Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/590

 te Scog gin established a warehouse, which served as a shipping point for farmers of Tualatin Valley, and which, about 1860, was regarded with jealousy by Portland and Saint Helens. It was the nearest shipping point to North Plains of Washington County, and Comstock and the farmers opened a road across the hills to Springville. The Springville road, from Tualatin, was a favorite route to the Willamette River before the Canyon Road to Portland was improved. When the west side railroad was opened, the Springville road fell into disuse, and, in 1872, the buildings there burned." Springville was named for a well-known spring on the slope of the hills to the west. The place was near the old Saint Johns ferry landing and just north of the modern Saint Johns bridge. Springville post office was established February 27, 1860, with C. B. Comstock first postmaster. The office was discontinued April 18, 1873.

SPRINGWATER, Clackamas County. The locality known as Springwater, about three miles south of Estacada, has borne the descriptive name since early days. Springwater was one of the first places on the upper Clackamas River to have a post office, which was established June 24, 1874, with George A. Crawford first postmaster. The office called Zion, later Currinsville, was established the same day. Springwater office was discontinued May 31, 1914.

SPRUCE, Tillamook County. Spruce post office, named for the Sitka spruce trees in the vicinity, was established at a point about twelve miles south of Tillamook in November, 1894, with Henry Peters first postmaster. The office was not far from the place later called Hemlock. Spruce office was moved around to suit the postmasters and was finally moved a few miles to the north to Pleasant Valley. It was discontinued in May, 1907. In the meantime the locality now called Hemlock was left without an office, so Hemlock office was established in April, 1906, with James W. Beaty first postmaster. Hemlock post office was closed in November, 1921.

SQUAW Back Ridge, Jefferson County. This name is supposed to be descriptive, but the compiler has been unable to see the similarity between the ridge and what the name describes. Squaw CREEK, Deschutes and Jefferson counties. Fremont camped on this stream on December 2, 1843, but gave it no name. Lieutenant R. S. Williamson camped on Squaw Creek on September 1, 1855, and wrote that the Indian name was Why-chus. See Pacific Railroad Surveys Reports, volume VI, page 78. The compiler has been unable to learn who gave Squaw Creek its modern name.

SQUAW GULCH, Wallowa County. This gulch drains into Sheep Creek in township 1 north, range 48 east. It was named in the early '80s by Elisha Chase for an old Cayuse mare called Squaw, generally found ranging in the gulch.

SQUAW ISLAND, Coos County. One of the islands at the mouth of Sunset Bay southwest of the mouth of Coos Bay is called Squaw Island. There is a fairly well authenticated account of an Indian battle near Sunset Bay. The Indian women were put on the island so that when the tide came up they could not be captured. This encounter was between a roving band of Chetco Indians in war canoes and some Indians living near what is now Sunset Bay.

STAATS CREEK, Benton and Polk counties. This creek and Staats