One Mary gained fame by meeting early death
 
         For 40 years, through five editions, the usually authentic Oregon Geographic Names compiled by Lewis A McArthur has carried on the dubious claims that Marys River and Marys Peak were named either for Mary Wimple or for Mary Lloyd Foster.  The Portland Oregonian brought these legends to light in 1908.  On October 25 and article says the names were given by Adam E. Wimple, an early settler.
 

 "He was from Oneida County, New York, and he named the town Marysville, for his sister, who never was in Oregon, and gave her name also to Marys River and to Marys Peak.  He said, 'I will make sister's name known forever.'"

         A later Oregonian article tells of George H. Himes (1844-1940) founder of the Oregon Historical Society and its curator for 40 years, talking with pioneers in Benton County in 1912.  After all those years they tended to remember the Wimple version better than the Mary Lloyd story.

     There were other reasons for remembering Wimple.  Records show that he did settle about five miles southwest of the Marys River, but he did not stay long.  In 1850 he was keeping a boarding house in Portland, where he served a Fourth of July dinner after what was said to be the first celebration of that holiday at that locality.

         Wimple married a feisty young woman named Mary.  They moved to Polk County and made their home in a cabin.  Neighbors knew the newlyweds were not getting along well.  When the cabin burned down in the summer of  1852 and neither Adam nor Mary could be found they became suspicious.  The Polk County sheriff offered a $500 reward for Wimple's arrest.  After several days Wimple gave himself up to a posse and related this story of the affair:
 

"He and his wife had a falling out concerning going to the States - she not wanting to go- and getting into a quarrel, his wife took down a pistol and shot at him.  He instantly snatched the pistol from her and struck her twice with it.  She then agreed to go with him, but considering the matter, he struck her again and broke her skull.  After which he set fire to the house and left."  (Oregonian, Aug. 8, 1852)

         "His trial in consequence was held at the regular term in judge Nelson's district (in Portland)…  After a painful investigation occupying two days, he has been convicted of murder in the first degree."

         Details of the "painful investigation" as reported in the Oregonian on Sept. 25, 1852, are too gruesome to repeat in a family newspaper, even in this day of exposure to terror and mayhem on televison.  Convicted murderer Adam E. Wimple was returned to the custody of the sheriff of Polk County where he was hanged at Dallas on Oct. 8, 1852.
 
     The other legend that Mary Lloyd Foster was the Mary for whom the river, peak and town were named needs further investigation.  More of that later….(See "Lloyd wasn't original Mary")
 
 Other namesake historical links on this site:
 

• 1900 poem introduces 'Chinitimni' - by Kenneth Munford, July 13, 1992
• 'Chintimini' may be grabled version of Kalapuya name - by Frank Hall, July 27, 1992
• Peak, river's name sake?  One Mary gained fame by meeting early death - by Kenneth Munford, August, 17, 1992
• Lloyd wasn't original Mary - by Kenneth Munford, August 24, 1992
• Marys Peak namesake mystery solved - by Kenneth Munford, August 31, 1992