Judy and I loved the Klamath River area around Happy Camp and Clear Creek. Our ancestors were deeply rooted there but not related as far as we knew. Over the past three years, at her request for some of my historical news clippings, I submitted items for her Siskiyou County Migrations page. We also continued to share in "new finds" in our genealogy quest.

    In October 2003, Judy told me that she had been ill and would be taking treatments. I did not realize how serious, until this spring she asked if I would consider taking over her Web site due to her illness. I was shocked. I replied that I would be honored and would seek help to see that I could learn to maintain her site.

    My last message from Judy was April 16, 2003 with a request for "our page". She said: "You know, one of the things that I thought would be a good project for the page, would be you telling the story of how to change the names of landmarks and get the right name back on maps".

This is for Judy:--

Tanner Lake, October 2002

Changing Names of Historical Landmarks

   Be prepared for months of work in researching documents which will be necessary in backing up your request to change the landmark names. At the same time look for people in positions who are interested in your project. Be prepared for let downs, with discouraging words like "It will take years and an Act of Congress to change a name even with proper proof". I heard those words from genealogists, Government offices, and local residents.

    I am a determined person. My goal was to change the names that were incorrectly spelled Tannen on maps for 50 years that were originally spelled Tanner since the 1870's.. They were originally named after my great grandfather, in Josephine County of Southern Oregon. So I set a plan. To change the name on a map, I assumed that I should contact the U.S. Geological Survey office in the county where the landmarks were located. I found that email addy of an office in Grants Pass, Oregon. My computer became the tool for communication.

   " Pay Dirt". This was my email to the Geological Survey Office Jan. 11, 2001
 

Subj: concerning error in name changes, maps Date: 01/11/2001 8:54:58 AM Pacific Standard Time From: Gendronhd To: [email protected]

Dear Ms Mcgee
      I am a historian, and native of the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon and Northern California. I am also a great granddaughter of Ezra Sherman Tanner who came to the Waldo , Or area in 1852, took out a Donation Land Claim there , #1530, in 1854; and did extensive mining in the Althouse area, later to become known as Tanner Mountain, and Tanner Lake, and Little Tanner Lake, all now within the Red Buttes Wilderness area were named for him because of his mining locations in that area.  Exactly when those names were changed to Tannen Mountain, and Tannen Lake, I am not sure. But I have in my possession, a 1930 map which still shows Tanner as the correct spelling. My father showed me the sites of his mines many years ago and told me of his grandfather.
      Now I am in my 70's, and before I pass from this earth, one of my goals is to have his name restored to the original map names. I am not sure how to go about this, thus I am writing to you, in hopes that you may guide me in that direction. I have the complete chronological study of Ezra Sherman Tanner's life from the time he was born in New York to his migration west in the Gold Rush, till the time he fathered my grandmother with the union of his second wife, a native Karuk tribe girl whom he purchased from her mother in 1875 in the Siskiyou Mountains.
      I will be looking forward to your answer, and can visit your office in Grants Pass if need be, since I live in the Redding area of California.
      Thank you for your time,  sincerely
                  hazel gendron

Hazel D. Gendron

This was her reply:--
 

Subj: RE: concerning error in name changes, maps Date: 01/17/2001 11:01:15 AM Pacific Standard Time From:    [email protected] (McGee, Kathleen) To:    [email protected]

Hazel, I just talked to Elizabeth Winroth, Oregon Historical Society, and she told me it may be possible to change the name of Tannen Lake back to Tanner Lake.  There is a lot of paperwork involved which needs to be submitted to the Oregon Geographic Names Board.  The Board only meets twice a year.  After the information goes to the Oregon Board and they make a decision on it, it then needs to go to the national Board of Geographic Names.  It looks like it will take quite a while to accomplish but if started soon maybe the name will be changed back within two years.You should be hearing from Elizabeth soon -- I gave her your E-Mail address and the pertinent information.    From then I was "off and running" to antique stores looking for old maps with the Tanner name intact, and finding some; collecting info from old timers, including one man whose father was a surveyor and miner in the area and knew of the error in spelling. He not only told me, but also  had written of the error in historical publications, and had also recorded his father on video talking about the "old days" and mentioned the error in the spelling of the  Tanner landmarks. I got copies of the written articles and also a copy of the video.

    But most of all, was the tremendous help from the Josephine County Historical Society and their lead researcher, a man by the name of Mike Oaks. Oaks dug up records and maps of Tanner's original Donation Land Claim, and the Mortgages of the farm some years later. At that time Tanner  went to mining in the Siskiyou Mountains and years later some of the landmarks there bore his name showing on maps in 1872.  Sometime about 50 years later the Tannen name appeared on those landmarks.

    With all my information gathered over the next few months it was all submitted to the Oregon Geographic Names Board for study. The "Project of My Heart" was unanimously approved by that board in near record time in June 2002; and then sent to the U.S. Geographic Names Board which approved the changes back to Tanner three months later, September 2002.  All maps printed after that date will show Tanner as the correct names for all five landmarks in the Siskiyou National Forest, according to a representative of that office.

    It must be noted here, that all states do not have a Georgraphic Names Board to which one would submit a request for the study of changing a landmark name. I was lucky that Oregon has a very active group of dedicated  residents that gave many hours studying my proposal.