Walla Walla, Washington

Walla Walla, Washington
City
Walla Walla business district with historic Marcus Whitman hotel visible to the left.
Location of Walla Walla, Washington
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	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	99362
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-75775Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1512769Template:GR

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 29,686Template:GR. 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. Walla Walla University is located in nearby College Place, Washington. In addition, Baker Boyer Bank, the oldest bank in the state of Washington, was founded in Walla Walla in 1869.

Walla Walla is famous for its sweet onions. Many excellent wineries are located in the area and it is a popular vacation spot for wine enthusiasts.

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. Following a disease epidemic, both were killed by the Cayuse who believed 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, where it adjoins the Columbia River, was the starting point for the Mullan Road, constructed between 1859 and 1860 by US Army Lieut. John Mullen, connecting the head of navigation on the Columbia at Walla Walla (i.e., the west coast of the US) with the head of navigation on the Missouri-Mississippi (that is, the east and gulf coasts of the US) at Fort Benton, Montana.

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.

Fort Walla Walla - 1874

On January 4, 2008, the city was hit with a vicious windstorm toppling many trees.[1]

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."

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.

Walla Walla Farmers Market

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 designated under federal law as a protected agricultural crop. In 2007, the Walla Walla Sweet Onion became Washington's official 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 is available to visitors at the farmers' market from May until October; located on the corner of 4th and Main. A selection of bakery treats, flowers and plants, creative arts, and craft items are also on sale at the farmers' market open 9:00am to 1:00pm both Saturday and Sunday.

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 a sister city relationship with Sasayama, Japan.

Wine industry

Main article: Walla Walla Valley AVA

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. Several of the wineries have received top scores from wine publications such as Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate and Wine and Spirits. L'Ecole 41, Woodward Canyon and Leonetti Cellar were the pioneers starting in the 1970s and 1980s. They have been joined by many noteworthy producers like Walla Walla Village Winery, Cayuse Vineyards, Spring Valley Vineyards, Waterbrook Winery, Forgeron Cellars, Tamarack Cellars, Seven Hills Winery, Pepper Bridge Winery, Amavi Cellars, and Walla Walla Vintners 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 (US) to the valley annually.

Corrections industry

The largest prison in Washington is the Washington State Penitentiary located in Walla Walla. Originally opened in 1887, it now houses about 2000 offenders. In addition, 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.

Transportation

Transportation to Walla Walla includes service by air through Walla Walla Regional Airport and highway access primarily from U.S. Route 12. Washington State Department of Transportation is now engaged in a 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.

Terminology coined in Walla Walla

Proud residents of the town often brag about it as "the town so nice they named it twice."[2] Walla Walla is a Native American name that means "Place of Many Waters." The original name of the town was Steptoeville named after Colonel Steptoe. [3]

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.

According to the December 2004 issue of Golf Digest, in May 1956 Jim Russell, the head pro at the Walla Walla Country Club, fired a shotgun to mark the start of play in a golf tournament. This is purportedly the first time a golf tournament used such a starting format, today termed a "Shotgun Start".

Geography and climate

Walla Walla is located at 46°3′54″N 118°19′49″W (46.065094w, -118.330167e)Template:GR.

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 [4]

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR 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. 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.

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.

Noteworthy residents

• Levi Ankeny - Senator and banker
• Nesmith Ankeny - professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Burl Barer - Edgar Award winning author, broadcaster, and media consultant.
• Stan Barer - Seattle area shipping executive and University of Washington Regent.
• Marion Bauer - classical composer
• Dirk Benedict - Actor, best known as Starbuck on the original Battlestar Galactica and Face on The A-Team
• Drew Bledsoe - Retired quarterback for the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys
• 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
• William C. Dement - Sleep physican and author
• William O. Douglas - Supreme Court justice; attended Whitman College, B.A. 1920
• Eddie Feigner, late pitcher for champion fast-pitch softball team, "The King and His Court," was born in Walla Walla.
• Gregg Gilmore - Actor / Producer
• Thomas Hampson - Baritone singer
• Ben Kerkvliet - political science expert and scholar on Southeast Asian affairs
• Edward P. Morgan - American journalist and writer
• Eric O'Flaherty - Left-handed relief pitcher for the Seattle Mariners
• Charles Potts - Author, local businessman, and owner of The Temple Bookstore & The Temple School of Poetry
• Don Roff - writer and filmmaker.
• Peter Sirmon - Middle linebacker for the Tennessee Titans
• Connor Trinneer - actor
• Adam West - actor and star of the 1960s Batman TV series
• Hamza Yusuf - Islamic scholar
• Joseph Quiner - actor and tenor singer

Warner Bros. Cartoons References

Walla Walla has been referenced prominently in just two of the highly popular Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies six- to eight-minute short cartoons made by Warner Bros. In Robert McKimson's 1956 feature Wideo Wabbit, Bugs Bunny is lured into becoming the rabbit wanted for Elmer Fudd's show "The Sportsman's Hour," sponsored by the French Fried Fresh Frozen Rabbit Company — headquartered in Walla Walla. In 1963's Transylvania 6-5000, directed by Chuck Jones, Bugs winds up in Transylvania by mistake en route to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; "Walla Walla, Washington" is one of the spells he uses against Count Blood Count. (See Transylvania 6-5000#The magic phrase duel for details on Bugs' duel.)

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

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

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