La Grande, Oregon

Originally named "Brownsville," it was forced to change its name because that name was being used for a city in Linn County. Located in the Grande Ronde Valley, the city's name comes from an early French settler, Charles Dause, who often used the phrase "La Grande" to describe the area's beauty. The population was 13,082 at the 2010 census.{{cite web|title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190521214830/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 May 2019 |work=2010 Demographic Profile Data |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=8 October 2011 }} It is the county seat of Union County.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} La Grande lies east of the Blue Mountains and southeast of Pendleton.

The Grande Ronde Valley had long been a waypoint along the Oregon Trail. The first permanent settler in the La Grande area was Benjamin Brown in 1861.{{cite web |last= Reavis |first= J |year= 2005 |title= First Settlement in Grande Ronde Valley, Union County, Oregon|access-date= October 22, 2011 |publisher= Oregon Genealogy |url= http://www.oregongenealogy.com/union/firstsettle.htm}} Not long after, the Leasey family and about twenty others settled there. The settlement was originally named after Ben Brown as Brown's Fort, Brown's Town, or Brownsville. There was already a Brownsville in Linn County, so when the post office was established in 1863, a more distinctive name was needed.{{cite OGN|7th|page=}}{{cite web |last= Reavis |first= J |year= 2005 |title= La Grande History, Union County, Oregon|access-date= December 29, 2008 |publisher= Oregon Genealogy |url= http://www.oregongenealogy.com/union/lagrande.htm}} It was decided to use "La Grande", a phrase used by a Frenchman, Charles Dause, to describe the area's scenic splendor. Before the post office was established, William Currey charged 50 cents a letter to carry the mail on horseback to and from the nearest post office, in Walla Walla, Washington. La Grande was incorporated as a city in 1865, and platted in 1868.{{cite book|last=Bailey|first=Barbara Ruth|title=Main Street: Northeastern Oregon| publisher= Oregon Historical Society|year=1982|isbn=0-87595-073-6}}

La Grande grew rapidly during the late 1860s and early 1870s, partially because of the region's many gold mines and the valley's agricultural capabilities. The early business establishments centered on C Avenue between present day Fourth Street and the hillside on the west end.

In 1884, the railroad came to the flat slightly east of "Old Town". This helped the town to grow and gave rise to "New Town", centered on Adams Avenue and built parallel to the railroad tracks.

By 1900, La Grande's population was 2992, representing half of the population of Baker City.{{cite book|last=Bailey|first=Barbara Ruth|title=Main Street: Northeastern Oregon|publisher=Oregon Historical Society|year=1982|isbn=0-87595-073-6|page=27}}

La Grande's Eastern Oregon University, formerly known as Eastern Oregon State College, began in 1929 as Eastern Oregon Normal School, a teachers college.{{cite web |last= Allen |first= Cain |year= 2005 |title= Eastern Oregon Normal School|access-date= December 3, 2009 |publisher= Oregon Historical Society |url= http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=27BF6084-C3FF-70CD-6F3B18A9DF189EC8}}

La Grande had a factory for processing sugar beets into raw sugar. The sugar beets came from the nearby Mormon town of Nibley, Oregon, and both were owned by the Oregon Sugar Company. R. Doerstling, the superintendent of the factory in 1899, reported seeing a Native American teepee built out of used cloth filters from the factory.{{cite book|last=Arrington|first=Leonard J.|title=Beet sugar in the West; a history of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, 1891-1966|publisher=University of Washington Press| year=1966| pages=29|oclc=234150}}; see also Ogden Standard, 1899-07-08)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|4.61|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|4.58|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.03|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2012-12-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }} The town is a major hub in the valley. Mount Emily is a Grande Ronde Valley landmark towering over the city of La Grande to the north. It often features prominently on logos of local organizations and is matched on the other side of the valley by a similar landmark, Mount Harris.

Under the Köppen climate classification system, La Grande features a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), closely bordering on a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). This climate type is characterized by warm, dry summers and cold winters.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| single line = yes

| location = La Grande, Oregon (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1965–present)

