''Oregon Geographic Names'' is a compilation of the origin and meaning of
place names in the
U.S. state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
, published by the
Oregon Historical Society. The book was originally published in 1928. It was compiled and edited by
Lewis A. McArthur. , the book is in its seventh edition, which was compiled and edited by Lewis L. McArthur (who died in 2018).
Content
In its introduction, it identifies six periods in the
history of the state which have contributed to the establishment of local names:
* The thousands of years of
Native American life;
* The period of
Spanish,
British,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
early American exploration, with arrivals by sea and overland, exemplified by the activities of the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
and the
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...
;
* The
pioneer period, up to and particularly including the days of the
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...
;
* The period of
Indian Wars and mining claims inspired by the
California Gold Rush and later facilitated by the
Mining Act of 1872
The General Mining Act of 1872 is a United States federal law that authorizes and governs prospecting and mining for economic minerals, such as gold, platinum, and silver, on federal public lands. This law, approved on May 10, 1872, codified the in ...
;
* The period of
homesteading between 1875 and 1925, which affected nine million acres (36,000 km²); and
* The modern period of
neologism
A neologism Ancient_Greek.html"_;"title="_from_Ancient_Greek">Greek_νέο-_''néo''(="new")_and_λόγος_/''lógos''_meaning_"speech,_utterance"is_a_relatively_recent_or_isolated_term,_word,_or_phrase_that_may_be_in_the_process_of_entering_com ...
s
The seventh edition contains 6,252 entries, with references to another 2,679 names scattered throughout the text. Entries are listed in alphabetical order, beginning with ''A B Crossing'', a railroad station in
Coos County, and ending with ''
Zwagg Island
Zwagg Island, also known as Grand Island, is a non-populated island near Brookings in Curry County, Oregon, United States. The island is approximately in size and about southwest of the intersection of Mill Beach Road and highway 101.
A 1988 ...
'', an island near
Brookings, Oregon.
Edition history
The first three editions were edited by Lewis A. McArthur and published by
Binford & Mort; Lewis L. McArthur took over from his father as of the fourth (1974) edition, which was the first to be published by the
Oregon Historical Society Press.
The seventh edition also includes a
CD-ROM with a complete biographic and geographic index as well as various maps of Oregon locations.
Lewis L. McArthur died in 2018. His daughter, Mary McArthur, reportedly took over editorship for the book's upcoming 8th edition.
Bibliography
Notes
References
{{reflist, 30em
Geography of Oregon
Atlases
1928 establishments in Oregon