Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/654



office was probably at the old Spencer stage and freight station at the east foot of Hayden Mountain. This would make it about three miles southwest of Forest. Wampus post office was discontinued September 15, 1911.

WAMPUS BUTTE, Deschutes County. The wampus is a legendary monster of the forest, about which there are many stories. Wampus Butte, named for this creature, is about eight miles west-northwest of Lapine, near the Deschutes River.

WANDERERS PEAK, Clackamas County. Dee Wright of Eugene, a native of the Molalla Valley, told the compiler that this peak was named because a party of hunters got lost nearby and wandered around several days before it found camp.

WANOGA BUTTE, Deschutes County. Wanoga Butte, elevation 5740 feet, is about eight miles southeast of Bachelor Butte. It was named by the Forest Service with one form of the Klamath Indian word meaning son or male child. Other forms are vunak, vunaga, and unak. This butte was named about the same time as other nearby features were named with Indian words expressing family relationship. See under Tot MOUNTAIN and KwolH BUTTE.

WAPATO LAKE, Washington and Yamhill counties. This intermittent lake, which covers considerable area in wet years, bears the Indian name for the arrowhead or sagittaria, commonly known as the wild potato. It grows in wet situations. For information about the wapato see under CHEWAUKAN Marsh and under SAUVIE ISLAND. The form Lake Wapato was frequently used in earlier days, but Wapato Lake is now in general use. A post office with the name Wapatoo was established July 14, 1853, with William E. Molthrop postmaster, on the Washington County list. It was a little southeast of the present town of Gaston. The office was discontinued in August, 1865. On August 13, 1871, another post office, Wapatoe, was established in this vicinity. The name of the office was changed to Gaston on June 5, 1873. The office may have been moved at the time the name was changed. Both of the above offices were on the Washington County list. Wapato post office was established on the Yamhill County list on September 26, 1883, with Frederic Florey postmaster. This office was discontinued November 3, 1886. The railroad station at or near this place is shown on old time-cards with the spelling Wapato, and that is the way it was in 1945.

WAPINITIA, Wasco County. Wapinitia is a Warm Springs Indian word. The correct spelling is said to be Wapinita. The compiler of these notes has discussed the name with several Warm Springs Indians and finds that the word Wapinitia is difficult to translate but it suggests a location near the edge of something. One Indian says that it means the edge of the desert or cultivated land. Another version is that it means a point at the end of the brush, or coming out of the brush. These two meanings are not necessarily contradictory. In Wapinitia it is said the name means running water but this translation does not seem to be substantiated by Indians. Wapinitia was once known as Oak Grove because of the trees in the vicinity. One of the principal tributaries of Clackamas River is Oak Grove Fork, so called because it headed in the general direction of Oak Grove.

WARD BUTTE, Linn County. Ward Butte is east of Shedd and south of Plainview. Here there are two buttes, one on each side of the