La Crosse 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 typically are descri ...

small

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Whitman County,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, United States. The population was 313 at the 2010 census.

History

With the completion in 1888 of the

Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) was a railroad that operated a rail network of running east from Portland, Oregon, United States, to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Idaho. It operated from 1896 as a ...

(O.R. & N) railroad line between

Riparia ''Riparia'' is a genus of passerine birds in the swallow family Hirundinidae. These are small or medium-sized swallows, ranging from in length. They are brown above and mainly white below, and all have a dark breast band. They are closely ass ...

and La Crosse, George Dawson and his wife built a shack constructed from railroad ties. By 1889, La Crosse had a population of 12. The first real store was constructed in 1899 by Tom Shobe. La Crosse was incorporated on February 19, 1917. As of the 2000 census, there were 380 people, which had decreased to 313 people at the 2010 census.

Geography

La Crosse is located at (46.814289, -117.880097). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

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

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, La Crosse has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

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

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

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 hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

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 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 census of 2000, 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

, and 2.63% from two or more races.

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 total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

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 t ...

, 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 La Crosse while promoting the arts, local culture, and history of La Crosse and the Palouse. Events have included the Valentine Fine Arts Night and the Spring Faire. The Council was disbanded in 2008 after sexual assault allegations against head chairman Barbara DeSmall. The La Crosse Gun Club holds an annual "Bacon & Crab Shooting" event at the end of January. The La Crosse Farmers Festival, held in mid-June, is celebrated with a parade and live entertainment. This has not been held for several years, and it is not known why.

References

External links

Town of LaCrosse

LaCrosse Arts & Beautification Council
{{Authority control Towns in Washington (state) Towns in Whitman County, Washington 1917 establishments in Washington (state)