Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/581

 gon, so that there are two North Forks Smith River in this state, but not two Smith rivers, named for Jedediah Smith.

SMITHFIELD, Lane County. Daniel Smith came to Oregon in 1852 and shortly thereafter settled in Lane County on the Territorial road southwest of what is now Junction City. In 1857 R. V. Howard built a store in the vicinity and began to call the place Smithfield. In the meantime Franklin post office had been established in the same general locality. This has resulted in a controversy about the names Franklin and Smithfield that has at times been acute. For a history of the business see under FRANKLIN-SMITHFIELD.

SMITHFIELD, Polk County. Smithfield, formerly a railroad station about five miles northeast of Dallas, bears the name of Absalom Smith, a pioneer settler. Smithfield post office was established July 28, 1893, with Ira Kimball postmaster, but the railroad station was in service before that date. The compiler cannot tell when the post office was closed, but it was before March, 1900. The railroad through this place was originally the narrow gage line of the Oregonian Railway Company, later standardized by the Southern Pacific Company. The track has been removed.

SMOKY CREEK, Grant County. J. E. Snow of Dayville told the writer that this stream probably received its name because of mist and fog that collects against the mountain where it heads.

SMUGGLER Cove, Tillamook County. This snug little harbor is between Cape Falcon and Neahkahnie Mountain and its shore has been called Short Sand Beach for many years. It is not a landing place, but fish boats sometimes anchor there in rough weather. The name Smuggler Cove is purely romantic as there is nothing to indicate that smugglers ever used the place. See also under TREASURE COVE. Smyth CREEK, Harney County, Smyth Creek was named for D. H. Smyth, a pioneer settler near Malheur Lake. Darius Hynson Smyth was born in Lincoln County, Missouri, October 29, 1844, and came to Oregon in 1853. He spent nearly twenty years in Lane County, but also roamed in Nevada and California. He settled in Harney County in 1872 and established himself in Happy Valley in the winter of 1873-74. His father and brother were killed in Happy Valley in June, 1878, by Indians. For reminiscences of D. H. Smyth, see OHQ, volume XXXIII, page 125. He died at his home in Happy Valley, May 13, 1942.

SNAKE River forms in part the eastern boundary of Oregon, and constitutes the eastern boundary of Wallowa and Baker counties and in part of Malheur County. Snake River was named from the Snake Indians (Shoshones). The Lewis and Clark journals called the Indians Choshonnes and Sosonees. The name Snake came out of the fur trade period, Alexander Ross, in Fur Hunters of the Far West, volume I, page 275, comments on the facility of these Indians in concealing themselves, and adds: "They are very appropriately named Snakes." De Smet said the Indians were called Snakes because of their poverty, and necessity of digging in the ground for food. See Chittenden and Richardson's Life, Letters and Travels of Father De Smet, page 217; also OHQ, volume XX, page 3, "The Snake River in History," by Miles Cannon. The habitat of these Indians was extremely barren, and their eating habits were repulsive to the early writers. Snake River has had various names: Lewis, for the explorer; Shoshone, Nez Perce, Sahaptin, KimeoThe The namlunters