Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/679

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what was later to be the Gilliam-Morrow county line, and the exact location is not clear from available data, though it seems probable that the office was on the south bank of the Columbia River near the mouth of Willow Creek or just to the east. J. W. Smith was the first postmaster. This office was closed June 29, 1885, in the same year that Gilliam and Morrow counties were established. Willows office was reestablished on January 29, 1895, with James A. Vawter postmaster. This time it was in Gilliam County, and it was at or near the mouth of Willow Creek, sometimes a little to the west. The railroad station at the mouth of Willow Creek is known as Heppner Junction. WiLLSBURG, Clackamas County. Willsburg is a junction point on the Southern Pacific line between Sellwood and Milwaukie. It was named for George W. Wills and his son, Jacob Wills, who emigrated to Oregon in 1848 from Iowa. They took up adjoining claims near Johnson Creek, the Jacob Wills claim being near the present site of Eastmoreland. Jacob Wills was a pioneer sawmill operator along Johnson Creek. His father was a "hardshell' Baptist preacher, and he did not allow his business of farming and building to interfere with soul saying activities. Willsburgh post office was established nearby in Multnomah County on January 15, 1883, with Jacob F. Rhodes first postmaster. This office was in operation until September, 1900. The post route map for 1900 uses the spelling Willsburg for this office.

WILSON, Tillamook County. Wilson post office, named for Wilson River on which it was situated, was about twenty-five miles upstream from Tillamook and near the mouth of North Fork. The office was established in July, 1896, with Walter J. Smith first postmaster. The office was discontinued officially in December, 1917, when it was closed out to Gales Creek.Wilson post office was apparently served over nearly twenty-five miles of mountain road from Gales Creek. Wilson post office actually went out of service in 1916 because no one would make a bid to carry in the mail from the outside. It was feared that there might be too much parcel post for a bidder to take chances. Wilson post office served Glenora station of the United States Weather Bureau. Postal officials would not accept the name Glenora for an office because of possible confusion with such places as Glenwood, Glendale and others with similar names. See also under GLENORA.

WILSON CREEK, Clackamas and Marion counties. Wilson Creek is in the Molalla River drainage basin and in the south part of Clackamas County. It was named for an early day prospector who visited the vicinity of the stream and prospected there. His home was in the North Santiam Valley.

WILSON LAKE, Linn County. This lake is near the east bank of Willamette River north of Albany. It was named for a nearby resident, John P. Wilson. Stories to the effect that it was named for Woodrow Wilson are not founded on fact, because the lake was called Wilson Lake before President Wilson came into political prominence.

WILSON RIVER, Tillamook County. Miss Lucy E. Doughty, one of the early residents of Tillamook County, wrote the compiler in June, 1927, that much obscurity surrounded the origin of the name Wilson River. The stream was called Georgie or Georgia River in pioneer days. The name was later changed to Wilson River, in honor of an early settler who drove the first cows into the county from Seaside. Wilson was