Early pioneer George W. Riddle described in his book titled “History of Early Days in Oregon” how Indians welcomed being given American names, which they called Boston names.
Even historians commonly refer to these invented names, for example, Scarface Charley, Capt. Jack and Shacknasty Jim among the Modocs.
Riddle witnessed first-hand how some of the Cow Creek Umpqua near today’s Riddle, Ore., received their names, which he said pleased them “no matter how ludricous (sic).”
An old Indian known as “Pill Shirt” got his name when Riddle’s Aunt Lucinda fell downstairs and spilled a bowl of flour all over an Indian sitting on the bottom step.
The Indian demanded payment, claiming Aunt Lucinda owed him for saving her from a worse fall.
Riddle said, “The matter was settled by giving the Indian a red flannel shirt and also the name ‘Pill Shirt,’ by which he was known afterwards.” A pill shirt was a fuzzy one.
The Indians named Riddle’s father Lom-tu, for “old man;” his mother Mulagolan, for “mother;” his brother Ta-pou-hah, for “white eyebrows;” and a brother-in-law as Shindonah, for “Long Nose.”
Riddle doesn’t say whether the pioneers liked their nicknames.
Source: Riddle, George W. History of Early Days in Oregon. Riddle, Ore.: Reprinted from the Riddle Enterprise, 1920. Google Books. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
