Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/102



Creek because it rises near Oregon Butte in Columbia County, Washington. Butte Creek flows south into Oregon and drains into Wenaha River in township 6 north, range 41 east.

BUTTE CREEK, Wheeler County. This stream rises near Fossil and flows into John Day River. It was so named because of Black Butte, a prominent point near its source, which serves as a landmark. Black Butte has an elevation of about 4000 feet and is about two miles northeast of Fossil.

BUTTE DISAPPOINTMENT, Lane County. Butte Disappointment is on the north side of Middle Fork Willamette River, east and northeast of Lowell. It has a maximum elevation of 2409 feet and is a very prominent landmark. Walling in his Illustrated History of Lane County gives an account of the naming of this feature. In 1848 a party of settlers led by Elijah Bristow of Pleasant Hill undertook a foray against marauding Indians. The posse tried to ascend the river on the northeast bank, but was blocked by Fall Creek, which was in flood. The settlers mistook Fall Creek for the main stream, and returned to the Hills place, crossed the river and followed up the southwest bank. When they reached a point about opposite the present site of Lowell, they found to their disappointment that they were on the wrong side of the Middle Fork. They could not proceed on that side and had to give up the expedition. Because of this episode the name Butte Disappointment was applied to the prominent hill on the north side. A post office named Butte Disappointment was established May 8, 1872, with Samuel Handsaker, postmaster. It was at or near the present site of Dexter and was named for the prominent point a few miles eastward. The name of the office was changed to Dexter on July 19, 1875.

BUTTE Falls, Jackson County. Settlers in the Rogue River Valley referred to Mount McLoughlin as Snowy Butte, and the two main streams draining to the northwest from that mountain were known as Big and Little Butte creeks. At the falls on Big Butte Creek a settlement sprang up that took its name from the natural feature.

BUTTER CREEK, Umatilla County. Butter Creek is a tributary of Umatilla River, and the old pioneer road crossed it west of Echo. See Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume III, page 316. The writer has heard of two theories about the origin of the name. The diary of John T. Kerns, published in OPA Transactions for 1914, says under date of September 9, 1852, that Butter Creek was named because some volunteers took butter from the stores during the Cayuse War. Miss L. C. McKay, for many years a resident of eastern Oregon, confirmed this statement, and informed the writer that the butter was taken from the officers' mess so the enlisted men could have hot cakes. The other story is to the effect that a party of pioneers found some stale butter on the banks of the stream. The writer has no confirmation of this story.

BUTTERFIELD, Clatsop County. Butterfield is a station just north of Gearhart. It was named for Charles Butterfield, who married Margaret Gearhart, daughter of a Clatsop Plains pioneer.

BUTTERMILK CREEK, Benton County. This very small stream flows southward through Philomath into Marys River. A letter printed in the Philomath Review for January 15, 1942, signed by F. S. Minshall, gives the origin of the name. Many years ago a creamery did a thriving business on the banks of this brook, and ran its surplus buttermilk into the drain.