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HISTORY
The word Imnaha was used by William Clark on a map used with the original Lewis and Clark Journal. As far as is known Captain Bonneville was the first white man to go into the Wallowa country. J. H. Hunner of Enterprise an authority on Wallowa county history states, that the name Imnaha was the name of a sub-chief. Thus, Imnaha was the land REIGNED over by Imna.
According to Oregon Geographic Names, the name Imnaha means "Chief Imna's territory".
Imnaha is an unincorporated community at the confluence of Little Sheep Creek and the Imnaha River in Wallowa County, Oregon. Its elevation is 599 m (1965 ft). In 2003 its population was estimated to be 12 (180 if including nearby ranches).
The post office in Imnaha opened January 4, 1885.
The scenery is spectacular as the road clings to cliffs, weaves through forest, and winds by deep gorges, sheer cliffs, hills, and mountains.
Imnaha, in the far northeastern corner of the state, is surrounded by some of the most beautiful and rugged landscape in Oregon.
Imnaha is a beautiful name for a stream that rises in the Wallowa Mountains and flows to Snake River through one of the deepest river gorges on the continent. The word was used by William Clark on a map issued with the original Lewis and Clark journals in 1814, in the form Innahar. As far as the writer knows, Capt. Benjamin Bonneville was the first non-Indian to go into the Wallowa country. For information about this exploration, see Bonneville. He was in the vicinity of Imnaha River in January and February 1834. It is difficult to follow Bonneville's march as described by Washington Irving, for the geography of the country is obviously confused, but the general character of the landscape is very well described, and Irving's somewhat extravagant style is quite suitable to the remarkable rock formations and almost bottomless canyons the traveler encountered. Besides the river, there is a post office named Imnaha. J. H. Horner of Enterprise, the authority on Wallowa county
history, told the writer in 1927 that Imna was the name of a subchief and that it was the custom among the Indians to sound ha to indicate the territory ruled over by a chief. Thus Imnaha was the land ruled over by Imna. Imnaha community is on the Imnaha River at the mouth of Little Sheep Creek, about 30 miles northeast of Joseph. Imnaha post office was established on January 4, 1885, with Alex Findley postmaster.
The rugged and dramatic basalt cliffs that rise above the river give visitors a taste of the scenery awaiting them in Hells Canyon. For the most spectacular view of Hells Canyon, travel through the town of Imnaha and drive the steep road to Hat Point.
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