History:

The City of Umatilla was first incorporated as Umatilla City on October 24, 1864 with a mayor, five aldermen, recorder, marshal and treasurer. The first mayor was George Coe. Disincorporation soon followed in 1866 because the citizens felt it was unnecessary to have the burden of a municipal government. Reincorporation took place in 1906 as the City of Umatilla.

In 1968 the City of Umatilla was moved to higher ground due to the expected flooding of the townsite due to the building of the John Day Lock and Dam. The Army Corps of Engineers acquired the land adjoining the Columbia River and that 130 acre area which did not flood, as expected, is the region referred to as "Old Town."

The land at Old Town has been named to the National Register of Historic Places. Archeological digs have confirmed that an ancient prehistoric settlement once thrived on the banks of the Umatilla and Columbia River. In later times, Indian villages occupied the area. An ancient Indian burial ground remains on the land still and is protected from relic collectors and vandals.

The first archeological dig was conducted in 1965 by a crew from the University of Oregon. Thousands of relics were found and are now stored until eventual funding is available to continue dating and identifying the historic treasures.

In 1970 the Mid Columbia Archeological Society initiated a series of excavations and in the spring of 1979 an archeological investigation was conducted by the Washington Archeological Research Center. The Umatilla site is the largest existent prehistoric site reported in the State of Oregon.