Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/509



Is This man is said to have moved north from the Harney Valley into Grant County. For a good many years there lived in the John Day Valley a Mexican named Placedor Bravo, an experienced character with horses. He died at Mount Vernon Hot Springs about 1940. For additional information, see under PLACEDOR GULCH. While the evidence is certainly not conclusive, it seems probable that Placidia Butte was named for Placedor Bravo. The difference in spelling would be of little consequence to Senor Bravo.

PLAINVIEW, Linn County. This station is on the Springfield branch of the Southern Pacific Company north of Brownsville. The name is purely descriptive.

PLANK HILL, Marion County. Plank Hill is a point on Croisan Ridge about five miles southwest of Salem. It has an elevation of about 850 feet. It was named for E. C. Plank who owned a farm nearby.

PLANO, Baker County. A post office with the name Plano was established on the Baker County list July 28, 1897, with Frances Smith first postmaster. The office was discontinued October 12, 1899. Plano was in Burnt River Valley between Durkee and Weatherby. The reason for the name is not on record, but the compiler is of the opinion that the word Plano was intended to be in compliment to some local farm equipment. The Plano line of farm vehicles and harvesting machinery was well known in the '90s and for some years thereafter.

PLAZA GUARD STATION, Clackamas County. This station is near South Fork Salmon River. It was named by T. H. Sherrard of the Forest Service because of a natural plaza or clearing, which afforded a fine view of Mount Hood.

PLEASANT Hill, Lane County. Pleasant Hill is east of Goshen. In earlier days there was a nearby post office of the same name. The origin of the name is given in OHQ, volume V, page 135. Elijah Bristow and several companions made a trip into the valley of the Middle Fork Willamette River in 1846. Bristow was struck with the beauties of the locality now known as Pleasant Hill, and said: "What a pleasant hill. This is my claim." He finished his house in the fall of that year, and it is said to have been one of the first built in Lane County. The name Pleasant Hill was given to his claim by an act of the legislature passed December 27, 1847. Pleasant Hill post office was established April 9, 1850, with Elijah Bristow first postmaster.

PLEASANT HOME, Multnomah County. Pleasant Home, a locality on the headwaters of Johnson Creek about a mile east of Orient, had a post office in pioneer days. Pleasant Home office was established on the Clackamas County list on July 10, 1876, and was given a descriptive name. Orlando S. Murray was the first postmaster. The office was soon changed to the Multnomah County list, but the record does not show just when. This office operated until December 14, 1918, when it was closed out to Gresham. Wm. H. Stanley of Gresham says that Pleasant Home post office never was in Clackamas County, but the fact that it was less than a quarter of a mile from the county line may be the reason that postal officials placed the office on the Clackamas County list in error.

PLEASANT VALLEY, Baker County. Pleasant Valley post office was established September 28, 1868, with Jared Lockwood first and only post