Oasis in the Desert: The Story of Hermiston From Sagebrush to City

Oasis in the Desert: The Story of Hermiston From Sagebrush to City by RONALD E. INGLE. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780971733909.

Oregons perpetual boom town, Hermiston has experienced many stages of development through its nearly one hundred years of history. To a large extent these stages have been related to large construction projects resulting in population explosions which have taxed the resources of the community. Most prominent among these have been the construction of Cold Springs dam and reservoir in the early years of the century. Umatilla Ordnance Depot during World War II, and McNary Dam on the Columbia River early in the postwar period.To this list may be added Union Pacific railroad terminal at Hinkle, Marlette coach company, several food-processing plants, and the giant Wal-Mart distribution center. The boom is not over, and today Hermiston is involved to continued expansion in population and housing. Recent projects, including chemical weapons incinerator, continue to make this area of northeastern Oregon a hub of industrial growth. In this book Ron Ingle tells the story of the development from the arrival of the homesteaders to the end of the twentieth century. Oasis in the Desert also related hundreds of other stories about Hermiston, including the divisive townsite feud in the communitys early days, the stressful period during and after World War I, drilling for oil in the 1920s, tensions related to Prohibition and the Great Depression, and recent problems caused by the proliferation of drugs and crime. Interspersed throughout are many details about people and events, descriptions of celebrations which added color and interest to daily life, references to the changing commercial scene and the sometimes-tragic news stories which gripped the community. many readers will relate to local sports, social, and political noted found in this book. with more than a hundred illustrations complementing the fifteen chapters of text. Oasis in the Desert should be worthwhile reading for anyone interested in Hermiston.