Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/653



is now in universal use. Wallowa Mountains are separate from and are not part of the Blue Mountains.

WALLOWA RIVER, Union and Wallowa counties. Wallowa River is one of the important rivers of the northeastern part of the state. It is formed by the confluence of the east and west forks about a mile south of Wallowa Lake. The river flows into Wallowa Lake at the south end and out of the north end and joins Grande Ronde River at Rondowa. For the origin of the name see under WALLOWA COUNTY. There is a post office in Wallowa Valley named Wallowa.

WALLS LAKE, Harney County. This is a small lake south of Harney Lake serving as a collecting place for spring runoff. It has an elevation of about 5000 feet. It was named for a pioneer stockman, Tom Walls.

WALLUPA CREEK, Wallowa County. J. H. Horner of Enterprise told the writer that wallu pa was an Indian word and probably meant wildcat.

WALLUSKI RIVER, Clatsop County. Walluski River is a tributary of Youngs River, southeast of Astoria. It bears in modern form the name of a small band of Indians that lived nearby. They were of the Chinook tribe. In 1851 Wallooska was the sole surviving member of this band. See OHQ, volume XXII, page 61. The stream is known as a river and not a creek.

WALTERVILLE, Lane County. Walterville was named by George Millican, a pioneer resident, for his son Walter Millican. For further information see under MilLICAN.

WALTON, Lane County. Walton was named for Judge Joshua J. Walton, a pioneer lawyer of Lane County and for some years county judge and secretary of the Board of Regents of the University of Oregon.

WALLGA, Clackamas County. Indian tradition says that the lake now known as Oswego Lake west of the town of Oswego, was originally called Waluga Lake, waluga being an Indian term for wild swan. This name was used because of the peculiar sound made by these birds. When Waluga post office was established in March, 1916, near Oswego Lake, it was thought appropriate to use the old Indian name, but in June, 1923, the name of the office was changed to Lake Grove, a move of no improvement in the opinion of the compiler.

WAMIC, Wasco County. Wamic was named for a family of early settlers named Womack. This family consisted of Asa and Levi, brothers, and a nephew Crawford. Pierce Mays, prominent resident of Wasco County, is authority for the statement that these three men had a remarkable plan of allowing each of the three in turn to determine what all should do during his day of leadership. Thus on Monday al] worked in the blacksmith shop under the leadership of Asa. Levi was more socially inclined and on Tuesday all three sat in front of the shop and "chewed the rag and whittled." Crawford was the Nimrod of the family and on Wednesday the three went hunting or fishing. Thursday began the cycle anew.

WAMPUS, Klamath County. Wampus is a word used by timbermen to refer to a legendary monster of the forests. No one has ever seen a wampus but plenty of woodsmen will undertake to describe one. Wampus post office was established June 27, 1908, with Eugene Spencer first and only postmaster. It was put in service just a few months after the nearby Forest post office was discontinued. According to a letter from Devere Helfrich of Klamath Falls, written in April, 1948, Wampus post