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| Umatilla County |
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Umatilla County´s name is derived from an Indian word meaning "water rippling over sand." Umatilla is the ninth largest of Oregon´s 36 counties, containing 3,231 square miles and a total population of 66,000. The county´s 1995 total assessed value was $2,612,853,400. Situated at the southwest corner of the great Columbia Basin, Umatilla County extends from the 200-foot elevation at the Columbia River, across rolling plains and low hills, to the tops of the 5,000 foot high Blue Mountains.
Historically, the county was home to the Umatilla, Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Nez Perce´ Indian tribes who were especially noted for their rich cultures and extensive herds of Cayuse ponies and Appaloosa horses.
The tribes now occupy a 157,982 acre reservation just east of Pendleton, Oregon. The county marks it´s history with the visits of Lewis and Clark in 1805-1806, and falls directly astride the historic Oregon Trail. On their journey to Oregon, wagon trains camped along the banks of the Umatilla River where Hermiston and Echo now stand. Umatilla County Historical Society Confederated Tribes of The Umatilla Indian Reservation Children´s Museum of Eastern Oregonian
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| City of Umatilla |
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Umatilla is located in North Central Oregon along the banks of the beautiful Columbia River and is 180 miles east of Portland on Hwy 730. As of July 1, 2000, the population of the City of Umatilla was 5,035, which included 699 inmates at Two Rivers Correctional Institution. The elevation is 296´. The lowest average temperature is 26º F, with the coldest month being January. The highest monthly temperature is 88º F with the hottest month being July. The average annual precipitation is 9.060" with the wettest month being December. Average humidity in July is 34 percent; average humidity in January is 77 percent. Click here for more information on the Umatilla Community.
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| Historical Umatilla |
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The site of Umatilla was first visited by Lewis & Clark on Sunday, April 27, 1806, as they surveyed the Pacific Northwest for the U.S. government. Stories are told of Lewis & Clark standing on a hill approximately 200 feet above the Columbia River, possibly not too far from the present day site of the Two Rivers Correctional Institution. From this vantage point they saw Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams before they traversed or "shot" the Musselshoal Rapids which ran through Umatilla at that time.
In 1861, the area east of the mouth of the Umatilla River became known as Umatilla Landing. In 1863, the first post office was established and the original city plat of Umatilla was filed. In 1864, the first ferry operation across the Columbia River from Umatilla was initiated. Construction began on the McNary Dam project in 1947; it was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 23, 1954. In 1955, a bridge was constructed over the Columbia River replacing the ferry between Umatilla and Plymouth, Washington. In 1968 the John Day Dam project was completed 76 miles downstream to form what is called Lake Umatilla, which reaches from the John Day Dam at Rufus, Oregon to McNary Dam. Between 1965 and 1966, the original town site was relocated to it´s current location. In 1973, the town site of McNary was annexed into the city.
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| Recreational Amenities |
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Fishing, camping, Umatilla Landing Days Celebration, sailing, water-skiing, Governor´s Walleye Tournament, McNary Dam, golf course-18 holes, driving range, upland game, bird hunting, off track betting and museum. Click here for more information on fishing and recreational opportunities in the region.
For information pertaining to the Umatilla Community please visit the following sites: Umatilla School District No. 6R Umatilla, Oregon Online Highways Umatilla Weather
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| City of Hermiston |
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| Other Community Links |
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