What's in a name anyway?

Names come in all shapes and sizes. Some people are named after ancestors who came before them, a special friend, or sometimes after a random item like a tree. They can be spelled in a traditional way or have various letters added to make a unique creation that follows that person throughout their life. In all circumstances, names have history that can tell a story unique to that person, place, or thing.

The communities of Lincoln County are no exception to this rule and all have a story to tell. Some are named after those who founded them, some after people employed in important positions at the time they were settled, and others a result of a name change or misspelling. It’s really less about the name itself, and more about where it originated and what it became.

Almira for instance was named in honor of Almira Davis who settled in the area in the 1880s with her husband, C.C. Davis. The post office here was originally known as Davisine for their last name. Investors learned their land had been surveyed for a coming railroad and purchased part of it to lay out the townsite. It is said they thought her name was so beautiful they named the town after her. It seems more likely they saw it as a way to get the Davis family to sell them their land, but either way her name lives on in perpetuity.

Nearby Govan which is barely a ghost town today was named after R.B. Govan who was a construction engineer with the Central Washington Railroad along which the small community was settled. While Govan never became a roaring metropolis, it became the scene to several (still unsolved) murders of yesteryear. Govan’s old schoolhouse still stands and is worth the drive to see.

Wilbur of course was named after its founder, Samuel Wilbur Condin (sometimes spelled Condit). He was also known as “Wild Goose Bill” for once mistaking his shooting of a flock of tame geese as a successful hunting trip. Wild Goose was no outlaw, but he did die in an old west style shootout with a Davenport man, Barton Park, while in a drunken rage over his jealousy of a woman young enough to be his daughter in Millie Dunn.

Lincoln was named after the 16th President just like the county itself. It was originally platted as Miles, but this name was already in use as the name of the post office in nearby Crystal City. Lincoln later became known for its sawmill and flour mill.

Peach was a small community located near the mouth of Hawk Creek and the Columbia River. The land was originally known as Orchard Valley due to its ability to grow fruit and later named Peach. Unfortunately Peach met its end with the construction of Grand Coulee Dam and now lies under the waters of the popular Lake Roosevelt. Remnants of Peach can be found in the cemetery which was moved to Lincoln, and various buildings which were relocated to higher ground prior to the flood.

Creston was named by the Central Washington Railroad due it being the highest point along the railroad line. Historically Creston is most well-known for sending the posse of local men who hunted down outlaw Harry Tracy.

North of Davenport you can still find Egypt which was named by settlers for distant mountains in which they thought looked like the pyramids they had read about. You will also find Larene as you get closer to town. Larene was named by a bachelor man who was in love with a pioneer’s daughter. Her name was actually Irene, but unfortunately when the name was suggested the post office department read Larene. It seems even poor penmanship can name a town.

Davenport was named after John C. Davenport who built a rival town just south of the original townsite of Cottonwood Springs (sometimes listed as just Cottonwood). Davenport went bankrupt with his many area investments and never stayed a single night in the town which bears his name. The town of Cottonwood just a few blocks away changed its name to Davenport after a series of events and issues with mail being delivered to other towns also known as Cottonwood.

Bluestem began as Moscow and was home to settlers of Russian descent. The community name was changed to Bluestem in 1906 after a variety of wheat grown in the region. The name change was originally submitted to be Sonora which was quickly rescinded and Bluestem became the substitute.

Reardan began life as an area known under the name Fairweather. Fairweather was said to be a name without a town at the time. Railroad tables listed this same stop as Reardan in honor of the Central Washington Railroad’s chief engineer of construction, C.F. Reardan, and the name stuck.

Edwall was named for Peter and Eric Edvvall who came to the area from Sweden. Their last name was later changed to Edwall to align with spelling in the states. Eric passed away several years after arrival and Peter laid out the townsite after settling on a nearby farm.

Harrington was named after W.P. Harrington who was one of the partners in the land company Harrington, Furth, and Robinson from California that originally purchased 1,500 acres of prime farmland in this area. The Northern Pacific Railroad surveyed part of this land which was later purchased by another citizen of California, Mrs. Horace L. Cutter, who laid out the town in honor of Mr. Harrington.

Sprague was originally known as Hoodooville after early day settler, William Burrows, who was also known as Hoodoo Billy. The town was later officially platted and named Sprague after John W. Sprague who was the general superintendent of the Northern Pacific Railroad in this area.

Odessa was named by The Great Northern Railroad who desired to have this area of Eastern Washington developed. Officials at this time had knowledge that German Russian immigrants were looking for a place to settle and christened the town as Odessa after the major port in the Black Sea known for shipping grain.

Names tell a story unique to that person, place, or thing, but they cannot determine whether something becomes a success. For those county settlements mentioned (and others not yet covered) it holds true that some became successful while others slowly faded away. It doesn’t matter how you spell it; you can spell a name with a Y or an I, but you cannot blame it for being any more or less than what it is. Just as Shakespeare is credited for saying, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”