Umatilla County Oregon Communities

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Pendleton- Pendleton is a city of attractive environments. It is located on the Umatilla river, a stream of considerable magnitude, in a little valley nestling among a low range of highly fertile hills. The soil in the immediate vicinity of the city is well watered, which insures a heavy growth of vegetation and shrubbery here throughout even the dryest seasons, and the carefully trimmed shade trees lining the principal streets, together with the well-kept gardens which surround all the principal private residences, making Pendleton one of the most attractive cities of the eastern part of the state.
     While Pendleton is not surrounded by a wealth of timber and mineral resources, the remarkable productiveness of the soil of Umatilla county, of which it is the seat of justice and the jobbing center and heavy wool-growing and stock interests of the county, make this one of the richest interior points of the state. Pendleton contains today a population of about 4,000; its streets are wide and well cared for, and the entire city presents an air of activity and prosperity. Fire limits have been established by the municipal government, and within in these limits the erection of no wooden buildings is allowed. Handsome one, two and three story brick and stone blocks line the principal business streets, and new buildings are being constantly erected here. Business pursuits are well represented in the city, and business at this point is generally prosperous.
     Few towns in the state enjoy equal opportunities in shipping facilities which the Pendleton merchants are able to avail themselves of. Pendleton is situated on the main line of the Union Pacific, 231 miles east of Portland and 44 miles south of the Columbia river at Umatilla. It is the end of a division of the main line. It is also the terminus of the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene branches of the same system which touch Walla Walla, all the important points of the wonderfully rich Palouse district of Washington, Spokane and all the leading towns of the Coeur d'Alene mineral belt. It is also the terminus of the Oregon & Washington Territory system, which connects with the Northern Pacific at Hunt's Junction, near Wallula, and also with the Union Pacific, and which also extends as far east as Walla Walla and Dayton, opening up the rich farming districts tributary to these latter points. Pendleton thus has direct connection with Portland, which is reached by deep-water vessels, with Seattle and Tacoma, the principal shipping points of Puget Sound, with practically all of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, and enjoys competitive freight rates from the East afforded by the two great systems of roads, the Northern and the Union Pacific.
     Pendleton is a city containing many modern improvements. It has a fine water-works and electric lights system; it maintains efficient police and fire departments, and the city boasts of a well appointed brick opera house. The Umatilla county court house, at this point, is a model of modern architecture. It was erected at a cost of $90,000, and is one of the finest county court houses on the coast. Pendleton's water supply is obtained from the Umatilla river, which flows along the edge of the city. This is a clear mountain stream, and furnishes, practically, an inexhaustible supply of the purest water for domestic purposes. Power for running a number of Pendleton's leading factories is also obtained from this stream. The manufacturing industries of Pendleton are represented by a large flouring mill, with a daily capacity of 500 barrels, foundry and machine ships, sash and door factory, and planing mill.
     The public schools of Pendleton are conducted in a large brick building, which is well arranged for school work. The grades taught range from the primary to the high school course. The public schools here hold terms covering ten months of the year. In addition to the excellent public instruction maintained, the Pendleton Academy provides a course of study which fits students for entering any college, and a Catholic boarding school affords opportunity for private instruction. Both these private educational institutions own their buildings and the grounds on which the buildings are located. The Presbyterian, two Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal and Catholic organizations own their own buildings at Pendleton.
     The average deposits in the three solid banks of Pendleton do not fall for short of $100,000. The city supports three newspapers, The Daily East-Oregonian, which also publishes a semi-weekly and weekly edition; The Daily and Weekly Tribune, and The Weekly Oregon Herald. The East-Oregonian is published by the East Oregonian Publishing Company, which is under the management of C.S. Jackson, one of the veteran newspaper men in the state. Mr. Jackson is an able business man and has earned a recognition in the leading centers of the state, and he wields a pen that has excited the admiration of the best critics on the coast. The owner and editor of the Tribune is Hon. J.C. Leasure, one of the prominent attorneys and a leading politician of the state. Mr. Leasure is recognized as an able stump-speaker. He has held many prominent positions, including that of mayor of Pendleton, and his abilities have entitled him to the respect of the best people of Oregon. The hotel accommodations of Pendleton are good, the four hotels here ranging from the hostelry of the first-class order to the family house where accommodations are furnished at a moderate cost and where the fare is wholesome if correspondingly plain.
     The value of annual trade of Pendleton is estimated to be about $2,000,000. The gross assessed valuation of city property in 1892 was $1,750,000. The city carries a bonded indebtedness of $70,000. Pendleton is the trading center for practically all of Umatilla county. The county produced in 1892, 1,750,000 pounds of wool and fully two thirds of this was shipped from Pendleton. During the same year the county raised 2,500,000 bushels of wheat, and the principal part of this product passed through the Pendleton warehouses. Pendleton during the past five years has enjoyed a growth that has been surpassed by no inland point of the state and the opportunities for advancement here during the next few years, which will be taken advantage of by a wealthy and progressive class of people, promise even greater things for the city in the future than has accrued to the place in the past.
     The present mayor of Pendleton is R. Alexander, whose portrait is published on this page. Mr. Alexander is a native of Hengstfeld, Wurttenburg, Germany. He came to Oregon 22 years ago. Although now but 43 years of age, Mr. Alexander has attained a remarkable degree of success during his business career in Pendleton, which began 15 years ago. Pendleton was then but a mere village, but Mr. Alexander appreciated the natural advantages in location which the small town enjoyed and he foresaw the Pendleton of today. Embarking in the general merchandise business, Mr. Alexander easily kept pace with the rapid growth of the town, and he is today the senior partner in the large general merchandise concern of Alexander & Hexter who carry a line of goods valued $50,000. Besides being mayor, Mr. Alexander is a prominent member of several fraternal organizations, among which are the Odd Fellows, Masons and Knights of Pythias. Of the first mentioned order Mr. Alexander has been grand master of the state, grand patriarch and grand representative, having held the last office for two terms of two years each. Mr. Alexander enjoys the distinction of being only 32d degree Mason in Pendleton. He has been master of the local lodge for two years. Mr. Alexander has been vice-president of the Pendleton Savings Bank, and he has been foremost in many of the public enterprises which have resulted in making Pendleton one of the most prominent cities in Eastern Oregon.
    One of the most prominent business institutions of Pendleton is the Pendleton Savings Bank, which was organized in 1889 with a paid-up capital of $100,000. The present officers are W.F. Matlock, president; W.M. Pierce, vice president and R.T. Cox, late of the first National Bank of Portland, cashier. The Pendleton Savings Bank has achieved a most gratifying success to its shareholders since its organization, as shown by the statement that its undivided profits now amount to $20,000 and its paid dividends to $50,000. This success is, of course, due to the business sagacity of the bank's officers, to the financial strength and standing of its stock holders, prominent among whom are Henry Failing, D.P. Thompson, L.L. McArthur and C.H. Lewis of Portland, A. Bush of Salem, Levi Ankeny of Walla Walla and C.E. Tilton of New York.
     The Pendleton Savings Bank is looked upon as one of the permanent institutions of the city. It has already manifested its confidence in Pendleton by erecting, at a cost of $33,000, the handsome brick building, an illustration of which is published in connection with the present article.
     The Golden Rule Hotel at Pendleton enjoys the reputation of being one of the best conducted hostelries in Eastern Oregon. It is conveniently located both with reference to the business portion of the city and the union depot, where all in-c0ming and out-going trains are met by the Golden Rule's free omnibus. The house itself is a three-story brick, fire-proof and lighted by electricity. The accommodations are strictly first class. The appointments are modern in every respect. Arthur Hammond, the proprietor, having been in the railroad business for 22 years, has a full appreciation of the needs and comfort of his guests and he spares no pains to provide for their every want. The Golden Rule Hotel is to be commended to the traveling public.

