Walla Walla | |
|---|---|
 Reynolds–Day Building, Sterling Bank, and Baker Boyer Bank buildings in downtown Walla Walla | |
.png) Flag  Logo | |
 Location of Walla Walla, Washington | |
| Coordinates:46°04′45″N118°18′49″W / 46.07917°N 118.31361°W /46.07917; -118.31361 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Walla Walla |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Body | City council |
| Area | |
• City | 13.88 sq mi (35.95 km2) |
| • Land | 13.85 sq mi (35.86 km2) |
| • Water | 0.031 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 965 ft (294 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 34,060 |
• Estimate (2024)[4] | 33,901 |
| • Density | 2,376.1/sq mi (917.42/km2) |
| • Urban | 55,805 (US:464th) |
| • Metro | 62,682 (US:382th) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 99362 |
| Area code | 509 |
| FIPS code | 53-75775 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412168[2] |
| Website | wallawallawa.gov |
Walla Walla (/ˌwɑːləˈwɑːlə/WAH-ləWAH-lə)[5] is a city in and thecounty seat ofWalla Walla County, Washington, United States.[6] It had a population of 34,060 at the2020 census,[3] estimated to have decreased to 33,339 as of 2023.[7] The combined population of the city and its two suburbs, the town ofCollege Place and unincorporatedWalla Walla East, is about 45,500.[8]
Walla Walla is in the southeastern region of Washington, approximately four hours away fromPortland, Oregon, and four and a half hours fromSeattle. It is located only 6 mi (10 km) north of theOregon border.
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Walla Walla's history starts in 1806 when theLewis and Clark expedition encountered theWalawalałáma (Walla Walla people) near the mouth ofWalla Walla River. Other inhabitants of the valley included theLiksiyu (Cayuse),Imatalamłáma (Umatilla), andNiimíipu (Nez Perce) indigenous peoples.[9] In 1818, Fort Walla Walla (originallyFort Nez Percés), a fur trading outpost run byHudson's Bay Company (HBC), was established and operated as an important stopping point inOregon Country.[10] Abandoned in 1855, it is now underwater behind theMcNary Dam.[11]
On October 16, 1836,[12] after news of a Nez Perce[a] expedition to learn aboutChristianity and a deal was brokered between the Cayuse people for the use of the Waiilatpu region,[13][15][16][17]Calvinist missionariesMarcus andNarcissa Whitman established theWhitman Mission.[18][19] A deep distrust of the settlers was cultivated between the Cayuse and the settlers as the Whitmans struggled to convert the natives, failed to fulfill promises, and shifted their focus to whites passing through along theOregon Trail.[18][19] In 1847, following a deadlymeasles outbreak, and reports of the Whitmans poisoning the Cayuse, the Whitmans were warned to leave the area because of the Cayuse custom of killing medicine men whose patients died. They refused to leave, and werekilled by the Cayuse, along with 12 others.[18][20][19] The site was later designated as Whitman National Monument, aNational Historic Site.[21]
Catholic missionaries also arrived in the 1840s, and theCatholic ceremonies resonated with the tribe.[11][12] On July 24, 1846,Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Walla Walla.Augustin-Magloire Blanchet was appointed the first Bishop of Walla Walla, but fled shortly after the Whitman massacre. The Diocese of Walla Walla is now atitular see held byWitold Mroziewski, anauxiliary bishop ofBrooklyn, New York.[22][23]
In 1855, theWalla Walla Treaty Council was held at Waiilatpu between theWashington Territorial Assembly and the tribal leaders of the surrounding area. Despite the indigenous people citingTamanwit (natural law), the following year the natives agreed to surrender millions of acres of land for anative reservation and $150,000.[9][24][25][26] TheUmatilla Indian Reservation's boundaries eventually shrunk to less than 200,000 acres (81,000 ha).[27]
The Walla Walla treaty remained unratified for four years, during which time the conflict between the natives and settlers was increasing due tofrontiersmen encroaching on the promised reservation and the Walla Walla and Umatilla peoples' refusal to move to the Umatilla Indian Reservation.[28][29] TheUnited States Army established a presence in a series ofmilitary forts beginning in 1856. A community named "Steptoeville" grew aroundFort Walla Walla, named for Lieutenant ColonelEdward Steptoe, and later his name was bestowed uponSteptoe, Washington.[10][30] The fort has since been restored with a museum about the early settlers' lives.[9][11][31]
