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32 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, November 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 26, 2004 Since You Asked Savages were a pioneer family I’m a new arrival to Southern Oregon and I’m curious about how Savage Rapids Dam got its name. Can you help me? — Joe D., Central Point Let’s get one thing clear at the start, Joe. The Indians had nothing to do with it. We don’t have a geographic names division at Since You Asked, Joe, but we have the next best thing: Lewis A. McArthur’s "Oregon Geographic Names." Now in its seventh edition, McArthur’s venerable book explains the origins of thousands of Oregon place names, including Savage Creek. Like many places in Jackson and Josephine counties, Savage Creek was named for the Europeans who first settled there. A man named James Savage came to Oregon in 1853 and filed a claim on the land that straddles the creek that now bears his name. Advertisement The Savage family name lives on in Josephine County in Lincoln Savage Middle School, named for a second-generation Savage who served as Josephine County school superintendent. Savage Creek empties into the Rogue River just upstream from a rocky stretch of water that’s now obscured by the dam. The whitewater was named Savage Rapids because of its proximity to Savage Creek. The dam took its name from the rapids it covered over. The dam is an early example of the practice of naming something for what it replaces. Think of all the housing tracts that have been named for the meadows, glades, woods and glens that formerly stood where the houses are. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities