The
word Camas is used to describe geographic features in many
parts of Oregon, including Camas Valley in Douglas County,
Camas Swale in Lane County, Camas Swale in Douglas County,
and Camas Creek in Umatilla County. The name is taken from
that of a favorite food of the western Indians, the Camassia
bulb, a plant related to the scilla. The word was derived
from the Nootka Indian word chamass, meaning "fruit"
or "sweet." It was adopted into the Chinook jargon
as camas, kamass, lacmass, and lakamass. The locality of
Camas Valley was a place where the Indians gathered supplies
of the sweetish bulbs of the blue-flowered "Lakamass"
Camas Valley post office was established in July 1870, with
Matthew Reeves first postmaster.