Names of rivers and lakes

[nwkiller]

so i was bored and began thinking....i wonder how some rivers got there names. I know there is many rivers and lakes named after native american tribes in the region....like sitcoos lake, or the Willamette river..others im not so sure.....there are many names that you wonder if they ran out of ideas and just threw names ina hat or.....like do u think lost lake, lost crk, or lost rivers was ever really lost??...or how about wolf crk, ever any wolves there?? or look-out res....when they first dug it, did someone forget and drive right into it??
does anyone know any crazy origins of lake or river names in oregon???or anywhere for that matter???

 

[Mad dog]

I like Jump off Joe creek! I wonder if Joe really jumped!

 

[beaverfan]

There's an Idiot Creek that run's into the Wilson as well as a small community called Idiotville.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

The Columbia was named after the first ship to sail around the world which sailed into the Columbia in 1792; the Columbia Redeviva.

 

[beaverfan]

The Snake River was named because the Shoshone people would make a snake motion with there hands when refering to it.

 

[nwkiller]

joe defenetly jumped!!

wow these are all news to me!! keep um coming

 

[bigsteel]

Deschutes river was given its name by fur traders of the Hudson Bay Company who once called it the "Riviere des chutes," or "river of falls."

 

[beaverfan]

Wow I just found a pretty cool site!

http://www.webtrail.com/applegate/oregon.shtml

 

[nwkiller]

wow!!!! that has it all!!! nice find bro

 

[beaverfan]

I like Jump off Joe creek! I wonder if Joe really jumped!

Nope Joe fell.

Jumpoff Joe Creek
In 1828 Joe Mcloughlin, son of Dr. John McLoughlin, was in a trapping party that camped one night on this stream. Joe came in after dark, fell over the edge of the bluff and received very severe injuries.

 

[nwkiller]

lol

 

[JeannaJigs]

I have a book, with the background on names for everything oregon. It's like 4 inches thick

 

[troutdude]

That is indeed a very nice web site! Thank you TT.

 

[TTFishon]

That is indeed a very nice web site! Thank you TT.

You mean BF.lol

 

[Irishrover]

I have a book, with the background on names for everything oregon. It's like 4 inches thick

The book is most likely "Oregon Geographic Names" By Lewis A. McArthur. Fantastic book if you like that sort of thing. Me I love that sort of thing. And this is a great thread thanks NWkiller.

 

[Markcanby]

The Molalla river was named after the Molalla tribe.

 

[Irishrover]

Yes there were wolves around the Wolf Creek area back in the day. Just read a book by Shannon Applegate about the Applegate family and when they settled there. It mentioned wolves in the area.

 

[Irishrover]

The Pudding river aka Hon-ucha-chac. Joe Gervis and Etienne Lucier were camped on the stream in 1821-1822. While there they killed a couple of elk. From the elk they made blood pudding, a french dish. During this feast of blood pudding they named the river Riviere au Boudin, or Pudding River. It had another indian name of Anchiyoke.

I'm not into blood pudding. I would have named it Two Elk Creek.

Think I'll head over to Whorehouse Meadow via Whiskey Hill.

 

[troutdude]

Sorry Beaver Fan, and thanks for the correction TT.

The Calapooia River was named after the Calapooya tribe. I think that the Siltez is that way too.

 

[GDBrown]

I have a book, with the background on names for everything oregon. It's like 4 inches thick

Is that the one you sit on at Thanksgiving so you can be at the big people table? LOL

I can see it now as she falls OFF the book and breaks an ankle..LMAO

Sorry, Jeanna, I got carried away.....