Growth in the region was limited due to a ban on immigration to the area due to the constant warring with the natives from theDepartment of the Pacific's GeneralJohn Ellis Wool, who was sympathetic to the natives.[28][32] In 1858, the department was split, leaving Washington territory under the command of GeneralWilliam S. Harney, who lifted the ban on October 31, 1858.[28][32] Thousands of pioneers swarmed to the area, creating a burgeoning farming and mining community.[33]
On March 15, 1859, Walla Walla county held its first county commission and election in the community's first church,St. Patrick's Church, which still serves as the city's parish.[23][34] Following the ratification of the Walla Walla treaty,[9][35][36] the commission voted to name the settlement Walla Walla, on November 17, 1859[37] and the military carried out the forced displacement of the remaining natives, under the threat ofhanging.[38][39]
On December 20, 1859, the first educational charter was granted to Whitman Seminary, a high school, which opened on October 15, 1866. In 1882, the institution's name was changed toWhitman College, and the legislature issued a new educational charter as a four-year private college.[40]
TheMullan Road, the firstwagon road to cross theRocky Mountains into thePacific Northwest, tied Walla Walla to more mining opportunities, and after gold was discovered in 1860, the area became theoutfitting point for theOro Fino, Idaho mines.[41][42] The nearest part of the road followed the modern approximate path fromSpokane to Walla Walla viaInterstate 90,U.S. Route 195, andU.S. Route 12.[43] The population swelled due to thegold rush, resulting in an unsuccessful proposal to Congress to split Walla Walla from Washington into its own territory.[44]
Walla Walla was incorporated on January 11, 1862.[45] The first election was held on April 1, 1862, and JudgeElias Bean Whitman, Marcus Whitman's cousin, was elected as the city's first mayor.[33][44][46][47] The population exploded over the following decade, increasing by 300%, making it the most populous city in the territory, slating it to be the capital until cities surpassed it again, after it was bypassed by the transcontinental rail lines in the 1880s.[48][44][49]
During the 1860s, the city established its first businesses and community gathering spaces, a number of which served as the first in Pacific Northwest. The city's first newspaper was one of the first betweenMissouri and theCascades, theWashington Statesman, was founded in 1861.[50][51][52] The first bank,Baker Boyer Bank, was the first in the state, was founded in 1869[53] by one of the city's firstcouncil members,[44]Dorsey Syng Baker and his brother-in-lawJohn Franklin Boyer,[49][54][40][55] and as of March 2022, still served as the oldest bank in state.[56] The Pioneer Meat Market, run by partners John Dooley and William Kirkman, was opened during this time and remained there until they sold it to Christopher Ennis in 1882 and founded the Walla Walla Dressed Meat Company.[57][58][59][60]
One of the firstbrick buildings in the city was also Walla Walla's first store,Schwabacher Brothers Store on Main street, which served as the city's grocer, builder supply, and clothes shop. Sigmond Schwabacher, one of the brothers, also served in the city's council.[61] The city's first book store was opened in 1864, and an academic community formed around the city's book collection as the Calliopean Society and later incorporated as the Walla Walla Library Association.[62][63] The city also had one of the region's firstbreweries,[64] Emil Meyer's City Brewery,[65] that also served as abakery.[66] Downtown also hosted apost office, several hotels, restaurants, abathhouse andshaving saloon, aliquor store, adrugstore, and several manufactories.[66][67]
During the gold rush, large populations ofChinese settlers arrived in the city fromPortland, Oregon, creating a neighborhood referred to as "Chinatown".[68] The Chinese settlers mainly worked in commerce, mining, andrailroad contracts. After Mullan was unable to lobby the state to make Walla Walla a major railroad stop, and a fire in Chinatown destroyed most of the neighborhood, the immigrants left to find work elsewhere,[69][70] includingEng Ah King, who was informally known as the "mayor of Chinatown" for revitalizingSeattle's Chinatown.[71][72]
