THE ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY'S NAME

Possibly some of the newer members of the Geological Society of the Oregon Country ponder on the significance of the name applied to our Society, organized in, and holding its meetings in Portland. Every member should know the origin of this name and the meaning of its application to our group.

At the meetings held in the spring of 1935 to prepare a constitution and by-laws for the Society, considerable discussion developed in connection with choosing a name. Suggestions were numerous. The name finally chosen was that suggested by Dr. E. T. Hodge who gave such logical arguments that his suggestion was adopted unanimously by the committee. In effect, Dr. Hodge pointed out that, aside from Coast streams, the old Oregon Territory which comprised the present states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and small parts of Montana and Wyoming, coincided with the limits of the Columbia River Drainage area within the United States, and contained .the great Columbia basalt flows, the Cascades, the picture geology east of the Cascades, and the western slopes of the Continental Divide. It presented opportunity to study the geology of the Northwest in the vastness of the actions which produced the physiography of the region.

With respect to the use of the word "Country" instead of territory, that too was founded upon excellent logic The territorial claims of the United States upon the Pacific Northwest were based upon the explorations of Lewis and Clark in 1806-7. By a treaty with England in 1846, the northern boundary was finally placed at the 49th parallel. The southern boundary was, of course, the 42nd parallel forming the northern boundary of what is now the states of California, Nevada, and Utah at that time under the sovereignty of Mexico where it remained until the close of the Mexican War in 1848. Since the western boundary to the Louisiana Purchase contiguous to this area was along the crest of the Rocky Mountains, this line of demarcation formed the eastern boundary of the Oregon Territory. This vast area was popularly referred to in the parlance of the day as the "Oregon Country", as indeed it was. It is not only a political province, it is also a logical economic entity.

Passing time to the extent of ten years justifies the selection of the name. The years ahead of the Society possess great potentialities in study and exploration.

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