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Falls were about a mile southeast of Lafayette, and were an impediment to navigation until they were eliminated by the Yamhill Locks. Yam Hill post office was established September 4, 1856, with Thomas Bailey postmaster. The office was closed September 25, 1857. The writer has been unable to find this place on any old map, although it seems probable that the office was on the lower reaches of the stream, perhaps northeast of Dayton. North Yam Hill office was established March 14, 1851, with Benjamin E. Stewart first postmaster. With one break, this office was in operation for more than half a century at or near the North Yamhill River on the route of travel from McMinnville to Forest Grove. On May 9, 1908, the name of the office was changed to Yamhill and that has been its official title ever since.
YAMHILL COUNTY. This county was created July 5, 1843, and now has a land area of 709 square miles according to the Bureau of the Census. It was one of the original four districts of Oregon and embraced the southwest part of the territory. Several counties have been taken from it. The origin and meaning of the name are uncertain, but the best evidence indicates that it is the white man's name for the Yamhill Indians. The Yamhill Indians were of the Kalapooian family, formerly living on Yamhill River, in Yamhill County. The remnants of the tribes were sent to Siletz agency. The Henry-Thompson Journals, page 812, under date of January 23, 1814, refer to the Yamhelas, "who dwell in houses on Yellow river, a branch of the Willamette. They are great rogues, but not very numerous." John Work uses the name Yamhill in 1834. Lee and Frost, in Ten Years in Oregon, page 90, give Yam-hill. The early pronunciation of the word was Yam-il. Nothing very definite is known about its meaning. In All Over Oregon and Washington, by Mrs. F. F. Victor, the origin is given as from Che-am-il, Indian word for bald hills, this being the character of the hills near the falls of Yamhill River, where there was a convenient ford. John Minto discusses the history of the word in the Oregonian, October 7, 1890, page 4. There is a town with the name Yamhill, formerly known as North Yamhill, presumably because it was near North Yamhill River.
YAMHILL RIVER, Yamhill County. For the origin of this name, see under YAMHILL COUNTY. The two main branches of Yamhill River are North Yamhill River and South Yamhill River, the latter being the larger. South Yamhill River has part of its course in Polk County.
YAMPO SCHOOL, Yamhill County. Yampo School is in the Eola Hills about a mile north of the Polk-Yamhill county line. The name is synthetic and is made up of parts of the two county names.
YAMSAY, Klamath County. Yamsay post office was established February 28, 1930, with Claude Houghton postmaster. This office was about forty miles by road northeast of Chiloquin and it was established to serve a lumbering activity. The office was near Yamsay Mountain and was named on that account. Yamsay post office should not be confused with Yamsay railroad station on the Southern Pacific Cascade line about ten miles south of Chemult. The origin of the name of the railroad station is the same as that of the post office. Both are in Klamath County but some distance apart.
YAMSAY MOUNTAIN, Klamath and Lake counties. This is a well known geographic feature with an elevation of over 8000 feet, in the northeast part of the Klamath Indian Reservation. The mountain
