Marys River

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This article is about the river in Oregon. For the river in Illinois, see Marys River (Illinois)

Marys River (formerly Mary's River, and sometimes still spelled this way) is a tributary of the Willamette River in western Oregon, starting near Corvallis. Wyman St. Clair is generally credited for the name, which comes from the same source as nearby Marys Peak and the original name of Corvallis itself, Marysville. There are, actually, many explanations given, by various persons, concerning the origin of the name, ranging from St. Mary to several early settlers by the name of Mary and who in later years of their life would claim to be the inspiration. Maryville was changed to Corvallis, a corruption of an American-French Coeur de Vallis - supposedly Heart of the Valley, when the U.S. Postal Service complained of confusion with a California town of the same name during the Gold Rush. Earlier French trappers had referred to the Mary's River as "Mouse River".

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