Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/201



compliment to Deschutes River. In 1943 the name was used for a place between Redmond and Bend, no longer a post office. A post office named Deschutes Bridge was in operation from March 3, 1860, to December 6, 1860, with John Moran postmaster. It was on the Wasco County list, but Fred W. Wilson of The Dalles has informed the writer that the office was doubtless at the east end of the old toll bridge over Deschutes River, near the mouth, and therefore in what is now Sherman County. A post office named Deschutes was established in July, 1868, with Ezra L. Hemingway postmaster. Hemingway owned land at what is now known as Sherars Bridge and at one time owned the bridge itself. This post office was in that place. Joseph H. Sherar became postmaster on January 11, 1872, and the name was changed to Sherars Bridge January 4, 1883. An office called Deschutes was established February 20, 1888, with Rosa Burrell postmaster. This office operated until October 14, 1893, and according to Judge Wilson was probably at the east end of the bridge at the mouth of the river, in the same location as the Deschutes Bridge office first mentioned above. In later years a railroad station named Deschutes was established at the mouth of Deschutes River and when the railroad was built up the Deschutes Canyon a station called Deschutes Junction was established about a mile and a half east of Deschutes. When the railroad reached central Oregon, Fred S. Stanley asked that the name Deschutes be given a station between Redmond and Bend. Stanley was accommodated and the two older stations at the mouth of the river were changed. Deschutes was named Miller and Deschutes Junction was named Sherman, which was changed to Ainsworth in October, 1930. In the meantime Bend post office was established January 18, 1886, with John Sisemore postmaster. This office was probably in the Sisemore cabin in the south part of what is now Bend. Sisemore asked for the name Farewell Bend, but postal authorities objected to two words. After some other incumbents, William H. Staats became postmaster of the Bend office on April 18, 1899. The records are not quite clear from this point. Staats apparently tried to change the name of the office to Pilot Butte, and this was ordered May 13, 1901, but for some reason the new name was not actually used. Staats' next move was to get the name of the Bend office changed to Deschutes on December 30, 1902. It is reported that Staats took the office away from the Sisemore place to his own locality further downstream, but the date of this move cannot be determined from the records. On March 7, 1904, a new Bend office was established near the present Pilot Butte Inn and began to compete with Staats' Deschutes office. The Deschutes office operated until June, 1906, when it was discontinued. The name Deschutes was given to the office between Redmond and Bend in July, 1911.

DESCHUTES County. This county was created December 13, 1916, out of a part of Crook County. Bend is the county seat. Deschutes County was named for Deschutes River which was known during the period of fur trading as Riviere des Chutes or River of the Falls. For derivation of the name see under DESCHUTES RIVER. The county has a land area of 3041 square miles.

DESCHUTES RIVER, Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath, Sherman and Wasco counties. Lewis and Clark discovered the Deschutes River on Tuesday, October 22, 1805, and referred to it by an Indian name Towornehiooks. See Thwaites' Original Journals of the Lewis and