Located in Umatilla County, Pendleton is situated in the northeast part of Oregon with almost equal distances to Portland, Oregon, Seattle and Spokane, Washington, and Boise, Idaho. Pendleton is on I-84 and U.S. Highway 395, and is on the Oregon Trail. Pendleton is the county seat in Umatilla County. Originally located in the waterfront city of Umatilla on the Columbia River, a vote of the people changed the location to Pendleton. Umatilla was reluctant to give up the records, so one Sunday evening a group from Pendleton "stole" the records from the sleeping town. A few years ago some Umatilla cowboys arrived on horseback at the courthouse and "demanded" their county seat back. Actually, they had a little help from a somewhat puzzled County Commissioner. The determined bandits quickly loaded a bench onto their waiting wagon and shortly thereafter delivered the "County seat" back to what they insisted was its rightful place in Umatilla. The playfulness of the shenanigans was meant to instigate a response in Pendleton. Since no retaliation occurred, the old Court House bench remains at the City Police Department in Umatilla and both cities have their "county seats!" A host of state agencies and departments maintain Eastern Oregon offices in Pendleton, strengthening its economic position in the region. The headquarters of the Umatilla National Forest is situated in Pendleton, and the State Department of Forestry has a district office here. Pendleton is center for federal farm services. They include a major research center, the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University, as well as offices of the Soil Conservation Service, and the Agricultural Stabilization Service. Pendleton has a council-mayor-city manager form of government. An historic old building, previously a junior high school, was recently beautifully renovated and remodeled to house city hall offices and municipal court. The first floor is occupied by the library. Modern water and sewer systems serve the entire community. The City's water comes from mountain springs and deep wells. Pendleton boasts many well-maintained city parks, including the new aquatic center, the beckon residents and visitors alike to take advantage of the water slides, picnic tables, shelters and grills, playgrounds, tennis courts, and wading pools.