An 1851 map of the Willamette Valley notes "Gopher Hole" at this location. There was an early attempt by Mrs. Charles Shortridge to change the name to Lebanon Valley, but the settlers had grown accustomed to Gopher. Furthermore, the town of Lebanon in Linn County was already established. There has been some speculation that the name was based on the shape of the valley as seen from the air, but this hardly seems possible given the lack of topographic maps or aircraft to determine the actual shape (which does not resemble the shape of any animal).