Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/550



that the first postmaster was John F. Theo. Brentano. The post office was established June 24, 1874.

SALADO, Lincoln County. The post office Salado was established in April, 1891. The compiler has been told that George Hodges named the place for Salado, Texas, where he had formerly lived. Salado is a Spanish word meaning salty or saline, or a plain encrusted with salt.

SALEM, Marion County. The Indian name for the locality of Salem was Chemeketa, which is said to have meant meeting place or resting place or possibly both, Chemeketa also may have been the name of one of the bands of the Calapooya Indians. In 1840-41 the Jason Lee Mission was moved from its old location near the Willamette River up stream about ten miles to the Chemeketa plain and extensive improvements were started. While the new establishment was called Chemeketa, it was probably better known as the Mill, on account of the installation on Mill Creek. In 1842 the missionaries established the Oregon Institute and a building was started. From that time the place was often spoken of as the Institute. There is argument as to who selected the name Salem. Bancroft, in History of Oregon, volume I, page 222, says that after the mission was dissolved in 1844, it was decided to lay out a townsite on the Institute lands. This was done and David Leslie, president of the trustees, named the place Salem. Leslie came to Oregon from Salem, Massachusetts. Leslie M. Scott, in History of the Oregon Country, volume II, page 298, says the place was named by W. H. Willson. The late R. J. Hendricks of Salem, a diligent student of the community, was strongly of the opinion that Leslie named the place. See articles in the Salem Statesman, March 8, 1931, and March 28, 1940. Salem post office was established November 8, 1849, with J. B. McClane postmaster. Three plats forming what is now the main part of Salem were filed in 1850-51. Salem is the anglicized form of the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace. In December, 1853, efforts were made in the territorial legislature to change the name from Salem to Thurston or Valena. Chester N. Terry petitioned to have the name changed to Corvallis, but after spirited debate, the name Corvallis was given to the Benton County community then known as Marysville. The names Chemawa, Willamette and Bronson were also suggested. Pike and Victoria were mentioned, but by this time the members concluded they had wasted enough time over the matter and the various bills were postponed. The final vote was in January, 1854. The name Valena is said to have been suggested because it was the name of Velina Pauline Nesmith, later Mrs. Wm. Markland Molson, but she was not born until 1855. In 1907 a station on the Oregon Electric Railway north of Salem was named Chemeketa to perpetuate that name, but it was later changed to Hopmere because of local sentiment. The location of the Oregon capital caused a spirited contest that lasted for nearly fifteen years. The first legislative assembly of the provisional government met at Oregon City (Willamette Falls) in 1844. By an act of 1851 the capital was moved to Salem, and in 1855. it was moved to Corvallis, only to be moved back to Salem in the same year. Destruction of the Capitol at Salem, December 29, 1855, was considered as an incendiary part of this controversy. For history of this squabble, see article by Walter C. Winslow, OHQ, volume IX, page 173. For many references to the history of Salem and the capital controversy, see Scott's History of the Oregon Country, volume II, pages 298 and 312.

SALENE LAKE, Columbia County. This lake is near the west bank �