In 1886, while Washington was lobbying for statehood, local business manLevi Ankeny donated 160 acres of land to the city to serve as the site of a new prison. Legislators approved the site, and in 1887, the state began transferring prisoners to the Washington Territorial Prison fromSaatco Prison, a privately owned facility that was shut down in 1888 because of its poor living conditions.[73][74] The first inmate was a local, William Murphy, who was serving an 18-year sentence formanslaughter.[75] There have been manyprison escapes attempted in the prison's history.[75][76][77][78] In 1887, the prison took in its first woman inmate, and had to improvise accommodations until a separate facility was built nearby.[73][79] When Washington became a state in 1889, the facility officially became the Washington State Penitentiary, but inmates nicknamed it "The Hill", "The Joint", "The Walls", and "The Pen".[73]
As the gold rush died out, the city developed into an agricultural center referred to as the "cradle of Pacific Northwest history",[44][49] and the "garden city",[67] a popular source foronions,apples,peas, andwine grapes.[9]
Italian settlers fromLonate Pozzolo andCalabria regions formed the core of the gardening industry, and settled in neighborhoods known as "Blalock" and the "South Ninth".[33][80][81] One of the main contributions of the Italians to Walla Walla commerce was theirvineyards, and soon after,wine tasting rooms, the first two opened in the 1880s byFrank Orselli andPasquale Saturno.[82][60] The Italian Walla Walla population was also responsible for growing Washington State's official vegetable,[83] the Walla Wallasweet onion.[33][80][81]
It was the technique ofdryland farming, though, that made Walla Walla the region'sbreadbasket known for itswheat exports.[33][40] The cultivating of grains brought hundreds ofSeventh-day Adventists (SDA) to the city, buildingWalla Walla College and theWalla Walla Sanitarium.[84][85] The SDA population was followed by hundreds ofVolga Germans, whoseOld Lutheran andMennonite religions were connected to SDA inPrussia. The immigrants had relied on dryland farming of wheat crops inVolgograd, Russia.[86] The neighborhood built around the Russian-German immigrants is known as "Germantown" or "Russische Ecke (Russian Corner)" to locals, referring to the creek that runs through it as "LittleVolga".[87] The area around Walla Walla College eventually incorporated as its own city,College Place, Washington.[88]
German immigrants also grewhops and the city was home to several breweries.[89][65] By the 1890s, wine, beer,liquor, andtobacco taxes accounted for 90% of the city's revenue,[67] but the alcohol industries died out withProhibition in the United States.[65][90][91]
As the city became dependent on its wheat production, merchants in the town financed a railroad toWallula, Washington, to connect Walla Walla to theColumbia River, completed in 1875.[92][33][40]
In 1911, Walla Walla adopted amayor–council government referred to as a "commission" form of government. In 1954, afterSunnyside, Washington adopted another form of government,council–manager government, voted down a change to council-manager, but on November 4, 1959, the city's residents voted to adopt the government form.[44]
Walla Walla's secondmovie theater, American Theater, opened in 1917 showingThe Law of Compensation, aSelznick Pictures film starringNorma Talmadge. The theater later was sold and renamed to Liberty, and eventually became a department store around the 1930s.[93] In 1990, became Walla Walla's first privately renovated building as aBon-Macy's.[94][95][96] Bon-Macy's parent company,Federated Department Stores, rebranded all of its subsidiaries toMacy's, which operated in the Liberty building until 2020.[97][98]
In 1927, the Real Estate Improvement Company of Seattle invested $300,000 toward the construction of theMarcus Whitman Hotel. The 174-room hotel was designed by Sherwood D. Ford and opened in 1928. It fell into disrepair in the 1960s, until it was restored in 1999 and reopened in 2001.[33][99][67][100] As of March 2022[update], the hotel was still open.[101]
Mill Creek overflowed into Walla Walla and College Place on March 31, 1931, causing $1 million in damages. Community volunteersjury-rigged makeshiftlevees to divert water from buildings during the cleanup which cost roughly $100,000. TheUnited States Army Corps of Engineers built the Mill Creek Dam and Bennington Lake in response to the disaster.[33][93][102] The dam and lake were instrumental in preventing damage from flooding in 1964, 1996, and 2020.[103]
