This is a growing list of Multnomah
County place names. Many have been incorporated into the
city of Portland, and today may exist as districts. If you
have information on the history of these places, or know of
other places not listed,
please contact me.
Albina
Albina is now a part
of Portland, but it was originally a
separate municipality. It was laid out
in 1872 and incorporated in 1887.
Portland, East Portland, and Albina were
consolidated in 1891. It was named for
Albina O. Page, daughter of William W.
Page, by Edwin Russell, one-time manager
of the Bank of British Columbia in
Portland. Page, a native of Virginia,
came to Oregon in 1857 an died in
Portland in 1897. Albina was settled
upon (donation land claim) by James L.
Loring and Joseph Delay. Litigation
between them was won by Delay, who sold
to W. W. Page, Edwin Russell, and George
H. Williams, who laid out the town. It
was later purchased by William Reid and
J. B. Montgomery, and settlement began
in 1874. Albina post office was in
service from 1876 to 1892.
Arata
Arata was the name of
a station about a mile east of Fairview
on the electric interurban line. The
station was named for a local resident,
S. A. Arata, who operated a farm nearby.
The railway was torn up some years ago
and the station was abandoned. The
location is shown on the USGS map of the
Troutdale quadrangle, 1918 edition. S.
A. Arata as born in Genoa in 1864, and
came to the United States in 1871. He
came to Oregon about 1883, and for many
years was in the grocery business in
Portland. He retired in 1910 and moved
to his farm. He died May 3, 1948, in
Portland.
Arleta
Arleta is a part of
Portland. It was named for Arleta
Potter, daughter of T. B. Potter of the
Potter-Chapin Realty Company, which put
the addition on the market.
Arthur
In earlier days a
well-known Multnomah County post office
was Arthur, on the west shore of Sauvie
Island a little north of Holbrook. This
office was established July 26, 1880,
with Mary Taylor postmaster. The office
closed November 30, 1904, apparently as
a result of the extension of rural free
delivery. Mary Taylor was the only
postmaster the place ever had. A good
deal of effort has been made trying to
learn the origin of this name, but with
no result. The place was not named for
President Chester A. Arthur because he
was not president when the office was
established, in fact he had not even
been elected vice-president. The office
was established about the time the
Republicans nominated the
Garfield-Arthur ticket in Chicago in the
summer of 1880, and it may have been
named because Arthur's name was in the
news, but this is just a guess.
Balch Creek
Danford Balch settled near what
is now Willamette Heights in Portland in
1850. Balch was hanged October 17, 1859,
for killing his son-in-law Mortimer
Stump, on the Stark Street ferry. For
history of the tragedy of the Balch
family, see Scott's History of the
Oregon Country, volume III, page
352, and also story in Oregonian
August 14, 1938, magazine section Balch
creek was named for this family. At one
time the creek furnished the city water
supply.
Ban
Ban was a station north of Linnton.
It was named for S. [Sinzaburo] Ban, a
Japanese merchant of Portland. He operated a shingle mill near the station
for several years.
Barstow
This station on the
Oregon Electric Railway, just east of Garden Home,
was named for W. S. Barstow, of New York
City, a prominent engineer and public
utility operator, who was interested in
the construction of the railroad. He
died on December 26, 1942, Great Neck,
Long Island.
Belle Vue Point
This point is on the
east shore of Sauvie Island and the west
bank of the Columbia River, just north
of the mouth of the Willamette River.
The name Belle Vue Point was adopted for
this feature by USBGN on February 7,
1934. Belle Vue Point was named by Lt.
W. R. Broughton, R. N., of the Vancouver
expedition, on October 29, 1792. It
seems certain that at that time the
arrangement of islands and channels at
the mouth of the Willamette River
differed from the condition that now
exists. About 1930 Mr. J. Neilson Barry
of Portland made an extensive study of
the problem and it was his conclusion
that the locality that now bears the
name Belle Vue Point was the proper
place. Federal agencies accepted his
recommendations.
Bement
A post office was established here in
1899. The name was changed to Terry later that same year.
Bonneville
A railway station named for Captain
Benjamin Bonneville, an early explorer of the western United
States. A post office was established in 1900. In 1933, the
dam was built bearing the name.
