Clackamas County, Oregon Trivia Tidbits

United States Oregon  Clackamas County  Trivia Tidbits

Abbot Pass on the boundary of Clackamas and Wasco counties. In 1935 the USFS renamed the old High Rock road for Henry Larcom Abbott who crossed the Cascade Range westbound near Clear Lake on Oct. 8, 1855. Abbot's route ran from Clear Lake to Dry Meadow to Fryingpan Lake while Abbot Road crosses at Abot Pass some five miles to the south. Between Fryingpan Lake and High Rock both the road and Abbot's 1855 route pass through Abbott Burn which, as noted under that heading was named during the 1890s for James Abbott. One faction claims that Abbot Pass takes its name from the road and is thus spelled correctly while another says it was really the sheep crossing and should be spelled Abbott for the Wapinitia sheep man. The mass confusion resulted from the proximity of Abbot and Abbott was further compounded by the frequent missspelling of both names so the USBGN in Decision List 102 settled on the form Abbot. The road to Hell must be paved with the same good intentions had by people who bestow honorary names.

Abbott Burn This stream was named for James Abbott, a well-known stockman of Wapinitia. It is near the headwaters of Salmon River.