Alicel, Oregon facts for kids
Alicel is a small, unincorporated community in Union County, Oregon, United States. It's located in the Sand Ridge area of the Grande Ronde Valley, northeast of the city of La Grande. You can find it along Oregon Route 82.
Alicel's History
Alicel began as a station on the Union Pacific Railroad's branch line to Joseph, Oregon. In 1890, the community was named after Alice Ladd. She was the wife of a local person named Charles Ladd.
The area was officially planned out, or "platted," in 1890. Alicel also had its own post office. This post office served the community for a long time, from 1890 until 1972.
Early 1900s Life
Around the year 1900, Alicel was a busy little place. It had a general store where people could buy everyday items. There was also a school for the children and two large warehouses. These warehouses were likely used for storing goods, especially farm products.
By 1902, Alicel was known as a "thriving community." This means it was growing and doing well. In 1940, about 300 people lived in Alicel.
Lumber Industry
For many years, the Peacock Lumber Company had a sawmill in Alicel. This mill was an important part of the local economy. However, the sawmill closed down in 1994. There were plans to reopen it a few years later, but by the year 2000, it was permanently closed.
Farming Community
Today, Alicel is mainly an agricultural community. This means farming is a big part of life there. You can see a large grain elevator belonging to Pendleton Grain Growers in Alicel. A famous photographer named Minor White even took a picture of this grain elevator in 1941.