Bridal Veil
Named for the nearby falls. A post office
was established here in 1887.
Brower
A post office was established by this
name in 1887. It was discontinued in 1896, and the mail
forwarded to Latourell Falls.
Burlington
A community north of Portland, a plat was
filed for it in 1909. Origin of its name is unknown.
Camp Ground
A post office was established and
discontinued here in 1884. Mail was then sent to Powell's
Valley.
Central
A post office of this name was
established in 1900. In 1903, it was discontinued and the
papers sent to Portland.
Champlain
A post office of this name was
established in 1892, and five months later discontinued and
the papers forwarded to Holbrook.
Chester
In 1893 a post office was established of
this name, apparently in the North Portland area. A year
later it was discontinued and the papers forwarded to
Portland.
Clarion
A post office of this name was
established in 1898. It was discontinued and the papers
forwarded to Phillips, in Washington County. This would
place it near the western county border.
Clarnie
A post office was established here in
1890.
Cleone
The post office was established at Cleone
in 1883. In 1914, the name of the office was closed and the
papers sent to Fairview, which was established in 1914.
Corbett
Named for Senator
Henry W. Corbett, who
owned a farm nearby. The post office was established in
1895.
Dodson
A railroad station west of Warrendale, it
was named for Ira Dodson, an early settler.
East Portland
The city of East Portland grew up on the
east bank of the Willamette River, across from Portland. A
post office was established there in 1866. In 1891, the city
of East Portland was consolidated into the city of Portland.
Errol Heights
A neighborhood of Portland, its name came
from Errol Station, named for the sailing ship on which
Joseph Strowbridge, Jr.'s father had come to this country
from England.
Fairview
Its name came in 1855, from a Methodist
Sunday school established there. When a post office was
established in 1883, because there was another Fairview in
Oregon--in Coos County, the post office was called Cleone.
After the Coos County office was abandoned, the name here
was changed to Fairview in 1914.
Faloma
A post office established north of
Portland, in 1921, at a community formerly called Bridgeton.
Authorities thought that name conflicted with too many
others, so this was made up using initials of nearby
landowners: Force, Love, and Moore.
Folkenberg
Force Lake
A lake near the banks of the Columbia at
Haden Island. It was named for an early settler, George W.
Force.
Fort William
A fort established by Nathaniel J. Wyeth
on Sauvie Island in 1834, it occupied two different sites on
the island.
Fremont
A post office of this name was
established, but was obviously a misspelling for Tremont,
as it was very quickly changed to that name.
Fulton
A post office was established in 1883.
Gage
Post office established 1900.
Discontinued 1903, and papers to Troutdale.
Gasco
A station between Portland and Linnton,
named for the Portland Gas & Coke Company plant nearby.
Gilbert
A station on the Portland Traction
Company line, east of Lents, it was named for William M.
Gilbert who had a farm near there.
Glencullen
Post office established at 1927. 1936,
mail to Portland.
Government Island
First named by Lewis & Clark, it was
designated Diamond Island. Early settlers called it Miller's
Island. In 1850 when the government reserved the island for
military purposes, it's current name was adopted.
Gresham
Established as a post office in 1884, it
was named for the then postmaster general, Walter Quinton
Gresham.
Guild Lake
A shallow lake in northwest Portland,
named for
Peter Guild, a pioneer of 1847. After the Lewis &
Clark Exposition of 1905, it was filled in. Now an
industrial area, the area still bears the name.
Haig
A station in southeast Portland
established by the Southern Pacific Company. It was named
for Douglas Haig, a WWI British general and field marshal.
Hardtack Island
Southeast of Ross Island, and connected
to it at low tide. It is part of a group of islands charted
in 1841 as Oak Islands.
Hayden Island
Named for
Gay Hayden, who in 1850 owned
the island. When discovered by the crew of the Vancouver,
it was designated Menzies Island. Lewis and Clark called it
Image Canoe Island.
Hillsdale
A station on the Southern Pacific Company
line in suburban Portland. Because of confusion with
Hillsboro, the station name was changed to Bertha, for the
wife of Richard Koehler, the railroad manager.
