Since You Asked - November 30, 2003

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2003-12-09

Document text

40 °F 5 Day Forecast Tuesday, December 9, 2003   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery   SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion - Politics   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental 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 Email Story to a Friend November 30, 2003 Since You Asked We dug deep to mine info on the originof Steamboat Where did Steamboat get its name? Surely, no steamboat was ever there. — Bob F., Medford If you mean "our" Steamboat (up in the Applegate), Bob, the name came from miners’ slang. When they’d been duped, or a claim just didn’t meet expectations, the old miners said they’d been "steamboated." Many old mining camps in the West had the word as part of their names. On the other hand, Steamboat Creek in northeastern Oregon was visited not just once but twice by steamers, both of which had trouble in the shallow water (the Shoshone in 1870 and the Norma in 1895, both of which somehow made it from the Snake River down to Lewiston, Idaho). Finally, there’s Steamboat Lake, south of tiny Lostine. It’s named because of a rock somebody thought looked like what the name suggests. 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 © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE!   ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times