Umatilla County, Oregon

The fertile fields of Umatilla County provide the foundation for its economy. Dry land wheat, grain, cattle, sheep, fruit, and timber crops all expanded with the coming of the railroad in 1881. Umatilla County, created in 1862 when the discovery of gold brought miners and livestock growers to the area, contains 3,231 square miles with a population of around 70,000. It is bordered on the north by the Columbia River, Morrow County on the west, Grant on the south, and Union and Wallowa Counties on the east.

The largest cities of the county include Pendleton, the county seat, Milton-Freewater, and Hermiston. Weston, although smaller in population, is home to Smith Frozen Foods, owned by U.S. Senator Gordon Smith.

Irrigation has been a key factor in the economic growth of the county, particularly in the Hermiston area, which is now famous for a wide variety of melons ripening in the desert heat. Umatilla County has led the state of Oregon in the development of wind power. More than 70% of the total wind capacity installed in Oregon comes from the first commercial wind farm in Oregon at Vansycle Ridge and part of the largest single wind farm in the world with the Stateline Project. The Umatilla County installations can produce enough electricity to supply more than 46,000 homes per year.

The Umatilla Indian Reservation was established in 1855 and is home to 1400 enrolled members of the Umatilla Confederated Tribes. Wildhorse Casino, owned and operated by the tribes provides entertainment for locals and travelers.

Other points of interest include the Tamastslikt Cultural Center, the Pendleton Underground, Old Town Pendleton, the Echo Museum, and Frazier Farmstead Museum in Milton-Freewater. Hat Rock, Battle Mountain, and Emigrant State Parks offer outdoor recreation, along with the Tollgate-Spout Springs Recreation Area for skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling.

Umatilla County has shown it is an area with the capacity to grow, diversify, and yet preserve the quality of life Eastern Oregon is known for.

Oregon Blue Book

http://bluebook.state.or.us/local/counties/counties30.htm

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