Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/575

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on a county in the latter state. The origin of this designation, as related to me by Mr. Anderson, was as follows: Mr. Archibald R. McLeod, a chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, in the year 1828, while crossing the mountains with a pack train, was overtaken by a snow storm, in which he lost most of his animals, including a noted bob-tailed race horse. His Canadian followers, in compliment to their chief, or 'bourgeois,' named the place the Pass of the Siskiyou, -an appellation subsequently adopted as the veritable Indian name of the locality, and which thence extended to the whole range, and the adjoining district." Alexander C. Anderson was connected with the Hudson's Bay Company. On page 598 of Lacombe's Cree dictionary, Montreal, 1874, published in French, is the Cree word sisikiyawatim, which refers to a spotted horse or possibly a pack-horse. The obvious similarity between the first part of this word and the word Siskiyou is too great to need comment. The compiler feels that when Gibbs attributed Siskiyou to the Cree, he was on firm ground. The story that the name Siskiyou comes from the French six cailloux, meaning six stones, has always seemed fanciful to the compiler. It is alleged that the six stones were used in fording various streams, but there are several versions of the story, and none is well authenticated. They cover too much territory and are very indefinite. Professor A. L. Kroeber of the University of California says of this etymology: "(it) looks too much like a typical case of folk-etymology to engender much confidence. The usual assumption of an Indian origin, though not necessarily from a tribal name, is more credible." The Siskiyou Mountains are part of what geologists call the Klamath Mountains, which lie as a connecting uplift between the Coast Range and the Cascade Range. Joseph S. Diller, in his Topographic Development of the Klamath Mountains, USGS Bulletin 196, gives an interesting description of the geography and geology of this part of Oregon. Attention is called to the fact that there is some confusion about the given name of McLeod, referred to by Gibbs. Presumably this is the same person generally mentioned as Alexander R. McCleod, for whom McCloud River in northern California is said to have been named.

SISTERS, Deschutes County. Sisters is just east of the summit of the Cascade Range, and is named for the imposing nearby peaks, the Three Sisters. There was previously a post office at Camp Polk, about three miles away, and in 1888 it was found advisable to move the office, and as a result of the move, the name was changed, as Camp Polk was no longer significant. It is said that Jacob N. Quilberg selected the new name, and John J. Smith was the first postmaster in the new office. The townsite plat was filed for record July 15, 1901, by Alex and Robert Smith. For news story about 40th anniversary of the town of Sisters, see Bend Bulletin, September 24, 1941.

SITKUM, Coos County. About 1873, J. A. Harry established a tavern or roadhouse about half way between Roseburg and what was known as Coos City. As a result of a competitor putting up another halfway house nearby, a new name was selected, Sitkum, which is the Chinook jargon word for half. The post office got its name from the name of the tavern. It was established on May 9, 1873, with Wm. H. Flook first postmaster.

SITKUM CREEK, Lane County. Sitkum Creek flows into Salmon Creek from the north about eleven miles east of Oakridge. Sitkum is