Echo

Greetings. I'm Nelson Olmsted, and today I want to tell you about Eastern Oregon's Oasis for Pioneers. Before I do, here's Clint Ruber, our spokesman for Pacific Power. Welcome once again to Stories of Pacific Powerland, the presentation of Pacific Power and Light, the company that has been serving the electric needs of the region's homes, farms, and industries

through more than half a century of progress and growth. Now, Nelson's ready to transport us back to the days of the Covered Waggons. The journey was long and weary, often it was part with danger, disease, and disaster.

Small wonder that the travelers on the immigrant road in the desert country of Oregon in 1851 often became discouraged. Yes, if this is what they call the promised land, they ought to promise it to somebody else.

It looks like we come two thousand miles just to live in a desert. There's no need to talk that way, Jake. We must become a near-some kind of settlement. Now look ahead over that canyon there.

Don't that little green might even be some forms down there. Yeah, yeah. There's a house up ahead, a real house, and it's white as snow just like back home. What the pioneer cited was the tiny settlement called Utila.

Here some forty people had settled, cleared land, and planted crops in fertile soil of the Yuma Tila River Valley. The frame house was a combined post office in Indian agency office, and was the first civil building, the immigrants had seen, since leaving Independence, Missouri, 2,294 miles away.

As you tell, the community's history was short. In fact, it ended when the imposing white frame house was burned in 1855. It wasn't until 1880 that the little town, Puched lost its name, received its formal christening. The townspeople got together and talked it over, One said, well, I favor the name of Henrietta for the town.