Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/556



Robvies islas, adopieds, Victo of the island. The lettering Sauvies Island appears on Preston's Map of Oregon, 1856. Bancroft's History of the Northwest Coast, volume II, page 599, is authority for the statement that the island was named for one Jean Baptiste Sauve, but information has transpired that indicates this statement is wrong. In the files of the Oregon Historical Society is a letter from George B. Roberts to Mrs. F. F. Victor, dated November 7, 1879, in which he says that Sauve Island bears the name of a Canadian, Laurent Sauve, also called LaPlante. Many of the French-Canadians were known by two names. Mrs. Victor was one of the authors of Bancroft's history. The parish register of Saint James Catholic Church, Vancouver, has the marriage of Laurent Sauve to Josephte (Indian) on bocne me prinde ve tanco February 11, 1839, and records that Sauve was from the district of Montreal. The burial of Laurent Sauve is entered in the parish register of Saint Paul Catholic Church on August 3, 1858. In these registers the name of Laurent Sauve occurs a number of times, as godfather or burial witness. The name of Jean Baptiste Sauve does not occur at all. George B. Roberts came to Fort Vancouver in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1831 and knew well the employees of the company. It may be inferred that Mrs. Victor erred in transcribing Roberts' letter. The

USBGN has adopted the style Sauvie Island rather than the possessive Sauvies Island. It is interesting to note the following in a letter from Roberts to Mrs. Victor on July 5, 1882: "We say Sauvie an old Canadian), not Sauvies-Puget, not Pugets, as we say Washington and not Washington's Territory." Sauvies, Multnomah County, A post office named Sauvies was established in the extreme northeast corner of Multnomah County on April 3, 1882, with J. L. Reeder postmaster. This office was on the west bank of Columbia River and on the east shore of Sauvie Island, at Reeder Point, and it was of course named for the island. Reeder ran the office until it was closed April 6, 1906. Omar C. Spencer has informed the compiler that mail was brought to this and other Columbia River post offices by boat.

SAVAGE CREEK, Jackson and Josephine counties. This creek, together with Little Savage Creek in Jackson County, and Savage Rapids in Rogue River in Josephine County, were named for a pioneer settler, and not for Indians. James Savage came to Oregon from Illinois in 1853, and took up a donation land claim near the geographic features that now bear his name.

SAVAGE SCHOOL, Benton County. This school, north of Corvallis near Soap Creek, was named for Morgan R. Savage who once owned a donation land claim nearby. See land office certificate 2326.

SCAPPOOSE, Columbia County. Scappoose post office was established April 25, 1872. The name is of Indian origin and is said to mean gravelly plain. In addition to being used for the post office the name is also used for a well-known stream nearby, which drains the southern part of Columbia County. This stream is composed of two main branches, the correct names of which are North Scappoose Creek and South Scappoose Creek. "The History of Scappoose" is the title of an article in the Rainier Review, October 23, 1931, which says among other things that the Scappoose post office of 1872 was at what is now known as Johnson Landing. It was moved to the present community about 1886. Samuel T. Gosa was the first postmaster of the Scappoose post office. Records of this office are confusing. It may have been in operation