During theGreat Depression, aCanadian import duty cut off the main market for Walla Walla's fresh agriculture. John Grant Kelly, who owned theWalla Walla Union-Bulletin at the time, opened the area's firstcannery, Walla Walla Canning Company. In 1939, Walla Walla produced roughly $5 million of the country's $30 million canned green pea industry, andTIME magazine referred to Kelly as the "Father of Peas".[104][33][105] Kelly also owned Church Grape Juice Company, a concord grape farm inKennewick, Washington. Workers went on strike for better wages in September 1949, and Kelly had two employees arrested for speaking to theTri-City Herald. Church was one of four juice companies in the region to be charged with violations of theSherman Antitrust Act of 1890 for price-fixing grapes.Welch's bought Church from Kelly in 1952.[106][107]
In 1936, Walla Walla and surrounding areas were struck by the magnitude 6.1State Line earthquake. Residents reported hearing a moderate rumbling immediately before the shock. There was significant damage in the area, and aftershocks were felt for several months following.[108]
in the 1970s and 1980s, Leonetti Cellar, Woodward Canyon, L'Ecole 41, Waterbrook Winery and Seven Hills Winery pioneered a resurgence of Walla Walla'sviticulture.[33][109][110]
In 1997, Gary Johnson founded the first brewery in Walla Walla since prohibition, Mill Creek Brewpub.[64]
In 2001, Walla Walla was a Great American Main Street Award winner for the transformation and preservation of its once dilapidated main street.[111] In July 2011,USA Today selected Walla Walla as the friendliest small city in the United States.[112] Walla Walla was also named Friendliest Small Town in America the same year as part of Rand McNally's annual Best of the Road contest. In 2012 and 2013, Walla Walla was a runner-up in the best food category for the Best of the Road.[113][114] Downtown Walla Walla was awarded a Great Places in America Great Neighborhood designation in 2012 by theAmerican Planning Association.[115][116]
In the 2010s, Walla Walla's brewery industry experienced a revival.[117] The first hops farms since prohibition were planted in 2018,[91][118] and in 2019,Washington State Department of Corrections announced a plan to bring a vineyard and hopyard to Washington State Penitentiary, along withagricultural science education to prepare inmates for careers in the field. The program would offer inmates state-wide minimum wages, a practice only legally enforced by state law at private institutions.[119][120] The city hosted its firstbeer festival in February 2020.[121]
In 2017, and annually, Walla Walla's mayor signed aproclamation making the third Saturday of September "Adam West Day", to honor the actor, who was born and raised in the city.[122][123][124][125] In 2020, the event was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, but the organizers announced that the city approved the erection of a statue in West's honor and aGoFundMe fundraiser to cover the costs of the statue. The statue will be placed in Menlo Park on Alvarado Terrace, part of Historic Downtown Walla Walla.[126][127]
Walla Walla isNez Perce for "Place of Many Waters", because the original settlement was at the junction of the Snake and Columbia rivers.[9]
Tourists to Walla Walla are often told that it is a "town so nice they named it twice".[128] The slogan was coined byAl Jolson, who had visited the city in the early 1900s in The Keylor Grand Theater. He had also said the same ofNew York, New York.[33] The quote referring to Walla Walla was inThe Jolson Story, amusical about the entertainer's life.[129]
Some locals and Walla Walla natives often refer to the city in text form with "W2".[130]
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Walla Walla is located in the Walla Walla Valley, with the rolling Palouse hills to the north and the Blue Mountains to the east of town. Various creeks meander through town before combining to become the Walla Walla River, which drains into the Columbia River about 30 miles (50 km) west of town. The city lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, so annual precipitation is fairly low.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.84 square miles (33.26 km2), of which 12.81 square miles (33.18 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.[131][132]
Walla Walla has ahot-summer Mediterranean climate according to the Köppen climate classification system (Köppen:Csa;Trewartha:Doak). It is one of the northernmost locations in North America to qualify as having such a climate. In contrast to most other locations having this climate type in North America, Walla Walla can experience fairly cold winter conditions, though they are still relatively mild for its latitude and inland location.