| Jan record high F = 61

| Feb record high F = 66

| Mar record high F = 79

| Apr record high F = 88

| May record high F = 95

| Jun record high F = 108

| Jul record high F = 108

| Aug record high F = 106

| Sep record high F = 103

| Oct record high F = 89

| Nov record high F = 71

| Dec record high F = 62

| year record high F =

| Jan high F = 39.3

| Feb high F = 44.0

| Mar high F = 51.6

| Apr high F = 58.7

| May high F = 67.8

| Jun high F = 74.9

| Jul high F = 86.2

| Aug high F = 87.0

| Sep high F = 77.3

| Oct high F = 62.4

| Nov high F = 47.7

| Dec high F = 38.7

| year high F = 61.3

| Jan mean F = 31.9

| Feb mean F = 35.4

| Mar mean F = 41.1

| Apr mean F = 47.0

| May mean F = 55.2

| Jun mean F = 61.8

| Jul mean F = 70.3

| Aug mean F = 69.9

| Sep mean F = 61.0

| Oct mean F = 49.0

| Nov mean F = 38.8

| Dec mean F = 31.5

| year mean F = 49.4

| Jan low F = 24.6

| Feb low F = 26.8

| Mar low F = 30.6

| Apr low F = 35.2

| May low F = 42.5

| Jun low F = 48.7

| Jul low F = 54.5

| Aug low F = 52.8

| Sep low F = 44.8

| Oct low F = 35.6

| Nov low F = 30.0

| Dec low F = 24.4

| year low F = 37.5

| Jan record low F = -17

| Feb record low F = -10

| Mar record low F = 9

| Apr record low F = 16

| May record low F = 24

| Jun record low F = 22

| Jul record low F = 32

| Aug record low F = 31

| Sep record low F = 23

| Oct record low F = 9

| Nov record low F = -14

| Dec record low F = -18

| year record low F =

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 1.67

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.23

| Mar precipitation inch = 1.72

| Apr precipitation inch = 1.83

| May precipitation inch = 2.24

| Jun precipitation inch = 1.37

| Jul precipitation inch = 0.60

| Aug precipitation inch = 0.67

| Sep precipitation inch = 0.67

| Oct precipitation inch = 1.58

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.94

| Dec precipitation inch = 1.88

| year precipitation inch = 17.40

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 9.8

| Feb precipitation days = 7.9

| Mar precipitation days = 10.2

| Apr precipitation days = 9.9

| May precipitation days = 9.2

| Jun precipitation days = 7.9

| Jul precipitation days = 3.8

| Aug precipitation days = 3.0

| Sep precipitation days = 3.8

| Oct precipitation days = 7.8

| Nov precipitation days = 10.1

| Dec precipitation days = 11.2

| year precipitation days = 94.3

| Jan snow inch = 3.3

| Feb snow inch = 1.0

| Mar snow inch = 0.8

| Apr snow inch = 0.1

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.0

| Nov snow inch = 1.2

| Dec snow inch = 3.0

| year snow inch = 9.4

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 3.2

| Feb snow days = 1.6

| Mar snow days = 1.3

| Apr snow days = 0.2

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.0

| Nov snow days = 1.3

| Dec snow days = 3.5

| year snow days = 11.1

| source = NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=pdt

|title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = December 10, 2023}}{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00354622&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = December 10, 2023}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1870= 240

|1880= 400

|1890= 2583

|1900= 2991

|1910= 4843

|1920= 6913

|1930= 8050

|1940= 7747

|1950= 8635

|1960= 9014

|1970= 9645

|1980= 11354

|1990= 11766

|2000= 12327

|2010= 13082

|2020= 13026

|footnote=source:Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 211.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2007-41.csv|title=Subcounty population estimates: Oregon 2000-2007|format=CSV|publisher=United States Census Bureau, Population Division|date=2009-03-18|access-date=2009-04-29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515142717/http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2007-41.csv|archive-date=2009-05-15}}{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=25 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=11 June 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:41&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=Oct 12, 2022}}

}}

As of the census of 2010, there were 13,082 people, 5,395 households, and 3,073 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|2856.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 5,794 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1265.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 91.3% White, 0.8% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 1.5% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population.{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2012-12-21}}

There were 5,395 households, of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the city was 32.8 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 16% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,327 people, 5,124 households, and 2,982 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,833.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 5,483 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,260.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.92% White, 1.26% Asian, 0.90% Pacific Islander, 0.78% Native American, 0.68% African American, 1.40% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.77% of the population.

There were 5,124 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 16.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,576, and the median income for a family was $40,508. Males had a median income of $32,746 versus $21,930 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,550. About 8.3% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

:See also Wikimedia Commons Photographs from the La Grande Commercial Historic District

File:La Grande - DPLA - 2e24826ff9de66f4039383b520577e7d.jpg, located within the historic commercial district and formerly used as a Post Office and federal building]]

La Grande includes a historic commercial district listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2001. The {{convert|42.7|acre|adj=on}} district is bounded by the following:{{cite web | url= http://www.cityoflagrande.org/muraProjects/muraLAG/lagcity/?LinkServID=974A590B-0913-33C2-B5E03EF9D3BABE21&showMeta=0 | format= PDF | title= Standards and Guidelines Manual for Historic Rehabilitation and Preservation for La Grande, Oregon | access-date= 2011-08-22 | publisher= City of La Grande | archive-date= 2016-04-07 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160407002403/http://cityoflagrande.org/muraprojects/muralag/lagcity/?linkservid=974a590b-0913-33c2-b5e03ef9d3babe21&showmeta=0 | url-status= dead }}

• on the northeast, by Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company/Union Pacific Railroad tracks along Jefferson Avenue;
• on the south, by Spring Avenue, Greenwood Street and Cove Avenue;
• on the southwest by Washington Avenue; and
• on the west by Fourth Street.

