Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/659

 graphic feature. A post office called Washington was in service in southern Yamhill County from September 30, 1858, to October 13, 1860. Edward Dupuis was the only postmaster. While it is probable that Dupuis selected the name of this office the compiler has no written record to that effect. The name of the Dupuis family has been applied to a Yamhill County stream which flows into Deer Creek a little to the northeast of Sheridan. The name of this stream is generally given as Dupee Creek due to the inability of later settlers to struggle successfully with the French spelling. The compiler has not been able to determine the exact location of the Washington post office in Yamhill County.

WASHINGTON COUNTY. When the Oregon country was divided into counties by an act approved July 5, 1843, four districts were created. That part of the country between the Willamette River and the Pacific Ocean, north of Yamhill River, was called Twality. This is an Indian name and it is spelled in many different ways. For information about the origin of the name, see under TUALATIN River. That part of Oregon originally lying in Twality District was subsequently divided into several counties. The first of these districts, or counties, to be cut off of Twality District was Clatsop District, which was created June 22, 1844. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature passed an act changing the name of Twality County to Washington County, in honor of the first president of the United States, the act providing: "That the name of the county commonly called "Twality' or 'Falatinebe and the same is hereby changed to Washington." The name Twality is so spelled in the written bills introduced in the legislature in 1849, but in the endorsements on the backs of the bills the word is Tuality. The law as printed in Local Laws, 1850 session, page 54, uses the spelling Tualitz. The z is probably a typographical error for a written y. Wasson CREEK, Coos County. Wasson Creek was named for George Wasson, a pioneer settler. The creek flows into Winchester Creek southeast of Cape Arago. See Dodge's Pioneer History of Coos and Curry Counties, page 16.

WASTINA, Lake County. The postmaster at Wastina in 1925 wrote the compiler that Wastina was a name of Indian origin and that it meant beautiful valley. He gave no indication as to what tribe used the word. Wastina is not found in the dictionary of the Klamath language. The place was not on the post office list in 1930.

WATERLOO, Linn County. W. H. Klum of Lebanon informed the writer in December, 1926, that he was born and reared on the Klum donation land claim, and one of his first recollections was the saw and grist mill built by Elmore Kees at the falls of South Santiam River. The place was known as Kees Mill. After Kees died his widow leased the property to John F. Backensto. There was litigation among the Kees heirs and other persons. John Ambler, a local wit, suggested the name Waterloo after a court decision was handed down giving a substantial victory to one party to the contest. See story in Lebanon Express, September 16, 1937. Waterloo post office was established by change of name from Harris Ranch on January 5, 1875, with S. D. Gager postmaster. Harris Ranch office was established June 18, 1874, with W. S. Harris postmaster. The writer does not know if it was at the same location as Waterloo or not.

WATERMAN, Wheeler County. Waterman is in the south central L