Alicel, Oregon

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

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alicel, Oregon
2. Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2008. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-89933-347-2.
3. McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0875952772.
4. Bailey, Barbara Ruth (1982). Main Street: Northeastern Oregon. Oregon Historical Society. p. 27. ISBN 0-87595-073-6.
5. "Alicel Once Station on Elgin Rail Line". La Grande Observer. February 24, 1961. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
6. "Mormons in Union County". Crook County Journal. October 23, 1902. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
7. 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.
8. "IN&P Loses Major Customer". Pacific RailNews: 43. June 1994. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
9. "Peacock Lumber Resurrected". Statesman Journal. June 30, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved December 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Alicel Lumber Mill (Former)". Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
11. 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.
12. "Western Grain Elevators, Feed Mills, Silos and Terminals". barraclou.com. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
13. "Minor White: Spiritual Journey". Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2021.

45°24′15″N 117°58′48″W