Oregon Geographic Names

Geographic names have been documented and standardized in the United States since 1890 when President Benjamin Harrison established the United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN.) Its authority was further extended by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and established in its present form by act of Congress in 1947.

With the same concerns as the federal government, Governor George Chamberlain established the Oregon Geographic Board by executive order dated October 1, 1908, and it later became known as the Oregon Geographic Names Board (OGNB.) By 1911, the USBGN recognized the OGNB as the official advisor and state geographic names authority of Oregon. In 1959, Governor Mark Hatfield transferred the administration of the OGNB from state government to the Oregon Historical Society.

The purpose of the OGNB is to supervise the naming of geographic features within the state of Oregon and to make recommendations to the USBGN, which has final approval authority. The Board also serves in an advisory capacity to federal and state government by reviewing administrative name proposals.

The OHS is the custodian of the OGNB’s correspondence and records, and it provides the OGNB with funding and staffing for administrative support. The OGNB operates under its own bylaws, and the Executive Director of the OHS serves as permanent secretary and as one of the board members. The OGNB consists of 25 board members, who serve without compensation and are appointed to three-year terms by the secretary. The president and vice-president are elected to two-year terms by its membership, and the president appoints committees as needed. The board members represent all of the state’s geographic regions and are selected for their expert knowledge of the state’s geography and history. Advisors from state and federal land management and mapping agencies and the private sector also serve the Board.

Geographic naming in Oregon is a public process by which anyone can submit a formal proposal for consideration. Proposals for new names, name changes, and name corrections should be submitted directly to the OGNB. The OGNB’s Interim Committee reviews and investigates all incoming proposals and makes recommendations to the full Board. The full Board meets twice a year to vote on name proposals with a fall meeting usually in Portland and a summer meeting held elsewhere in the state. The OGNB’s recommendations are submitted to the USBGN for final action.

Current OGNB officers are Champ C. Vaughan of Molalla, President; Sharon Nesbit of Troutdale, Vice-President; and Dr. George L. Vogt, Secretary. To receive name proposal forms and instructions, contact the OGNB Recording Secretary at telephone (503) 306-5296 or E-Mail Carolyn.Hixson@ohs.org. The mailing address is Oregon Geographic Names Board, Oregon Historical Society, 1200 S.W. Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205.

For more information on place names in Oregon, see Lewis L. McArthur’s Oregon Geographic Names, 7th Edition, published by the Oregon Historical Society Press.

Seventh Edition
By Lewis A. McArthur
and Lewis L. McArthur "Oregon Geographic Names is the authoritative work on the geographic names of Oregon and serves as a national model."

—Roger L. Payne, executive secretary
U.S. Board on Geographic Names

An Oregon classic since 1928, Oregon Geographic Names is a comprehensive reference to place-names throughout the state. Generations of readers, from librarians and researchers to travelers and people interested in Oregon history, have used and enjoyed this fascinating and definitive resource. The seventh edition is significantly expanded, with more than 6,200 entries reporting what is known about the origin and meaning of each name. An accompanying CD holds biographical and geographical indexes and maps that show the locations of over 1,600 post offices and nearly 1,300 communities and geographic features.

Lewis A. McArthur published the first edition of Oregon Geographic Names in 1928 and prepared all or most of the next two editions. His son, Lewis L. McArthur, took up the project with the fourth edition. Retired from a career as an executive with a Portland-based steel firm, McArthur is active in various preservation projects and serves on the Oregon Geographic Names Board.

Reference 2003. 1088 pp, 27 photographs, 1 map, 6" x 9"
CD, PC and Mac compatible, maps, indexes
$75.00 cloth, ISBN 0-87595-278-X (book and CD package)
$35.00 paper, ISBN 0-87595-277-1 (book and CD package)
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