WICHITA, Clackamas County. Wichita station is on the interurban line about two and a half miles northeast of Milwaukie at the extreme north edge of the county. The Wichita property was developed by George Parry, who had formerly lived in Wichita, Kansas. Mr. Parry applied the name of his old home in the Midwest.
WICKIUPS, Deschutes County. This is an old stockman's name for a point on Deschutes River south of Crane Prairie. The place was a camp ground for Indians who gathered there to hunt and fish in the fall. They left their wickiup poles standing which gave the place its name. Wickiup Butte, elevation 4913 feet, is nearby and got its name from the locality. Wickiup Dam, under construction during several years prior to 1942, is also named for the locality. In 1939 the USBGN adopted the spelling Wickiup rather than Wikiup.
WICOPEE, Lane County. Wicopee is a station on the Southern Pacific Company Cascade line, situated in the Salt Creek Valley southeast of Oakridge. It was named at the time the railroad was built. Wicopee is an Indian word transplanted from New York state. It is said to mean "long hill," and it probably refers to a long grade or steep climb, rather than to an elongated hill or mountain standing by itself. The compiler has no idea how the name happened to be dug up in far away New York. As far as the Indian meaning is concerned "long hill" is strictly accurate for the Lane County railroad station. It is about midway of the long climb from Oakridge up the summit of the Cascade Range. Wicopee in Lane County is not a community nor does it have a post office. It is just an operating point on the railroad with some company facilities. The name may be found in USGS Bulletin 258, Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, by Henry Gannett.
WIDBY Loops, Clatsop County. The lower Columbia River Highway climbs from river level up to Clatsop Crest and part of the ascent is made by a series of hairpin bends called the Widby Loops. In 1914 J. L. Widby was resident engineer of the Oregon State Highway Commission during the construction of these loops and an assistant, Earl Withycombe, prepared a sign reading "Widby Loops," which was nailed to a tree nearby. The name has become permanently attached to this interesting example of engineering. Widows CREEK, Grant County. This stream east of Dayville was named for a widow, Mrs. S. E. Heim, who lived on the creek, and was, according to reports, a typical frontierswoman.
WILARK, Columbia County. The name of Wilark post office was made by taking the first part of Wilson and the last part of Clark. These two names occur in the Clark & Wilson Lumber Company which operated a mill at Linnton and owned timber lands in Columbia County. The post office was established in 1924 and served the camp which was logging the company timber lands.
WILBUR, Douglas County. Wilbur was named for James H. Wilbur, D.D., who was born in Lowville, New York, September 11, 1811, and died at Walla Walla October 8, 1887. He was universally known as Father Wilbur and was one of Oregon's best known pioneer Methodist ministers. He came to Oregon by way of Cape Horn in 1846-47. He was instrumental in founding several educational institutions, among others Umpqua Academy at Wilbur. The first building was a rough log struc