{{Clear}}

The city is served by the La Grande School District, which includes Central Elementary School, Island City Elementary, Greenwood Elementary School, La Grande Middle School, and La Grande High School. La Grande is the home of Eastern Oregon University.

The Observer is the local daily newspaper. Local radio stations include

KLBM AM 1450 and the following stations on the FM dial:

KUBQ FM 98.7,

KWRL FM 102.3,

KTVR FM 90.3

KCMB FM 104.7, and

KRJT FM 105.9.

La Grande is considered part of the Portland television market despite its distance from the western part of the state. Independent television station KUNP (channel 16) is licensed to La Grande as a sister station to Portland ABC affiliate KATU (channel 2), though is effectively considered to be a Portland station because its former owner employed a strategy of using fringe stations to serve an entire market through cable and satellite distribution with little to no local presence (KUNP's parent company maintains a translator station serving Portland proper).

File:FreewayMoon.jpg]]

• 30px Interstate 84 is the main freeway past La Grande. It links La Grande with other nearby cities in the area (Pendleton, Baker City), as well as other regionally important cities, including Ontario, Umatilla, Portland, Boise, Idaho, and Spokane and Tri-Cities, and Seattle in Washington.
• 30px U.S. Route 30 serves as La Grande's main street under the name of Adams Avenue.
• 30px Oregon Route 82 begins in La Grande at its intersection with Adams Avenue. The La Grande area's portion of OR 82 is Island Avenue, commonly known as the Island City Strip because it serves as the main road to La Grande's northern suburb of Island City. OR 82 ends in Wallowa County's town of Joseph, Oregon.
• 30px Oregon Route 237 begins in nearby Island City and is the main route to the nearby town of Cove. It ends in North Powder and joins Interstate 84 there.
• 30px Oregon Route 203 starts southeast of La Grande, near the intersection of Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 30. It is the main route to the town of Union. It ends a few miles north of Baker City. The Highway travels through Pyles Canyon and is an alternate route to Ladd Canyon, the main route on I-84 out of the Grande Ronde Valley to the south.

La Grande is a crew change point on the Huntington and La Grande subdivisions of the Union Pacific Railroad, originally constructed through the area in 1884 by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.{{cite web |last= Halvorson |first= Gary |year= 2005 |title= A 1940 Journey Across Oregon: Baker to La Grande|access-date= May 15, 2009 |publisher= Oregon Secretary of State |url= https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/oregon-journey/Pages/baker-lagrande.aspx}} Between 1977 and 1997, the city had a station along the former route of Amtrak's Pioneer between Chicago, Salt Lake City, Portland and Seattle.{{cite web |title= P.R.I.I.A Section 224 Pioneer Route Passenger Rail Study|access-date= December 3, 2009 |publisher= Amtrak |url= http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249200496429&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_PioneerServiceStudy.pdf.}} The 1930-built station still exists, and is used by Union Pacific as offices.{{cite web|title=Pioneer Route Passenger Rail Study|url=https://transitzac.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/amtrak_pioneerservicestudy.pdf|access-date=March 28, 2020|publisher=Amtrak|author=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328195845/https://transitzac.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/amtrak_pioneerservicestudy.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=March 28, 2020}} La Grande is also the junction of the Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad's {{convert|20|mi|km|adj=on}} short line to Elgin.{{cite web |title= Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad INPR #331|access-date= December 3, 2009 |publisher= Union Pacific |url= http://www.uprr.com/customers/shortline/lines/inp.shtml}}

• La Grande/Union County Airport

• Ray Baum, Oregon state legislator, lawyer
• Jadin Bell, whose suicide helped spark national awareness of bullying
• Joe Bell, anti-bullying and suicide awareness activist, and father of Jadin Bell
• Bob Brogoitti, Oregon state legislator
• Bucky Buckwalter, former National Basketball Association coach and executive
• William De Los Santos, poet, screenwriter and film director
• Ron Gilbert, a computer game designer, LucasArts adventure games
• Steve House, professional climber and mountain guide
• John F. Nugent, United States Senator from Idaho
• Jack Ward Thomas, senior research wildlife biologist, 13th Chief of the U.S. Forest Service
• Agnes Vernon, silent film actress
• Paul Wheaton, permaculture theorist, software engineer

{{reflist|2}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.cityoflagrande.org/ City of La Grande] (official website)
• [https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/local/cities/l-r/la-grande.aspx La Grande listing] in the Oregon Blue Book
• {{Oregon Encyclopedia|la_grande|La Grande}}
• [http://www.unioncountychamber.org Union County Chamber of Commerce]

{{Union County, Oregon}}

{{Oregon}}

{{Oregon county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Oregon

Category:County seats in Oregon

Category:Cities in Union County, Oregon

Category:Populated places established in 1865

Category:Micropolitan areas of Oregon

Category:1865 establishments in Oregon