LaCrosse is a

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

small

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 297 at the 2020 census.

History

With the completion in 1888 of the

Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) was a rail and steamboat transport company that operated a rail network of running east from Portland, Oregon, United States, to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Id ...

(O.R. & N) railroad line between Riparia and LaCrosse, George Dawson and his wife built a shack constructed from railroad ties. By 1889, LaCrosse had a population of 12. The first real store was constructed in 1899 by Tom Shobe. The town was named for

LaCrosse, Wisconsin La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 202 ...

, to match with nearby Winona (named for the Minnesota town), by settlers from the Midwest. LaCrosse was incorporated on February 19, 1917. Beginning in the 1980s, many farmers in the area surrounding LaCrosse opted to enroll in the federal

Conservation Reserve Program The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a cost-share and rental payment program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the program, the government pays farmers to take certain agriculturally used croplands out of produc ...

and leave their lands unused for agriculture. The loss of business is cited as one factor in the town's population decline. A community benefit group formed in 2012 to fund revitalization projects and lure new businesses to replace closed services; the lone grocery store in LaCrosse closed in the 2000s and was followed by the town's

hardware store Hardware stores (in a number of countries, "shops"), sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware for home improvement including: fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing ...

a few years later. LaCrosse also enrolled in the state government's "Washington Main Street" program to advertise its historic downtown.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, LaCrosse has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 313 people, 153 households, and 96 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 181 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population. There were 153 households, of which 19.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.53. The median age in the town was 51.8 years. 15.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.8% were from 25 to 44; 34.2% were from 45 to 64; and 30% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 380 people, 164 households, and 105 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,101.6 people per square mile (431.5/km²). There were 187 housing units at an average density of 542.1 per square mile (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.42%

, 3.16% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.53% from other races, and 2.63% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population. There were 164 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% 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 2.90. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 28.2% under the age of 18, 1.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,893, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $30,972 versus $20,313 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $16,656. About 2.1% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable groups and events

The La Crosse Arts and Beautification Council was created in 2005 with aspirations of renovating downtown LaCrosse while promoting the arts, local culture, and history of LaCrosse and the Palouse. Events have included the Valentine Fine Arts Night and the Spring Faire. The La Crosse Gun Club holds an annual "Bacon & Crab Shooting" event at the end of January.

References

External links

Town of LaCrosse

LaCrosse Arts & Beautification Council
*Community name per the website: https://www.lacrossewa.us/ {{Authority control Towns in Washington (state) Towns in Whitman County, Washington 1917 establishments in Washington (state)