| Climate data for Walla Walla, Washington (Walla Walla Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) | 75 (24) | 79 (26) | 96 (36) | 100 (38) | 116 (47) | 114 (46) | 114 (46) | 104 (40) | 89 (32) | 81 (27) | 71 (22) | 116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 61.3 (16.3) | 62.0 (16.7) | 69.8 (21.0) | 78.1 (25.6) | 88.9 (31.6) | 97.0 (36.1) | 104.2 (40.1) | 102.3 (39.1) | 92.5 (33.6) | 79.0 (26.1) | 66.6 (19.2) | 61.0 (16.1) | 105.7 (40.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.9 (5.5) | 46.5 (8.1) | 55.8 (13.2) | 62.5 (16.9) | 71.4 (21.9) | 79.0 (26.1) | 90.1 (32.3) | 88.6 (31.4) | 78.5 (25.8) | 63.4 (17.4) | 49.2 (9.6) | 41.0 (5.0) | 64.0 (17.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.3 (2.4) | 39.7 (4.3) | 46.8 (8.2) | 52.5 (11.4) | 60.4 (15.8) | 67.0 (19.4) | 76.3 (24.6) | 75.2 (24.0) | 66.2 (19.0) | 53.9 (12.2) | 43.9 (6.6) | 35.6 (2.0) | 54.3 (12.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 32.9 (0.5) | 37.8 (3.2) | 42.5 (5.8) | 49.3 (9.6) | 55.1 (12.8) | 62.4 (16.9) | 61.7 (16.5) | 53.9 (12.2) | 43.9 (6.6) | 35.6 (2.0) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 44.7 (7.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 16.3 (−8.7) | 20.2 (−6.6) | 26.8 (−2.9) | 32.3 (0.2) | 37.9 (3.3) | 45.4 (7.4) | 51.4 (10.8) | 50.6 (10.3) | 41.8 (5.4) | 30.1 (−1.1) | 21.7 (−5.7) | 15.4 (−9.2) | 8.4 (−13.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) | −16 (−27) | 4 (−16) | 20 (−7) | 26 (−3) | 36 (2) | 40 (4) | 42 (6) | 32 (0) | 15 (−9) | −11 (−24) | −24 (−31) | −24 (−31) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.10 (53) | 1.59 (40) | 2.11 (54) | 1.98 (50) | 2.07 (53) | 1.24 (31) | 0.47 (12) | 0.40 (10) | 0.64 (16) | 1.66 (42) | 2.25 (57) | 2.23 (57) | 18.74 (476) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.0 (2.5) | 2.2 (5.6) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.3 (0.76) | 2.7 (6.9) | 6.5 (17) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 13.3 | 11.2 | 12.1 | 11.1 | 9.8 | 7.1 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 8.8 | 13.1 | 13.6 | 109.1 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 7.1 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 50.5 | 83.4 | 173.8 | 221.7 | 288.5 | 326.3 | 384.5 | 344.4 | 268.8 | 199.2 | 67.8 | 40.3 | 2,449.2 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 18 | 29 | 47 | 54 | 62 | 69 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 59 | 24 | 15 | 51 |
| Source: NOAA (sun 1961–1987)[133][134][135] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1,394 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,588 | 157.4% | |
| 1890 | 4,709 | 31.2% | |
| 1900 | 10,049 | 113.4% | |
| 1910 | 19,364 | 92.7% | |
| 1920 | 15,503 | −19.9% | |
| 1930 | 15,976 | 3.1% | |
| 1940 | 18,109 | 13.4% | |
| 1950 | 24,102 | 33.1% | |
| 1960 | 24,536 | 1.8% | |
| 1970 | 23,619 | −3.7% | |
| 1980 | 25,618 | 8.5% | |
| 1990 | 26,478 | 3.4% | |
| 2000 | 29,686 | 12.1% | |
| 2010 | 31,731 | 6.9% | |
| 2020 | 34,060 | 7.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 33,901 | [4] | −0.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[136] 2020 Census[3] | |||
As of the2020 census, there were 34,060 people and 12,414 householders residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,478.1 inhabitants per square mile (956.8/km2).[137]
