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1953 Map of Pendleton

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Pendleton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

The Columbia River corridor serves as the industrial and agricultural lifeline for this region, following the river through the McNary Dam and into Lake Wallula. The landscape is defined by the massive infrastructure of the mid-20th century, including the Umatilla Ordnance Depot and the extensive Boardman Bombing Range. These federal installations sit alongside the West Extension Irrigation Canal, which enabled the growth of rail-dependent agricultural centers like Hermiston and Stanfield.

Further south, the terrain rises into the Blue Mountains, where the Umatilla National Forest and Whitman National Forest dominate the high country. Long-established towns like Pendleton and La Grande are connected by the Union Pacific railroad, which winds through the steep grades of Cabbage Hill. Small settlements such as Pilot Rock, Ukiah, and Heppner dot the valleys between ridges like Madison Butte, representing the ranching and timber heritage of the Umatilla and Union County areas.