Walla Walla, Washington
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| Walla Walla, Washington | |
| Location of Walla Walla, Washington | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Walla Walla |
| Area | |
| - Total | 10.8 sq mi (28.1 km²) |
| - Land | 10.8 sq mi (28.0 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 942 ft (287 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 29,686 |
| - Density | 2,744.9/sq mi (1,059.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 99362 |
| Area code(s) | 509 |
| FIPS code | 53-75775GR2 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1512769GR3 |
Walla Walla is both the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, and the county's largest city. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 29,686GR6. Walla Walla is in the southeastern region of Washington, approximately five hours by car from Seattle, Washington and thirteen miles from the Oregon border.
Whitman College, Walla Walla Community College, and the Washington State Penitentiary are located in Walla Walla. In addition, Baker Boyer Bank, the oldest bank in the State Of Washington. was established there.
Walla Walla is famous for its sweet onions. It is considered to have many of the best wineries in the country located in the area and is a popular vacation spot for wine enthusiasts.
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[edit] History
On September 1, 1836, Marcus Whitman arrived with his wife Narcissa Whitman. Here they established the Whitman Mission in an unsuccessful attempt to convert the local Walla Walla tribe to Christianity. Both were killed by the Cayuse following a disease epidemic believing that the missionaries were poisoning the Native Peoples. Whitman College was established in their honor. The original Fort Walla Walla, a major stopping point for migrants moving West, has been preserved with many of the original buildings. The current Fort Walla Walla contains these buildings, albeit in a different location from the original, as well as a museum about the early settlers' lives.
Walla Walla was officially incorporated on January 11, 1862. As a result of a gold rush, during this decade the city became the largest community in the territory of Washington, at one point slated to be the new state's capital. The former Governor's mansion still stands in the southern part of the city. Following this period of rapid growth, agriculture became the city's primary industry.
[edit] Further Reading
- MacGibbon, Elma (1904). Leaves of knowledge. Shaw & Borden Co. Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection Elma MacGibbons reminiscences of her travels in the United States starting in 1898, which were mainly in Oregon and Washington. Includes chapter "Walla Walla and southeastern Washington."
[edit] Agriculture
Though wheat is still a big crop, vineyards and wineries have become economically important over the last two decades. In summer 2006, there were over 100 wineries in the greater Walla Walla area. Following the wine boom, the town has developed several top-tier restaurants and hotels. The Marcus Whitman hotel, one of Washington's finest early 1900s hotels, was recently renovated with its original fixtures and furnitures. It is the tallest building in the city, reaching thirteen stories.
The Walla Walla Sweet Onion is another crop with a rich tradition. Over a century ago on the Island of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy, a French soldier named Peter Pieri found an Italian sweet onion seed and brought it to the Walla Walla Valley. Impressed by the new onion's winter hardiness, Pieri, and the Italian immigrant farmers who comprised much of Walla Walla's gardening industry, harvested the seed. The sweet onion developed over several generations through the process of carefully hand selecting onions from each year's crop, ensuring exceptional sweetness, jumbo size and round shape. The Walla Walla Sweet Onion is also protected by the federal law of a protected agricultural crop in 1996. In 2007, the Walla Walla Sweet Onion became Washington's state vegetable.
Walla Walla Sweet Onions get their sweetness from low sulfur content, which is half that of an ordinary yellow onion. Walla Walla Sweets are 90 percent water. That, combined with Walla Walla’s mild climate and rich soil, gives the onion its sweetness. The Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival is held annually in July.
From asparagus and corn to cherries and strawberries, Walla Walla growers produce produce that’s available to the visitors of the farmer's market throughout the late spring and through the late fall. There is also a selection of bakery treats, flowers and plants, creative arts, and craft items on sale.
Another historic creation that occurred in Walla Walla, specifically at Whitman College, was the birth of the trading card game known as Magic: The Gathering. Dr. Richard Garfield, the creator of the card game, came to teach at Whitman College in 1993. He worked in his spare time with local volunteer playtesters to help refine the game during the 1993 school year. After releasing the game publicly, he worked with Wizards of the Coast.
In 1972, Walla Walla established sister city relationships with Sasayama, Japan.