The Oregonians Handbook of the Pacific Northwest

Weston- Weston occupies an attractive location on the Washington division of the Union Pacific railroad, 21 miles north of Pendleton and 252 miles east of Portland. The extension of the Helix branch of the Oregon & Washington Territory railroad from Athena to Weston during the present year is practically assured. In addition to the local consumption of $30,000 bushels of wheat in 1892, there were shipped from this point during the same year 200,000 bushels of wheat, and 28 tons of hay. During 1893 it was estimated that the shipments of wheat alone from Weston before the close of the year would reach 300,000 bushels.
     A roller-process flouring mill with a capacity of 75 barrels a day is located at Weston. The town also contains a brick and tile factory which manufactures 30,000 brick a day. This latter enterprise employs 30 men and disburses on an average, at this point, $100 a day. The output of this plant finds a market in the towns of Umatilla county and in the points not too distant, located in Oregon and Washington.
     The last session of the Oregon legislature made an appropriation of $24,000 to be applied to the construction of a state normal school building at Weston. The building for this school is now in course of erection. It is modeled after the most approved designs in architecture and will be a handsome and perfectly arranged structure. The public school building at Weston is a large two-story brick edifice which was erected at a cost of $12,000. Four well qualified teachers are employed in the school, which is divided into as many grades. The average daily attendance at the public school is about 200.
     The municipal authorities of Weston recently bonded the town for $24,000 to be used in the construction of city waterworks and an electric light plant. These plants are now in operation and doing good service. The water for the city is obtained from three never failing springs located on an eminence in the vicinity. The pressure in the city mains insures an ample protection against fire. All lines of business are well represented at Weston. The Farmers' Bank has recently increased its capitol stock to $60,000 and it pays a handsome dividend annually to its stockholders. A local building and loan association, having a capitol of $50,000 is well patronized. The religious denominations having churches at Weston are the Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist and United Brethren. The town supports one ably edited weekly paper, The Leader. It has one first class hotel and two livery stables. Its present population is about 800, and having every advantage of location is enjoying as great a degree of prosperity as are any of the inland cities of the state.

The Oregonians Handbook of the Pacific Northwest