Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Umapine Church, Umatilla County, OR The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. Isaiah 35:1 Umatilla County - home to Hermiston watermelons, the Pendleton Roundup, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The three-member Board of Commissioners for Umatilla County comprises Dan Dorran , George Murdock , and John Shafer . The Umatilla County Sheriff is Terry Rowan who oversees a county of over 3,000 square miles and a population of 77,000. The county seat is Pendleton while the largest town is Hermiston. We’ve written about the various sections of Umatilla County, the growth around Hermiston and other historical information, including some of the church history of the area here , here , and here . Umatilla County, Oregon As I wrote this over the weekend of February 25 th , a celebration took place in Pendleton at the Pendleton Convention Center. Called “Two Cultures, One Community Powwow,” it took place...

Athena house, Umatilla County, Oregon Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives   Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 Hermiston is the largest city in Umatilla County, but Pendleton is the county seat. We are still in the Northeast region of Oregon, part of the eight counties considered “eastern Oregon.” The population is 80,075 over 3,231 square miles of land. The Umatilla Indian Reservation was established in 1855 before the county itself was created in 1862. Located to the southeast of Pendleton, the Umatillas, Walla Wallas, and the Cayuse were settled there. The Wild Horse Casino is a tribe-owned casino and resort that has been prospering and expanding. It is located near Pendleton.  The Hermiston city motto is, "Where Life is Sweet," and includes a slice of watermelon. The area is famous for its watermelons, among other agricul...