[edit] Wine industry
Walla Walla has experienced an explosion in its wine industry over the last two decades. Producing some of the finest American wines, Walla Walla is quickly becoming a destination for wine connoisseurs the world over. Many of the wineries have received top scores from respected wine publications such as Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Wine and Spirits magazines. L'Ecole 41, Woodward Canyon and Leonetti Cellars were the pioneers starting in the 1970s and 1980s. They have been joined by many noteworthy producers like Walla Walla Vintners, Cayuse Vineyards, Spring Valley Vineyards, Waterbrook Winery, Forgeron Cellars, Tamarack Cellars, Seven Hills Winery, and Pepper Bridge Winery as well as dozens more smaller wineries. Although most of the early recognition went to the wines made from Merlot and Cabernet, Syrah is fast becoming a star varietal in this appellation. Today there are over 100 wineries in the Walla Walla Valley and a host of shops catering to the wine industry.
Walla Walla Community College capitalizes on the opportunity to market the wine industry. The school offers an associate's degree in winemaking through its 4-year-old Institute of Enology and Viticulture, which operates its own commercial winery.
One challenge to growing grapes in Walla Walla Valley is the risk of a killing freeze during the winter. They average one every six or seven years and the last one, in 2004 , destroyed about 75% of the wine grape crop in the valley.
The wineries generate over $100 million dollars to the valley annually.
[edit] Corrections industry
The largest prison in Washington is the Washington State Penitentiary located in Walla Walla. It houses about 2000 offenders and there are about 1000 staff members. In 2005, the financial benefit to the local economy was estimated to be about $55 million through salaries, medical services, utilities, and local purchases. Washington is a death penalty state, and occasional executions take place at the state pen, though the last execution took place in 2001. The Penitentiary is undergoing an extensive expansion project that will increase the prison population to 2,500 violent offenders and double the staff size.
[edit] Transportation
Transportation to Walla Walla includes service by air through Walla Walla Regional Airport and highway access primarily from U.S. Highway 12. Washington State DOT is currently (2004) beginning the long-term process of widening this road into a four-lane divided highway between Pasco, Washington and Walla Walla. The city is also served by a local bus system.
[edit] Terminology coined in Walla Walla
Proud residents of the town often brag about it as "the town so nice they named it twice."[1] In fact it was named by the Native Americans that means "Place of Many Waters", the original name of Walla Walla was Steptoeville named after Colonel Steptoe. [2]
Students who attend Whitman College are often referred to as "Whitties" (and the local folks as "Townies," which means locals who attend the college are sometimes called Twitties.). "Whitties" originated as a derogatory term but has evolved into an accepted colloquialism.
It was reported in the December 2004 issue of Golf Digest, in May 1956 the head pro, Jim Russell at the Walla Walla Country Club, fired a shotgun to sound the start of play to golfers. This is purportedly the first time a golf tournament used such a starting format, today termed as a "Shotgun Start".
