Preserving Heritage
The rally to restore a historic church written by Joni Kabana If you find yourself traveling along Oregon’s Interstate 84, consider taking a short side trip to the small historical town of Echo, 8 miles south of Hermiston and 20 miles east of Pendleton. Set amid gorgeous rolling hills on the banks of the Umatilla River, Echo takes you way back in time. You can sip wine at either Echo Ridge Cellars or the Sno Road Winery, take a jitter juice or lunch break in the family operated H&P Cafe or peruse any of the small yet highly fascinating museums. There are seven buildings that are registered with the National Register of Historic Places, so simply strolling the town’s streets is a history lesson in and of itself. The real treasure of this town is tucked away on a lot that, despite facing three major floods in the last century,…