Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/650



WALDPORT, Lincoln County. This community is said to have received its name in the early '80s at the suggestion of P. V. Wustrow, then postmaster at Alsea. Waldport is a combination of the German word wald, meaning forest, and the English word port, referring to Alsea Bay. The name is descriptive, for the bay is closely surrounded by hills, once wooded. Waldport was founded by David Ruble, already in business in Alsea, and he is said to have asked Colonel Wustrow to suggest a name for the new community. There was a Waldport post office as early as 1881.

WALDRON, Wheeler County. The compiler has not been able to get an explanation of the origin of the name of this early-day post office except that it was named for a person. The office was established on the Wasco County list on March 28, 1879, with William A. Helms postmaster. The place was on Shoofly Creek about ten or twelve miles northeast of Mitchell. Several members of the Waldron family have been prominent in central Oregon affairs and Henry J. Waldron was once postmaster at The Dalles. Waldron post office was closed out to Richmond in July, 1902.

WALKER, Lane County. Walker post office was established in 1891. Francis Smith, first postmaster, had come from Crawford County, Iowa, to seek a western home and a place to open a small mercantile business. He secured some property from Mrs. J. F. Walker, a pioneer resident of the neighborhood north of Cottage Grove. Mr. Smith was instrumental in securing the post office and named it for Mrs. Walker. The post office at Walker was discontinued about 1925.

WALKER ISLAND, Columbia County. This island in the Columbia River below Rainier was discovered by Lieutenant Broughton on Octo. ber 27, 1792, and was named Walkers Island for the surgeon of the ship Chatham. Modern usage, Walker Island, has been approved by the

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WALKER MOUNTAIN, Klamath County. This is an important mountain a few miles south of Crescent. It is shown on maps as Walker Range, Walker Rim and Walker Mountain, but the last named is considered to be the best designation and the one in general use. In the opinion of the writer it was named for W. T. Walker, of the Middle Fork Willamette River road viewing party, who explored this part of the state in 1852. See under DIAMOND PEAK. It appears that two peaks were named for Walker, one the mountain described herein, and the other a point on the summit of the Cascade Range north of Mount Thielsen. The name of the latter peak has been changed from Walker Mountain to Howlock Mountain for an Indian chief. This was done to avoid confusion that would result from two mountains of the same name so near together.

WALKER Road, Washington County. For many years the name Walker Road has been applied to a thoroughfare which extends westward from the Tualatin Valley Highway through the area south of Cedar Mill, north of Orenco and toward Hillsboro. Walker Road was named for Mr. and Mrs. William E. Walker who took up a farm a little southwest of Cedar Mill in 1852. For an account of Walker family history, see Fred Lockley's article in the Oregon Journal for September 10, 1929, editorial page. In 1946 there was a painted sign over a gate on the north side of Walker Road near the crossing of Cedar Mill Creek