Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/76

 BLAINE, Tillamook County. Blaine is on the Nestucca River. It was named by the first postmaster, William Smith, for James G. Blaine (1830-1893), at one time republican candidate for the presidency of the United States. Smith was appointed postmaster of Blaine in 1892 by John Wanamaker.

BLAIR LAKE, Lane County. Blair Lake northeast of Oakridge was named for Frank Blair of Lowell, who at one time ran some cattle near the lake. He is said to have discovered it.

BLAKELEY, Umatilla County. This station was originally called Eastland for Robert E. Eastland, who received a patent to land nearby on March 30, 1880. The name was later changed to Blakeley for William M. Blakeley, a wheat grower in the vicinity.

BLAKES, Baker County. This station east of Huntington was named for Thomas J. Blake of the Iron Dyke mine at Homestead, who was instrumental in securing the construction of the Homestead branch of the Union Pacific Railroad.

BLALOCK, Gilliam County. Blalock was named for Dr. Nelson G. Blalock, a pioneer citizen of Walla Walla and a veteran of the Civil War. He was ambitious of developing an extensive horticultural establishment along the Columbia River in the neighborhood of Blalock Island. He died in Walla Walla March 14, 1913, aged 77 years. Blalock has an elevation of 216 feet.

BLALOCK MOUNTAIN, Umatilla County. Blalock Mountain lies in the northeast part of Umatilla County, between North and South forks of Walla Walla River. It has an elevation of over 4500 feet. It was named for Dr. Nelson G. Blalock whose name is attached to the community of Blalock, Gilliam County. For information about Dr. Blalock see under that heading. At one time Dr. Blalock cut timber and wood on top of Blalock Mountain and flumed it down into the two forks of the Walla Walla River. It is on that account that Blalock Mountain bears its name.

BLANTON, Grant County. Blanton was a post office in Bear Valley, named for David Blanton, the first postmaster. The office was established June 9, 1888, and was closed September 14, 1891. It was reestablished March 15, 1892, with Madison Waddell postmaster and was closed again June 12, 1895. In September, 1946, Edward I. Southworth of Seneca wrote the compiler that the Blanton post office was on the old BurnsCanyon City stage road about four miles north of the present town of Seneca.

BLAZED ALDER BUTTE, Clackamas County. This butte is in the extreme northeast corner of the county. It was named in the fall of 1906 by R. S. Shelley of the Forest Service because of a prominent tree that was blazed as a landmark during a bad forest fire.

BLIND SLOUGH, Clatsop County. Blind Slough opens off the Prairie Channel of the Columbia River about midway between Knappa and Brownsmead. The slough wanders about a good deal and gets nowhere in particular. One fair sized branch pinches out suddenly and that was probably the reason for the name. Blind Slough post office was established near this water on May 2, 1910, with John W. Crow first of four postmasters. The office was closed out to Brownsmead December 15, 1924.

BLITZEN, Harney County. This post office was named for the Donner und Blitzen River which fiows nearby. The river was named during the