The Pelota Fronton is a
Basque pelota
Basque pelota (Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronton ...
ball court and landmark in
Jordan Valley, Oregon
Jordan Valley is a city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Ontario, OR– ID Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along Jordan Creek, a tributary of the Owyhee River; the creek is named for a 19th-century pr ...
, United States.
History
The court was built in 1915 and finished in 1917. It was last used regularly in 1935. This was caused by the
Taylor Grazing Act of 1934
The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 () is a United States federal law that provides for the regulation of grazing on the public lands (excluding Alaska) to improve rangeland conditions and regulate their use.
The law initially permitted of previously ...
. Jordan Valley had numerous Basque immigrants that came to herd sheep. After the act passed, the court gradually lost usage, and it started falling into disrepair over a span of roughly 4 decades. In 1972, the court was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
In 1997, the court underwent a full renovation. Restoration included installation of a covered interpretive sign and a stone representation of the
Zazpiak Bat
Zazpiak Bat is a heraldic nickname for the Basque coat of arms which includes the arms of the seven provinces mentioned, stressing their unity. It was designed by the historian Jean de Jaurgain in 1897 for the ''Congrès et Fêtes de la Tradition ...
, the coat of arms for the seven Basque provinces. A sign reads: “Jordan Valley Ko Frontoia restored 1997 danok etorri” in recognition of the inauguration of the restored pelota fronton in September 1997.
In Jordan Valley games, the wicker racket, or cesta, is not used. To this day, the court remains a symbol of
Basque culture
The Basques ( or ; eu, euskaldunak ; es, vascos ; french: basques ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Ba ...
in the region.
See also
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Basque diaspora
The Basque diaspora is the name given to describe people of Basque origin living outside their traditional homeland on the borders between Spain and France. Many Basques have left the Basque Country for other parts of the globe for economic a ...
*
Basque rural sports
Basque rural sports, known as ''Deportes Rurales'' in Spanish or ''Herri Kirolak'' in Basque, is the term used for a number of sports competitions rooted in the traditional lifestyles of the Basque people. The term ''force basque'' is used in Fr ...
*
References
External links
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1915 establishments in Oregon
Basque-American culture in Oregon
Basque pelota in the United States
Buildings and structures in Malheur County, Oregon
Fronton (court)
National Register of Historic Places in Malheur County, Oregon
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