[edit] Geography and climate
Walla Walla is located at (46.065094w, -118.330167e)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.8 square miles (28.0 km²), of which, 10.8 square miles (28.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.18%) is water.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 67 | 75 | 77 | 87 | 99 | 107 | 112 | 109 | 99 | 87 | 81 | 65 |
| Norm High °F | 40.6 | 46.9 | 56 | 64.1 | 72 | 80.3 | 89.9 | 89.1 | 79.3 | 65.8 | 50.1 | 40.8 |
| Norm Low °F | 28.8 | 32.5 | 36.9 | 41.3 | 47.6 | 54.3 | 60.7 | 61.2 | 52.9 | 43.6 | 36 | 29.3 |
| Rec Low °F | -4 | -13 | 4 | 29 | 34 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 32 | 15 | -11 | -14 |
| Precip (in) | 2.25 | 1.97 | 2.2 | 1.83 | 1.95 | 1.15 | 0.73 | 0.84 | 0.83 | 1.77 | 2.85 | 2.51 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [3] | ||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000 , there are 29,686 people, 10,596 households, and 6,527 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,744.9 people per square mile (1,059.3/km²). According to the census there are 11,400 housing units at an average density of 1,054.1/sq mi (406.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 83.79% White, 2.58% African American, 1.05% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 8.26% from other races, and 2.85% from two or more races. 17.42% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. It is important to note that these are not entirely accurate numbers as the local population has a large number of Hispanic migrant workers and undocumented workers who work on asparagus and onion farms.[citation needed]
Of the 10,596 counted households, 30.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% are married couples living together, 11.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% are considered non-families by the U.S. government. 31.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 3.08.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 women there are 108.4 men. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 109.1 males. About 89% of the population is Christian.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,855, and the median income for a family is $40,856. Men have a median income of $31,753 versus $23,889 for women. The per capita income for the city is $15,792. 18.0% of the population and 13.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
[edit] Noteworthy residents
- Levi Ankeny - Senator and banker[1]
- Nesmith Ankeny - professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology[2]
- Burl Barer - Edgar Award winning author, broadcaster, and media consultant.[citation needed]
- Stan Barer - Seattle area shipping executive and University of Washington Regent.[citation needed]
- Marion Bauer - classical composer[citation needed]
- Dirk Benedict - Actor, best known as Starbuck on the original Battlestar Galactica and Face on The A-Team[3]
- Drew Bledsoe - Just-retired quarterback for the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys[4]
- Walter Brattain- American Physicist and Co-inventor of the transistor
- Tonya Cooley - castmate from The Real World: Chicago and various editions of Real World/Road Rules Challenge[5]
- William C. Dement - Sleep physican and author[6]
- William O. Douglas - Supreme Court justice; attended Whitman College, B.A. 1920[7]
- Eddie Feigner, late pitcher for champion fast-pitch softball team, "The King and His Court," was born in Walla Walla. [8]
- Gregg Gilmore - Actor / Producer[citation needed]
- Thomas Hampson - Baritone singer[citation needed]
- Ben Kerkvliet - political science expert and scholar on Southeast Asian affairs[citation needed]
- Eric O'Flaherty - Left-handed relief pitcher for the Seattle Mariners[9]
- Charles Potts - Author, local businessman, and owner of The Temple Bookstore & The Temple School of Poetry[citation needed]
- Don Roff - writer and filmmaker.[10]
- Peter Sirmon - Middle linebacker for the Tennessee Titans[11]
- Connor Trinneer - actor[citation needed]
- Adam West - actor and star of the 1960s Batman TV series[citation needed]
- Hamza Yusuf - Islamic scholar[12]
[edit] Historical Populations
- 1930 - 15,976
- 1940 - 18,109
- 1950 - 24,102
- 1960 - 24,536
- 1970 - 23,619
- 1980 - 25,619
- 1990 - 26,482
- 2000 - 29,686
[edit] External links
- Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Walla Walla Tourism
- City of Walla Walla
- City of Walla Walla v. Walla Walla Water Company (U.S. Supreme Court Decision, 1898)
- Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
- Regent Stanley H. Barer biography
[edit] References
- ^ ANKENY, Levi (English). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 29 May, 2007.
- ^ Professor Nesmith Ankeny dies (English). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved on 29 May, 2007.
- ^ Dirk Benedict Mini Biography (English). DirkBenedictCentral.com. Retrieved on 31 May, 2007.
- ^ Sirmon, Bledsoe share Walla Walla connection (English). The City Paper. Retrieved on 31 May, 2007.
- ^ Tonya Cooley (English). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 31 May, 2007.
- ^ Sleep Disorders Center (English). St. Mary Medical Center. Retrieved on 31 May, 2007.
- ^ William O. Douglas (English). Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved on 29 May, 2007.
- ^ Obituary (English). Washington Post. Retrieved on 09 September, 2007.
- ^ Mariners select the contract of LHP Eric O'Flaherty from Triple-A Tacoma (English). Seattle Mariners. Retrieved on 29 May, 2007.
- ^ Don Roff imdb page. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
- ^ Sirmon, Bledsoe share Walla Walla connection (English). The City Paper. Retrieved on 31 May, 2007.
- ^ Hamza Yusuf biography. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
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Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since May 2007 | Cities in Washington | Walla Walla County, Washington | Double-named places | Washington wine | County seats in Washington | Settlements established in 1836