As of the2010 census, there were 31,731 people, 11,537 households, and 6,834 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,477.0 inhabitants per square mile (956.4/km2). There were 12,514 housing units at an average density of 976.9 per square mile (377.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.6%White, 2.7%African American, 1.3%Native American, 1.4%Asian, 0.3%Pacific Islander, 9.1% fromother races, and 3.6% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 22.0% of the population.[137]
There were 11,537 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% weremarried couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.8% were other forms of households. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.10.[137]
The median age in the city was 34.4 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.9% male and 48.1% female.[137]
As of the2000 census, there were 29,686 people, 10,596 households, and 6,527 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,744.9 people per square mile (1,059.3/km2). There were 11,400 housing units at an average density of 1,054.1 per square mile (406.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.79% White, 2.58% African American, 1.05% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.23%Pacific Islander, 8.26% fromother races, and 2.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 17.42% of the population.[137]
There were 10,596 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were other forms of households. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.08.[137]
In the city, 21.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 14.2% was from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.1 males.[137]
The median income for a household in the city was $31,855, and the median income for a family was $40,856. Men had a median income of $31,753 versus $23,889 for women. Theper capita income for the city was $15,792. About 13.1% of families and 18.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.5% of those aged 65 and older.[137]
Though wheat is still a significant crop, vineyards and wineries have become economically important over the last three decades.[138] In summer 2020, there were over 120 wineries in the greater Walla Walla area. Following the wine boom, the town has developed several fine dining establishments and luxury hotels. TheMarcus Whitman Hotel, originally opened in 1928, was renovated with original fixtures and furniture. It is the tallest building in the city, at 13 stories.
The Walla Walla Sweet Onion and the Great Grape are a few crops with a rich tradition. Over a century ago on the Island ofCorsica, off the west coast of Italy, a French soldier named Peter Pieri found an Italian sweet onion seed and brought it to the Walla Walla Valley. Impressed by the new onion's winter hardiness, Pieri, and the Italian immigrant farmers who comprised much of Walla Walla's gardening industry, harvested the seed.[80][139]
The sweet onion developed over several generations through the process of selecting onions from each year's crop, targeting sweetness, size and round shape. The Walla Walla Sweet Onion is designated under federal law as a protected agricultural crop. In 2007 the Walla Walla Sweet Onion became Washington's official state vegetable.[140] There is also a Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival, held annually in July. Walla Walla Sweet Onions have lowsulfur content (about half that of an ordinary yellow onion) and are 90 percent water.
