1908 Map of Umatilla

About this map

Umatilla Rapids and Devils Bend Rapids churn in the Columbia River on this 1908 survey, marking a critical transit corridor before the major twentieth-century dam projects altered the river's flow. The landscape reflects an era of early irrigation and rail dominance, with the Furnish Ditch and Cold Springs Reservoir supporting emerging agricultural hubs like Hermiston and Echo. The transportation network is highly detailed, showing the Spokane Portland and Seattle Railway hugging the northern bank while the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company tracks follow the Umatilla River valley. To the south, the terrain rises into the Sarvis Buttes and is dissected by numerous canyons such as Slusher Canyon and Croy Canyon. The presence of the old Stage Road and isolated landmarks like the County Well provides a look at the rural infrastructure that sustained the region's scattered settlements like Pine City and Galloway.