Spencer Butte

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View of Eugene from Skinner Butte, with Spencer Butte in the distance
View of Eugene from Skinner Butte, with Spencer Butte in the distance
View of the southern Willamette Valley from the summit of Spencer Butte.
View of the southern Willamette Valley from the summit of Spencer Butte.

Spencer Butte is a prominent landmark in Lane County, Oregon, United States, on the southern edge of Eugene. The hill was called Champ-a te or Cham-o-tee by the native Kalapuya, meaning a rattlesnake mountain.[1] The peak has an elevation of 2055 feet[2] (626 m). Spencer Butte is accessible from Spencer Butte Park and has several hiking trails to the summit.[3] A sign at the main trailhead warns of rattlesnakes and the perils of dead trees.[4]

One popular theory is that it was named for a young Englishman of the Hudson Bay Company named Spencer, who was said to have been killed by the Kalapuya after climbing the hill alone. Another holds that it was named after Secretary of War John C. Spencer in July 1845.[1][3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Spencer Butte Park History. City of Eugene. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  2. ^ United States Geological Survey Creswell, Oregon (OR) Topo Map, via TopoQuest. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
  3. ^ a b Sullivan, William (2005). 100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades, 3rd edition, Eugene, Oregon: Navillus Press, pp. 176–177. ISBN 0-9677830-6-2. 
  4. ^ NWsource: Travel - Eugene, Oregon Attractions : Spencer's Butte. NWsource. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.

[edit] External links

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