THE DISCOVERY OF CRATER LAKE.
Hope Villa, E. Baton Rouge, La., Feb. 28.

To the Editor of the Oregonian:
In your issue of February 14 you make mention of “Crater Lake,” and, judging from the name of the lake, that it is one in which I feel much interested. I take the liberty of writing and asking for a description of the same, and my reasons for doing so are that I can only imagine one lake in Oregon worthy of that name, and that lake I had the pleasure of discovering, away back early in the ’50s–say about 1854, but I am not positive about the year–it might have been a year later, as I took no particular note of time while living in the excitement consequent upon a frontier life.

The story of the discovery is rather a long one, and would require more writing than I feel inclined just now to do, but may be briefly told as follows:
In the year of its first discovery, a party of California prospectors came to Jackson County, camped away from the town of Jacksonville and sent one of the men to Jacksonville to buy provisions for what seemed to be a long prospecting tour–and he seemed to be so careful of all he did, what he said, where he came from and where he was going to, that it excited the curiosity of several Oregon prospectors, myself among the number, and a party was immediately formed to follow and watch him, and as we soon found out it was the “now old story” of lost diggings they were on the trail of. It was slow, hard work keeping track of the Californians, for they resorted to every device imaginable to leave us, but we stuck to them night and day, without one word being spoken between either party until we were all short of provisions, when I took the initiative and spoke to the leader of the California party, telling him we proposed to stay as long as they were in the mountains. The result was we joined forces, got from them their landmarks and continued our search until provisions were so low that we had to make preparations for our return trip; finally it was agreed that a few of us should take all the grub the camp could spare, which was only enough for a couple of days, continue the search until it gave out and return and report progress to those we left in camp. After leaving our companions behind we came in a region where we could see lakes in almost every direction, and I have forgotten how many we counted from the summit of one peak. And finally, after ascending a long, gentle ascent, we came upon the banks of a precipice, and far below us was the bluest lake I ever saw, and the snow in very many places reached down to the water. We rode for a couple of hours as near the margin as we could, and looking back to our starting point and judging the distance we rode and walked, and measuring as near as possible by comparison, we estimated that the lake was not less than twenty miles in diameter.

About one half mile from where we were first on the banks there arose, from the lake, a small butte, and this was the only thing we discovered which broke the uniformity of the circular appearance. We looked for an outlet to it but could find none.

After our wonder and excitement had subsided, we proposed naming the lake, and the most appropriate name it could have had (Crater Lake) never occurred to us. Each one suggested a name, and it finally narrowed down to the selection of one of two names, Mysterious Lake or Deep Blue Lake, and I think the latter was what it was named. We wrote our names in pencil on a slip of paper, stuck a cleft stick in the ground and left it in its solitude.

I think there must yet be people living who heard our description of the lake. At that time there was no paper published in Jacksonville, so its description did not get in print.

I have been trying to remember the names of some of the parties who were with the expedition, and can think of but few. J. L. Loudon, who used to live with Col. Ross, I think was one; a man by the name of Little, who kept a saloon in Jacksonville, was another; I rather think Pat McManus, of Jacksonville, was another.

I have talked to Austin Badger and his wife, who kept hotel there, about it, and I think I have talked to C. C. Beekman about it, but so many years have gone by that I cannot be sure who would remember anything of it. Of one thing I am sure, and that is that Mrs. Badger, if she be alive (her husband is dead) can remember my description and verify what I say. And now, in conclusion, I would say that our party thought the lake was about 125 miles from Jacksonville, and if I remember rightly there was trouble with the Indians shortly after our return.

In your paper I see the names of people who must remember me, amongst whom I will mention ex-Gov. Gibbs, Judges Deady and Prim, Gen. John F. Miller, John Halley, Col. Keeler, who was with my party when I was looking for the Indians who killed Ledford and his companions, Col. John Ross, C. C. Beekman, and others whose names I can’t recall.

Now, if not too much trouble, will you kindly inform me if I have spoken of the Crater Lake, or was the Deep Blue Lake another body of water?

J. W. Hillman.

[From your description it is evident that Deep Blue Lake is none other than what is now called Crater Lake.]
Morning Oregonian, Portland, March 10, 1886, page 4

Thanks to Ben Truwe and Larry Smith for passing this article along.

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