Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/390

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324
Lewis A. McArthur

fields of historical accuracy, but gives a good general account of Astor's enterprise. The first chapters of Scott's History of the Oregon Country treat of the founding of Astoria quite fully, and include a large number of references invaluable to those interested in the matter.

The Astor party on the ship Tonquin arrived off the mouth of the Columbia River on March 22, 1811, and after two disastrous days of fruitless effort, succeeded in landing in the estuary. Three weeks later the party began the erection of a fort and bestowed upon it the name of the originator and chief owner of the enterprise (April 12).

Lewis and Clark hibernated on what is now known as Lewis and Clark River, a few miles southwest of the present city of Astoria. Their camp was called Fort Clatsop. The city of Astoria is situated on a peninsula between the Columbia River on the north and Youngs Bay on the south, and the high ridge in between is known as Coxcomb Hill. It has an extreme elevation of about 647 feet.

Athena, Umatilla County. This town is about half way between Walla Walla and Pendleton, and for many years was known as Centerville. The name caused confusion with Centerville in Washington County, and also with Centerville in Klickitat County, Washington. In 1889 the town authorities decided on a change and asked D. W. Jarvis, local school principal, to suggest a new name. Jarvis, being of a romantically classical turn of mind, suggested Athena, which was adopted. Athena was one of the most important goddesses of Greek mythology, and with Zeus and Apollo represented the embodiment of all divine power. She was the goddess of counsel, war, female arts and industries. In Italy she was known as Minerva. No satisfactory explanation is given of the origin of the Greek name Athena. See Encyclopædia Britannica. The post office of Centerville was established