Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/668

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stream, which has been known as Whisky Creek ever since. In 1931 J. H. Horner confirmed this story, and said he got his information from W. W. White.

WHISKY Hill, Clackamas County. Whisky Hill is a locality about four miles south of Aurora, on the Meridian Road just east of Pudding River. On March 9, 1945, the Oregon City Banner-Courier printed a letter from Mrs. Wilda Elliott Fish of Woodburn to the effect that when she was a small girl she drove through this neighborhood with her father and asked about a strange looking building with steam coming out. Her father explained it was a distillery where whisky was being made from apples. This sounds more like applejack than whisky, but either fluid carries a stout kick. Whisky Run, Coos County. Whisky Run, just north of Coquille River, was named at the time of the Coos County gold rush of 1853-55. Excitement in the locality was at a high pitch, and it hardly seems possible that liquid stimulants were needed, but the name of the stream indicates otherwise. Remarkable stories are told of the results of panning the beach sands. The community of Randolph was established near the mouth of Whisky Run but was moved to Coquille River after the gold fever subsided.

WHITAKER, Deschutes County. Whitaker post office was a short-lived establishment on the High Desert about ten miles east of Millican. The office was named for John O. Whitaker, a property owner in eastern Deschutes County. The office was established March 28, 1911, with Mary E. Gray first and only postmaster. It was discontinued August 15, 1912, with mail to Bend. Mary E. Gray later became Mrs. John O. Whitaker.

WHITCOMB, Linn County. Whitcomb is a locality on Quartzville Creek about fifteen miles northeast of Sweet Home. It was named for George B. Whitcomb, who had some interests there. A stream flowing in from the northwest is called Whitcomb Creek. Whitcomb post office was established December 26, 1889, and was closed May 15, 1899. George B. Whitcomb was the postmaster. The office was out of service from April 13, 1893, until August 12, 1896.

WHITE CREEK, Linn County. This stream flows into Little Muddy Creek east of Harrisburg. It was named for Luther White, through whose donation land claim the creek runs. White was a pioneer surveyor for that part of Oregon. White Horse, Baker County. The name White Horse as applied to a post office on the Baker County list is a puzzle in Oregon nomenclature. White Horse post office was established February 13, 1867, with W. A. Mix postmaster. The office was closed August 6, 1867. There is nothing to show its location, even approximately. Whitehorse Creek and a little later the famous Whitehorse Ranch were in the limits of Baker County as it was constituted at that time, later in Harney County, but the compiler is of the opinion that the ranch was not actually in operation as early as 1867. The name of the first postmaster, Mix, may furnish a clue. Hiatt in his Thirty-one Years in Baker County, page 25, has a good deal to say about a group of Nevada miners who came into eastern Oregon in 1862, and since several of their horses were white, they were styled the White Horse company. This band found diggings. Whether the members ever bequeathed their company name to a post office the compiler does not know.