Hogan
A station on the Portland Traction
Company interurban line, southeast of Gresham. Named for Eli
Hogan who had a sawmill at the site.
Holbrook
Named for Philo Holbrook, who had a farm
near the site, where a post office was established in 1887.
It was discontinued in 1933 and the papers sent to Linnton.
Hurlburt
Post office established in 1899, and
named for the first postmaster, John Hurlburt. discontinued
four years later and papers were sent to Troutdale.
Kenton
An addition to the city established in
1905. Named by George Heusner who platted the addition. It's
original name was intended to be Kenwood, but had already
been used.
Killgaver
Post office established in 1886, and
papers sent to Russelville.
Kronenberg
Post office established in 1893, Joseph
Kronenberg the first postmaster. At its discontinuance, the
papers were sent to Rockwood.
Latourell Falls
A railroad station, named for Joseph
Latourell, an early settler. The name was applied to the
nearby falls as well. A post office was established in 1876,
and Joseph Latourell was the first postmaster.
Leader
A post office was established in 1881
with Joseph Leader as the first postmaster. The next
postmaster was Ervine Taylor, and the name was changed to
Taylor in 1882.
Lents
A post office of this name was
established in established in 1886
Linnton
The town was laid out in 1843 by land
speculators, Peter H. Burnett and
M. M. McCarver. Their
dreams of fortune never panned out, and both moved on. A
post office was established in 1889. It was named for
Senator Lewis Linn, of Missouri who was a strong advocate
for the Donation Land Claim act.
Maplewood
A post office of this name was
established in 1903, mail to Portland.
Maywood Park
Incorporated as a city in 1967, it was a
subdivision in 1926, named by F. E. Taylor, the developer.
Montavilla
A contraction of Mount Tabor Villa, an
addition to the city of Portland platted in 1889. A post
office there was established in 1891.
Mount Tabor
A post office was established here in
1879. It was named by Plympton Kelly for a similarly named
hill in Palestine.
Multnomah
A post office of this name was
established in 1912.
Multnomah Falls
Not named, though certainly mentioned, by
early explorers of the area. The name was in use by the
1860s.
North Portland
A post office of this name was
established in 1910.
Oceola
A post office of this name was
established in 1860. It was changed into Washington Co.
Oneonta
A post office was established here in
1893. The creek and falls nearby were named for the New York
town.
Orient
Post office was established here in 1896,
named for the nearby Orient Mill. It was named by Andrew
McKinnon in honor of his wife, Miyo Iwakoshi, who he brought
to Oregon as his bride in 1880. She, her younger brother,
Rikichi, and her adopted daughter were the first Japanese to
permanently settle in Oregon.
Page
A post office of this name was
established in 1893 papers to Taylor.
Palestine
A post office of this name was
established in 1891, papers to Lents.
Palmer
A post office of this name was
established in 1898, papers to Bridal Veil.
Parkwood
A post office of this name was
established in 1913.
Parkrose
A plat of Parkrose was filed in 1911. The
name probably came from the nearby Rose City Park, which was
platted in 1907.
Peninsular
Located on the peninsula of north
Portland, a post office was established here in 1890.
Pleasant Home
A post office was established here in
1876.
Portland
A post office was established at Portland
in 1849. Portland was incorporated as a
city in 1851. Upon creation of Multnomah county in 1854
Portsmouth
A post office of this name was
established in 1891, name changed to University Park a few
months later.
Powell Valley
Named for three settlers of the area,
James Powell, Jackson Powell, and Dr. J. P. Powell all
unrelated. The post office was established in 1873, under
the name Powell's Valley. In 1894 it was changed to Powell
Valley.
Rafton
Rockwood
A post office was established here in
1882. Named by Francis Tegart, a local landowner.
Rooster Rock
A post office of this name was
established in 1876. Name changed to Latourell Falls in
1887.
Ross Island
Named for Sherry Ross, who owned and
lived on the island in early days.
Russellville
A post office was established here in
1889. It was originally planned to be called Lewisville. for
Leander Lewis. There already being a Lewisville in Polk
County, an alternate name was chosen, for an Illinois town
with which Mr. Lewis had connections.
Saint Johns
A post office of this name was
established in 1873. Consolidated into the city of Portland
in 1890, though it remained an independent post office until
1912.
