Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/51

 channels of Powder River north of Baker. Hiatt, in Thirty-one Years in Baker County, page 36, has an account of William Baldock, who came into the Baker Valley from Colorado in the fall of 1862. He was attracted by the fine stand of wild hay growing in the valley, and worked up a market for it in Auburn. He got a scythe from some source and made pitchforks from forked willow sticks. He harvested the hay and found ready buyers in the mining camps. Baldock Slough was named for this man or some member of his family.

Baldwin CREEK, Hood River County. Baldwin Creek drains the northeast part of Upper Hood River Valley, and flows into East Fork Hood River. It was named for S. M. Baldwin, who, in 1878, homesteaded a tract through which the stream flows.

Baldy Lake, Grant County. This is a small lake on the north slope of Ireland Mountain, so named because at one time Ireland Mountain was known as Bald Mountain.

BALLARD LANDING, Baker County. Ballard Landing is a place on Snake River in the extreme northeast corner of Baker County, named for a local resident. A post office with the name Landing was in operation in this locality from December, 1900, until May, 1904, with Eli F. Ballard postmaster.

BALLSTON, Polk County. Ballston was named for Isaac Ball who took up a donation land claim where the town now stands. The post office was originally established as Ballsville on September 19, 1878, with Andrew N. Martin postmaster. The name was changed to Ballston on July 19, 1880. Isaac Ball was one of the early champions of the west side narrow gage railroad project. See OHQ, volume XX, page 144.

Balm, Tillamook County. Several varieties of cottonwood trees are called balm or balm-of-Gilead, and in consequence the name Balm has been applied geographically to places inhabited by these trees. A post office named Balm was in operation in Tillamook County from May, 1897, until December, 1911. Everett R. Bales was the first postmaster. The office was on Foley Creek, not far above the mouth and about two miles southeast of Mohler. The office moved about, depending on the postmaster. The office is supposed to have been named for some balm trees, which are not common in that part of Oregon, but the compiler does not know which variety. Mohler post office was established the day the Balm office was closed and it may be assumed that the Balm office was moved to Mohler and the name changed.

Balm MOUNTAIN, Douglas County, Balm Mountain is in the northeastern part of the county in the Calapooya Mountains and has an elevation of 6088 feet. It was named for a brushy plant known as mountain balm, or mountain lilac, Ceanothus velutinus. This plant is also called snow bush and sticky laurel.

BALTIMORE Rock, Coos County. Baltimore Rock is south of the entrance to Coos Bay and north of Cape Arago, not far from the lighthouse. George Davidson, in Coast Pilot, 1889, says it was named because the schooner Baltimore struck on it and was wrecked.

BAN, Multnomah County. Ban was a station north of Linnton. It was named for S. Ban, a Japanese merchant of Portland. He operated a shingle mill near the station for several years.

BANCROFT, Coos County. It is reported that the Post Office Department named this office, but the reason is not known. The post office was established July 28, 1891, with Burrel R. Banning first postmaster.