 It was named after the Oread Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.The hill was originally called Hogback Ridge by many Lawrence residents until the Oread name was adopted in 1866.For emigrants going westward by wagon train on the Oregon Trail, "The Hill", as Mount Oread is now commonly referred to by residents of Lawrence, was the next big topographical challenge after crossing the Wakarusa River near today's Haskell Indian Nations University.