Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/669



WHITE LAKE, Klamath County. This lake was so named because of the color of the lake bottom, which apparently consisted of some white diatomaceous material. The lake was an extension of the original Lower Klamath Lake, and much of its area was south of the Oregon state line and therefore in California. It was two or three miles southwest of Merrill. Irrigation and drainage projects have eliminated White Lake. White Lake City was named for the lake. One of the original promoters of the city, Mr. Bert C. Hall, was a resident of Klamath Falls in April, 1947, and kindly submitted some interesting information about the project. The Oklahoma and Oregon Townsite Company was organized to market a large number of lots which were to be made available by the passage of a bill in Congress to dispose of some Indian lands near Klamath Falls. The bill failed to pass and the company acquired the White Lake City area as a substitute townsite. The nucleus of the town was in section 16, township 41 south, range 10 east. White Lake City boasted a bank, built by Mr. Hall, a restaurant, a newspaper and small piers for waterborne traffic. Lots in the project were sold for $15 each, assignment made by lottery. When the Southern Pacific Company extended its line from Weed northeast to Klamath Falls and Kirk, White Lake City was left off the main route of travel, and the town expired. Most of the buildings have been salvaged for nearby farm structures. Whitelake post office was established September 20, 1905, with Lillian H. Stilts first postmaster. The office was closed to Merrill December 15, 1913.

WHITE PINE, Grant County. White Pine post office was about five miles northeast of Austin, on the Sumpter Valley railroad, near the summit of the Blue Mountains. It was established April 6, 1912, with Julius Gardinier first postmaster, and was discontinued March 15, 1918, with mail to Austin. The post office was named for the Baker White Pine Lumber Company, then operating in those parts. The mill was doubtless cutting western yellowpine rather than western whitepine. White Point, Jackson County. White Point was a post office on the old stage road from Ashland south over the Siskiyou Mountains to Yreka. It was about sixteen miles south of Ashland. The post office was established August 8, 1883, with Edward J. Farlow first postmaster. Byron Cole took office October 17, 1883, and was apparently the cause for changing the name of the office to Colestin on April 8, 1892. Colestin office was in service for many years. The name White Point came from a conspicuous outcrop or ledge of white rock, probably some form of granite, visible from many parts of the Cottonwood Creek Valley. The Southern Pacific Company had a railroad station in this locality called White Point, shown on the USGS map of the Medford quadrangle. This station was abandoned about 1938-40. The compiler does not know if this station was in the same location as the old White Point post office or not, but is of the opinion that the old White Point post office was in about the same location as the place called Colestin, also shown on the above map. White Point station and Colestin station were about a mile apart.

WHITE RIVER, Hood River and Wasco counties. This stream has a descriptive name, resulting from the color of the water when glacial silt and sand are present. William Clark's map accompanying the Biddle edition of the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition published in 1814, shows the stream with the name Skimhoox River, but