Rock Creek. A petition was signed to keep the old name. The party circulating the petition got drunk and lost it, and therefore the name of Gates remained." Page Mr. Volstead.
GATEWAY, Jefferson County. Gateway is named for a natural de. pression in the terrain north of Madras, caused by erosion by Trout Creek and its tributaries. It is in effect a natural gate for railroad and vehicular traffic north and south through central Oregon. The name was applied to the post office in 1913, possibly by George McFarland. The post office was originally known as Youngs, but it was not at the present site of Gateway. Youngs was named for Louis A. Young, a local resident, and was about three miles from where Gateway office is now situated.
GATTON CREEK, Multnomah County. This small stream flows into Ramsey Lake just north of St. Johns. It was named for William Gatton, a pioneer of 1852, who settled near the present site of St. Johns. He was born in 1831, and died March 24, 1924. For information about Gatton property see Portland Telegram, August 10, 1925, where the name is spelled Gratton, and letter from J. N. Pearcy, on editorial page, ibid., September 1, 1925. Drainage projects are changing and eliminating geographic features in the vicinity of Ramsey Lake.
GAWLEY CREEK, Clackamas County. This stream is in the south part of the county and flows into Molalla River. A man by the name of Gawley prospected on the creek in early days, and it was named for him.
GAZLEY, Douglas County. Gazley is a locality just north of South Umpqua River a little to the north-northeast of Canyonville. It bears the name of James F. Gazley, who came to Oregon in the early '50s and took up land in the valley of the South Umpqua River. For further information, see OPA Transactions, 1919, page 170. Gazley post office was established September 16, 1915, with Belle Butcher first postmaster. The office was discontinued January 29, 1935.
GEARHART, Clatsop County. Philip Gearhart was a pioneer settler on Clatsop Plains, and on part of his donation land claim is now located the summer resort of Gearhart. The record of Philip Gearhart is shown on land office certificate 3109. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, arrived in Oregon in 1848, and settled on his claim in 1850. He died in September, 1881.
GEARHART MOUNTAIN, Lake County. Gearhart Mountain is about ten miles northeast of Bly, very close to the Klamath-Lake county line. It has an elevation of 8364 feet, and according to the Forest Service, was named for some incident connected with one Gearhart, a pioneer cattleman. James P. Gearhart and his brother, William H. Gearhart, were in the stock business in this part of Oregon from about 1873 to 1882 and traded into California, and the mountain was probably named for one or both of the brothers. They were born in Howard County, Missouri, and came to Oregon in 1852, living in Benton County and later in Josephine County and also in California. The latter part of their lives was spent near Drewsey, Harney County. For biographies of the two brothers, see Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pages 687 and 703.
GEER, Marion County. Geer is a railroad station east of Salem. It was named for the family of T. T. Geer. His parents were pioneers of Oregon and he himself was once governor of the state. His book Fifty Years in Oregon, is one of the most interesting contributions to the intimate history of early days in Oregon.
