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Located at the foot of the Blue Mountains, on the edge of the fertile Grande Ronde Valley, La Grande is a pretty town with lots to offer. The town was named "La Grande" after a phrase that an early French settler used to describe the area´s beauty. With just over 12,400 residents, La Grande is the largest city in Union County and is the county seat. The city is host to Eastern Oregon University, which brings a liveliness to the area with its many cultural and athletic events, as well as the Oregon Dental Services school.
La Grande´s first businesses included a butcher shop, a liberty stable, and a general merchandise store, adding the first saw mill in 1963 and a flour mill the year following. Today, La Grande´s downtown is home to wide variety of retail shopping opportunities that include antique stores, gift shops, bakeries, outdoor supplies, photography studios, bookstores, department stores and auto dealers.
La Grande is surrounded by national forests, lakes, and rivers, providing venues for activities such as biking, hiking, skiing, fishing, snowmobiling, camping, and so much more. For those want to partake in the outdoors, this area offers more than one could imagine. |
