Reflections on a Dying Town

Lacrosse  from the south entrance

Have you ever visited a dying friend or relative you haven’t seen in a while?  The changes are often shocking and unsettling.  We had a similar emotional experience while traveling from Walla Walla, WA to Coeur d’ Alene, ID when we decided to take a detour to visit my mother-in-law’s home town, La Crosse, WA, population 312. 

La Crosse from the North

The town had its heyday in the 30’s and 40’s.  It was the center of social and economic life for miles around in the rolling wheat fields.  We hear many stories about it as Doris reminisces about her childhood during the Great Depression.  It was a major railroad and agricultural center.  Unlike some of the timber-dependent towns in Oregon and Washington, this town wasn’t done in suddenly by resource depletion or government regulations.  It just started dying a natural death in the 1950’s when the main highway bypassed and railroads declined. The world changed and left this place behind.

Bud's grave marker

We were last there together in 1996 for the town’s 100 year anniversary and a family reunion.  Kathy also visited in 2005 to bury her father's ashes.  It was obvious then that town had seen much better days, but things were still hopeful.  Revisiting it now, La Crosse, WA is downright sad, but with tenacious pockets of hope. 

View from the cemetery

Long gone are the dance halls, the saloons, the hotels (including a boarding house owned and run by Kathy’s grandmother), a movie theater, bowling alley, and vibrant businesses.   Some buildings that are still standing should be demolished because of collapsed roofs.  More residents reside in the cemetery than in the town.  Broken down vehicles, washing machine carcasses, and ‘For Sale’ signs abound.  The town's only cafe closed and is for sale.

Main Street, circa 2015

On the flip side, the city park, where we had the reunion, is green and well-maintained.  The swimming pool, where Kathy learned to swim during summer visits, had water but no lifeguards or kids.  The K-12 school still exists, with an enrollment of 76 students, probably from farms miles away.  Its Cougars won the 2005 football championship.  A ‘grocery’ store still exists, but it’s more like a convenience store seen in food deserts.  There is an Umpqua Bank branch on Main Street.  Sewers or water lines were being replaced, which added may have added to the dust bowel atmosphere on a hot and windy day.  Wheat is king right now, so the grain elevator was busy.  We counted about five large, older and nicely maintained homes.

Middle of Nowhere, WA

As with any small town, the people were friendly.  We got some bewildered looks as we pulled our Airstream through the town block by block.  Being three miles off the main road from Colfax to I-90, it’s hard to see how this town will ever come back.  We gotta give credit to the people still there.  In the words of the town’s official website La Crosse is a small town but through the ingenuity and diversification of the businesses within, most services are available. If you can't find something, be sure to ask one of our residents!

The visit was surprisingly emotional for us.  Maybe it was getting a connection to Kathy's dad, Bud, at his grave.  Or maybe from all the stories of a happy childhood gone by (not ours, but that of Doris).  Or perhaps it was just a sense of what it is like to be young and vital many years ago, only to have it slip away gradually year by year.  

(On a more cheerful note, check out the post from the Airstream Caravan we are co-leading through Washington and Idaho, entitled “The Daze of Wine and Roads.” Here's the link.