suggested a better name. It speaks for itself. Lewis and Clark tried to attach the name Point William, for William Clark, but the name has not prevailed. See under YOUNGS Bay, Silas B. Smith says that the Indian name for Tongue Point was Secomeetsiuc. See

OHQ, volume I, page 321. About 1920 a submarine and destroyer base was authorized for Tongue Point but it was not finished. Prior to World War II, the name of the installation was changed to U. S. Naval Air Station, Tongue Point, Oregon. The station was developed rapidly and was commissioned December 15, 1940.

TONQUIN, Washington County. When the Oregon Electric Railway was built in 1907-08, it was the policy of the company to establish stations with names of historic interest to Oregonians and the station Tonquin was named for the ship that brought the Astor party to Astoria. The Tonquin entered the Columbia River, with the Astor sea party from New York, March 24, 1811; was destroyed at Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, in June, 1811, and all the crew were killed through treachery of Indians. Its fate makes one of the most terrible and heroic tales of the Pacific Coast. For description of the place where the vessel was destroyed, see the Oregonian, April 17, 1887. For narrative of the tragedy, ibid., April 23, 1887, page 3

TONY CREEK, Hood River County. Tony Creek, north of Mount Hood, was named by members of the Langille family for their Cayuse pony, Tony. The stream was named about 1885. This information was furnished by H. D. Langille of Portland, who told the compiler that stories to the effect that the stream was named for Thornton Ladd of Portland, better known as Tony, were wrong.

TOOMEY GULCH, Wallowa County. Toomey Gulch drains into Imnaha River from the west in township 4 north, range 49 east, and bears the name of Michael Toomey, who with Hamilton Vance, had some mining claims there. Top, Grant County. Top is in the extreme northwest corner of the county. The post office was established October 22, 1915, with James Porter postmaster. Porter resigned, however, without actually having served and S. V. Cochran was the first postmaster who really conducted the office. Local residents who signed the petition for the post office sent in six names and Top was selected. It was suggested by one of the prospective patrons of the office because it was the first name of a prominent local resident, Top Reasner.

TOPE CREEK, Wallowa County. This stream is north of Wallowa and flows into Mud Creek. It bears the name of William A. Tope and was named for him in 1883 when he had a homestead near the head of the stream.

TOPsy, Klamath County. Topsy post office got its name from the Topsy grade on the old road from Ager in northern California northeast to Linkville, now Klamath Falls. The post office, which was established January 9, 1884, was at the Overton ranch at the top of the grade leading up from Klamath River, not far north of the California-Oregon state line and east of the river. This establishment was about fifteen miles southwest by road from what was later Keno. The name Topsy was descriptive and was doubtless applied by freight haulers. Major Overton was listed as the only postmaster and the office was closed February 2,