Walla Walla currently has two farmers markets, both held from May until October. The first is located on the corner of 4th and Main, and is coordinated by the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation. The other is at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds on S. Ninth Ave, run by the Walla Walla Valley Farmer's Market.[141]
Walla Walla has experienced an expansion in its wine industry in recent decades, culminating in the area being named "Best Wine Region" in USA Today's Reader Choice Awards in both 2020 and 2021.[142][143] Several local wineries have received top scores from wine publications such asWine Spectator,The Wine Advocate andWine and Spirits. Although most of the early recognition went to the wines made from Merlot and Cabernet, Syrah is fast becoming a star varietal in thisappellation.[144] Overall, there are more than 120wineries in the Walla Walla area, which collectively generate over $100 million for the valley annually.[145][146]
Walla Walla Community College offers an associate degree (AAAS) inwinemaking andgrape growing through its Center for Enology and Viticulture, which operates its own commercialwinery, College Cellars.[147]
One challenge to growing grapes in Walla Walla Valley is the risk of a killing freeze during the winter. On average these happen once every six or seven years; the penultimate occurrence (in 2004) destroyed about 75% of the wine grape crop in the valley. In November 2010 the valley was again hit with a killing frost, leading to a 28% decline inCabernet Sauvignon production, a 20% decline in red grape production, and an overall decline in production of 11% (red and white varietals).[148]
The second-largest prison in Washington, after nearbyCoyote Ridge Corrections Center inConnell, is the Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) located in Walla Walla, at 1313 North 13th. Originally opened in 1886, it now houses about 2,000 offenders.[149] In addition, there are about 1000 staff members. In 2005, the financial benefit to the local economy was estimated to be about $55 million through salaries, medical services, utilities, and local purchases. In 2014, the penitentiary underwent an extensive expansion project to increase the prison capacity to 2,500 violent offenders and double the staff size.[150]
Until October 11, 2018, Washington was adeath penalty state, and occasional executions took place at the state penitentiary; the last execution took place on September 10, 2010.[151][152] Washington was also one of the last two states to allow hanging as a choice when sentenced to death[153] (the other beingNew Hampshire); there has not been a hanging since May 1994 (the default method of execution was changed to lethal injection in 1996). Washington was the last state with an activegallows.[154] 80executions were carried out at the prison between 1904 and 2010.[155]
The most notable inmate has beenGary Ridgway, aserial killer known as the "Green River killer", who was still incarcerated there as of November 2021.[156]
Walla Walla is served by two health care institutions: St. Mary Medical Center (part of the CatholicProvidence Health System) and the Jonathan M. WainwrightVeteran's Affairs Medical Center on the grounds of the old Fort Walla Walla andWorld War II training facility.
Dr. James F. Cropp (1854-1933) was the promoter and founder of the Walla Walla Hospital built in 1890, which later became the Benveniueu Apartments, named for the old Cropp estate near Fredericksburg, VA. He was the physician and surgeon to the state penitentiary for six years and after the building of the Odd Fellows Home, he also became physician to that institution. Dr. Cropp shared offices for several years with another pioneer physician and philanthropist, Dr. N.G. Blalock. Dr. Cropp was the last Mayor of Walla Walla under the mayor-council system before the city was changed to a commission government. Dr. Cropp's original two-story mansion still exists at 403 E. Rose St. as of 2025 made from the Tenino, WA stone quarry.[157] His family came to Washington in 1872, making it westward to American Falls, Idaho, driving a team of oxen. Dr. James Francis Cropp's brother, Wilber Fisk Cropp, was a Baker County, Oregon Commissioner (1908 Baker County Courthouse Cornerstone). Further biographical Dr. Cropp information, see Reference Number:[158]
Transportation to Walla Walla includes service by air throughWalla Walla Regional Airport, several railroads, and highway access primarily fromU.S. Route 12. TheWashington State Department of Transportation is engaged in a long-term process of widening this road into a four-lane divided highway betweenPasco and Walla Walla. The most recent portion was completed in June 2023.[159][160] The highway also acts as the main gateway to Interstates82 and84, which run to the west and south, respectively.[161]State Route 125 runs through the city, north toState Route 124 inPrescott and south toMilton-Freewater, Oregon, becomingOregon Highway 11 at the state line.[162]
There are four major bus services in the area connecting the region's cities. Walla Walla and nearbyCollege Place are served byValley Transit, a typical multi-route city bus service. The city of Milton-Freewater, Oregon has a single-line bus service with several stops in town with two stops in College Place and five in Walla Walla.Travel Washington's Grape Line is a 104-mile (167 km) intercity service between Walla Walla and Pasco that runs three times a day. Finally, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation operates a Kayak bus to Pendleton, with four trips each weekday and two trips each Saturday via its #14 Walla Walla Whistler route.[163]
Walla Walla is home of theWalla Walla Sweets, a summer collegiate baseball team that plays in theWest Coast League. The league comprises college players and prospects working towards a professional baseball career. Teams are located inBritish Columbia,Oregon, Washington andAlberta. Sweets home games have been played at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla, since their first season in 2010. In only their second season the Sweets played in the WCL Championship game, ultimately losing to the Corvallis Knights. In 2013, the Sweets won their first North Division title with the second best win–loss record in the WCL. The Sweets lost their North Division playoff series to the Wenatchee Applesox that year.
