Alicel is an unincorporated community in the Sand Ridge area of the Grande Ronde Valley in Union County, Oregon, United States.[1] It is northeast of La Grande on Oregon Route 82.[2] It was a station on Union Pacific Railroad's Joseph branch, and in 1890 was named for Alice Ladd, wife of local resident Charles Ladd.[3] Alicel was platted in 1890,[4] and had a post office from 1890 until 1972.[3]
At the turn of the 20th century, Alicel had a general store, a school, and two warehouses.[5] In 1902, Alicel was described as having a "thriving community" of Mormons.[6] In 1940, Alicel had a population of 300.[7] The Peacock Lumber Company sawmill in Alicel closed in 1994.[8] It was slated to reopen in 1997, but was closed for good by 2000.[9][10]
An agricultural community, Alicel is the site of a Pendleton Grain Growers grain elevator,[11][12] which was the subject of a 1941 Minor White photograph.[13]
References
edit- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alicel, Oregon
- ^ Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2008. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-89933-347-2.
- ^ a b McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0875952772.
- ^ Bailey, Barbara Ruth (1982). Main Street: Northeastern Oregon. Oregon Historical Society. p. 27. ISBN 0-87595-073-6.
- ^ "Alicel Once Station on Elgin Rail Line". La Grande Observer. February 24, 1961. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ "Mormons in Union County". Crook County Journal. October 23, 1902. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Oregon (1940). Oregon: End of the Trail. American Guide Series. Portland, Oregon: Binfords & Mort. p. 291. OCLC 4874569.
- ^ "IN&P Loses Major Customer". Pacific RailNews: 43. June 1994. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ "Peacock Lumber Resurrected". Statesman Journal. June 30, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved December 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Alicel Lumber Mill (Former)". Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Rautenstrauch, Bill (August 11, 2004). "On the Fast Lane.....To High-Speed Internet in Rural Union County". La Grande Observer. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ "Western Grain Elevators, Feed Mills, Silos and Terminals". barraclou.com. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ "Minor White: Spiritual Journey". Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
45°24′15″N 117°58′48″W / 45.40417°N 117.98000°W
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