Sandy
A post office was established in 1862,
which had lately been in Clackamas County. This is no doubt
the settlement which became known as Troutdale.
Sauvie Island
Originally called Wapato Lake by Lewis &
Clark, for the wild potato valued by the Indians. After
Wyeth built Fort William on the island, some early maps
designated it as Wyeth Island. Wilkes called it Multnomah
Island. By the time the settlers arrived, it was called for
a French-Canadian settler on the island, Laurent Sauve. A
post office, first called Sauvie's Island, was
established in 1882.
Sellwood
Named for the Rev. John Sellwood, a post
office was established there in 1883. It was consolidated
into the city of Portland in 1891.
Shattuck
Named for Erasmus Shattuck, a pioneer of
1853. He served as a member of the Legislature, Judge, U. S.
Attorney, Circuit Judge, and was a member of the Oregon
Supreme Court. The post office was established in 1883.
Springdale
A community between Troutdale and
Corbett. When the post office was established in 1900, it
was called Gage, the name applied to the west end of the
settlement, to avoid confusion with other "Spring" cities in
Oregon. The post office was closed in 1903, and the name
Springdale has survived for the whole community.
Springville
A post office was established here in
1860, Casius B. Comstock postmaster.
Sunnyview
A post office of this name was
established in 1890, and operated until 1894.
Sweetbrier
A post office was established here in
1900. Papers to Terry, 1901.
Sycamore
A post office of this name was
established in 1889. When it was discontinued in 1901, mail
was forwarded to Lents.
Sylvan
A post office was established here in
1890, at a settlement at the head of Tanner Creek which was
called Zion Town, named by Nathan B. Jones, a pioneer of
1847.
Taylor
A post office of this name was
established in 1882, Ervine J. Taylor first postmaster.
Papers to Latourelle Falls 1895.
Terry
A post office of this name was
established in 1899. Papers to Troutdale 1903.
Tremont
A post office of this name was
established in 1892. Papers to Lents, 1903
Troutdale
The community was originally called
Sandy, and a post office established there in 1854 which
existed until 1868. When the railroad established a station
there about 1880, Capt. John Harlow named it Troutdale.
University Park
Originally called Portsmouth, the post
office was changed to University Park in 1891. Both were
additions in the North Portland area. University Park was
named for the Methodist university located on the bluff
above the Columbia River, that today is the University of
Portland.
Warrendale
A post office was established here, west
of Bonneville in 1894. It was named for Frank M. Warren,
Sr., a prominent Portland citizen and fish packer.
Wauna Point
Wauna is an Indian
name, probably Klickitat. It describes a
mythological being supposed to represent
the Columbia River. See The Bridge of
the Gods, by F. H. Balch. Wauna
Point is on the Columbia River Highway
between Tanner Creek and Eagle Creek.
The highest point of the bluff near the
river is about 2500 feet in elevation.
Wauneka Point.
This point is just
north of the Columbia River Highway
between McCord Creek and Moffett Creek.
It bears the Indian name of a locality
on the south bank of the Columbia River
west of Bonneville.
West Portland.
The name West
Portland is used to describe the area
near the crossing of Pacific Highway
West and Southwest Capitol Highway.
There is a West Portland School and the
name is otherwise perpetuated in West
Portland addition that lies generally
south and southwest of Multnomah. In the
Portland addition that lies generally
south and southwest of Multnomah. In the
'90s a steam motor carline extended into
the territory by way of Fulton Park.
West Portland post office was
established here in 1890 and existed
until 1907. It was a station in the
1890s when a steam motor carline ran
through here.
Willamette Slough.
Willamette Slough post office was
in service from February 10, 1873, to
February 8, 1887, at a point on the
mainland northwest of Linnton, and about
opposite the south end of Sauvie Island.
The office may have moved from time to
time depending on who was postmaster.
Thomas J. Howell, Oregon's famous
botanist, was first to hold the office.
The office was named for the channel on
the west side of Sauvie Island, formerly
Willamette Slough, now officially known
as Multnomah Channel.
Willamette Stone.
Multnomah and Washington Counties. The
Willamette Stone is a surveyor's
monument at the intersection of the
Willamette base line and the Willamette
meridian in the hills west of Portland.