Walla Walla Drag Strip is an 1/8 mile dragstrip west of the Walla Walla Regional Airport. The dragstrip is located on an old runway of the airport.
There also is a women's flat track roller derby league called the Walla Walla Sweets Rollergirls, their practices and games are played at the Walla Walla YMCA.
Walla Walla is the location of Tour of Walla Walla, a four-stage road cycling race held annually in April. The races are held in Walla Walla and in the Palouse hills of nearbyWaitsburg. The stages include two road races, a time trial, and a criterium race.[164]
The annual Walla Walla Marathon takes place in October and includes a full marathon, half-marathon, and 10k race. The full marathon is a Boston Marathon Qualifier.[165] The race route winds through the streets of the city of Walla Walla and the country roads outside of town, often running past several of the region's many estate vineyards.
The Walla Walla Valley boasts a number of fine and performing arts organizations and venues.
In addition, the area's three colleges—Whitman College, Walla Walla University and Walla Walla Community College as well as its largest public high school—Walla Walla High School—stage theater and music performances.
Walla Walla Public Schools operates seven elementary schools (one is inDixie, six of them are K-5 with one of these being PreK-5), two middle schools, one traditional high school (colloquiallyWa-Hi), and two alternative high schools (Lincoln and Opportunity). There is also Homelink, an alternative K-8 education program which is a hybrid of homeschooling and public school programs.[172] The district includes most of the city, excluding the extreme western portions of Walla Walla that are in theCollege Place School District.[173]
There are several private Christian schools in the area. These include:
In addition to these, there are three colleges in the area:
Walla Walla is humorously mentioned in thePogo comic strip in an alternate lyrical version of "Deck the Halls", a traditionalChristmas carol.[175]
Walla Walla is the location of the treasure inCash and Carry, a short film starringThe Three Stooges.[176]
In theLooney Tunes shortTransylvania 6-5000, "Walla Walla, Washington" is amagic word that can transformCount Bloodcount.[177] Walla Walla is also the hometown of several fictional companies in otherLooney Tunes shorts, includingA Mouse Divided ("Little Giant Vacuum Cleaner Company"),The High and the Flighty ("Ace Novelty Company"),Heir-Conditioned ("Hi-Ho Silver Cleaner Company") andThis Is a Life? ("Wishy Washy Washing Machine Company").[178][179][180][181]
"Walla Walla" was also a nickname for the right-field wall at theKingdome, when theSeattle Mariners played there.[182]
The fictional "Walla Walla Washington Zoo" is the setting for the Eddie Bull segment on theHBO Family showCrashbox.
Walla Walla is notable as the home of the LaQuinta Inn where comedian Mike Birbiglia sleepwalked out of a second story window. He references the event in his filmSleepwalk with Me as well as in standup sets and talk shows.[183]
California based punk bandThe Offspring mentioned Walla Walla in their song of the same name on their 1998 albumAmericana.
In 1972, Walla Walla established asister city relationship with Sasayama (now namedTamba-Sasayama), Japan. The two cities have since named roads after their counterpart sister city. Walla Walla has also hosted exchange students from Tamba-Sasayama since 1994 for a two-week home-stay experience. Yearlong high school student exchanges between the cities have occurred several times in the past. Cultural and art exchanges involving music, dance, and various art mediums have also occurred. The Walla Walla Sister City Committee has been the recipient of the Washington State Sister City Association Peace Prize in 2011 and 2014 for their involvement in promoting peace, cultural understanding and friendship.[184][185][186]
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