The mark was established on June 4,
1851, by John B. Preston, the first
surveyor general of Oregon. The original
mark was not a stone but a stake. This
stake was officially replaced on July
25, 1885, by the present Willamette
Stone. The replacement was carried on by
another surveyor, W. B. Marye, and other
officials, who made the replacement the
occasion of a small ceremony. Preston
selected the site of the Willamette
Stone because it was thought at that
time that the meridian surveyed north
from the stone would pass through the
mouth of the Willamette River. The base
line was established in its present
location so that it would not cross the
Columbia River and thus produce
difficulties in surveying. In 1903 the
USC&GS extended the triangulation net to
include the Willamette Stone. The
geographic position of the stone, based
on the 1927 datum, is 45˚ 31' 10.' 831
in latitude and 122˚ 44' 33.' 551 in
longitude.
Willbridge.
This station in the
junction of the Astoria branch and the
main line of the Spokane, Portland and
Seattle Railway. It is southwest of the
bridge over the Willamette River, and it
has a composite name on that account.
Willsburgh.
A post office was established here in 1883,
and was discontinued in 1900. Its location was just east of
Sellwood, now located at the intersection of S.E. Tacoma
Street and McLoughlin Blvd. (Hwy 99E). No evidence of the
town remains.
Winema Pinnacles.
These basalt spires
high above the Columbia River Highway,
are about a half a mile east of
Multnomah Falls. They were named for
Winema, Mrs. Frank Riddle, the heroine
of the Modoc Lava Beds massacre. For
information about her, see Jeff C.
Riddle's Indian History of the Modoc
War. She did not live near the
Columbia River, but the pinnacles were
named because it was thought her memory
should be perpetuated somewhere in the
state.
Wood Village
This community was built during World War
II, a housing project for workers of the Reynolds Aluminum
Company. It was incorporated in 1951.
Woodlawn
Woodlawn was an
outstanding separate community in the
'90s and rated a post office of its own.
It was an important stop on the steam,
later electric, railway from Portland to
Vancouver. Woodlawn post office was
established December 24, 1890, with
Hiram Parrish first postmaster. That was
before the Portland-East Portland-Albina
consolidation. The office was finally
closed on November 14, 1903. It was out
of service for about a year in 1897-98.
The name of the office followed Woodlawn
addition, which was of course the
product of real estate activity. The
plat for Woodlawn was filed in October,
1899.
Woodstock
Woodstock is a
station of Portland postoffice. It bears
the name of a real estate tract platted
in 1889. At that time there was a vogue
for naming tracts after Sir Walter
Scott's novels, and in the southeast
part of Portland we have Woodstock,
Ivanhoe, Kenilworth, Waverly, sic., and
even much flights of fancy as Waverleigh.
The word 'stoc' came from the
Anglo-Saxon and means a stockaded place,
and woodstock means a place fortified
with wooden posts. Woodstock was an
independent post office from 1891 to
1912.
Yeon Mountain
Yeon Mountain is a
prominent point on the south bank of the
Columbia River east of Saint Peters Dome
and west of Tumalt Creek. It is
conspicuous from the Columbia River
Highway. It was named for John Baptiste
Yeon, who was born in Canada on April
24, 1865. After working in various
places, he came to Oregon in 1885,
and began his career as a logger at
$2.50 a day. He accumulated a large
fortune, and for many years was
interested in the good roads movement in
Oregon. He was among those who developed
the idea of the Columbia River Highway.
He served as roadmaster of Multnomah
County, and also as state Highway
commissioner. He died on October 15,
1928. For obituary, see Oregonian,
October 16; for editorial, ibid.,
October 17.
Sources:
Lewis A. McArthur & Lewis L. McArthur,
Oregon Geographic Names, 6th ed. Portland,
Oregon: OHS Press, 1992.
Julie Kidd. Postmaster Appointments
for the State and Territory of Oregon 1847 - 1971.
Portland, Oregon : Oregon Territorial Press, 1998.
Eugene E. Snyder. Portland Names and
Neighborhoods: Their Historic Origins. Portland,
Oregon: Binford & Mort, 1979.
