Walla Walla, Washington

Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It is known for its s. It is near the Oregon  line. It is also the home to and a state prison.

The population of the city itself was 31,731 at the. The population of Walla Walla and its two suburbs, the town of College Place and unincorporated "East Walla Walla," is about 45,000. Walla Walla is in the southeastern region of Washington, approximately four and a half hours away by car from Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, and thirteen miles north of the Oregon border.

History
Recorded history in this state begins with the establishment of in 1818 by the North West Company to trade with the Walla Walla people and other local Native American groups. At the time, the term "Nez Perce" was used more broadly than today, and included the Walla Walla in its scope in English usage. Fort Nez Perce had its name shift to Fort Walla Walla. It was located significantly west of the present city.

On September 1, 1836, Marcus Whitman arrived with his wife Narcissa Whitman. Here they established the in an unsuccessful attempt to convert the local  tribe to. Following a disease epidemic, both were by the Cayuse who believed that the missionaries were poisoning the native peoples. Whitman College was established in their honor.

The original North West Company and later  fur trading outpost, became a major stopping point for migrants moving west to Oregon Country. The fort has been restored with many of the original buildings preserved. The current contains these buildings, albeit in a different location from the original, as well as a museum about the early settlers' lives.

The origins of Walla Walla at its present site begin with the establishment of by the United States Army here in 1856. The, where it adjoins the , was the starting point for the , constructed between 1859 and 1860 by US Army , connecting the head of navigation on the Columbia at Walla Walla (i.e., the west coast of the United States) with the head of navigation on the (that is, the east and gulf coasts of the U.S.) at Fort Benton, Montana.

Walla Walla was incorporated on January 11, 1862. As a result of a in Idaho, during this decade the city became the largest community in the territory of Washington, at one point slated to be the new state's capital. Following this period of rapid growth, agriculture became the city's primary industry.



Former bishopric
In 1846, the established the Diocese of Walla Walla, with Augustin-Magloire Blanchet as its bishop. (The, not the noun, used by the to refer to Walla Walla, is Valle-Valliensis.) Blanchet arrived on September 5 of that year, but the Whitman massacre of November 29, 1847, led to an uneasy relationship between him, the native Cayuse people, and the United States government , as a result of which he left for St. Paul in the. Downtown Walla Walla was awarded a Great Places in America Great Neighborhood designation in 2012 by the American Planning Association.

In 1850, the see of Walla Walla was abandoned and its territory assigned to the new Diocese of Nesqually (later spelled "Nisqually"), with Blanchet as its bishop and its episcopal see in Vancouver.

Titular see
In 1971, the diocese was nominally restored as Titular bishopric of the lowest (Episcopal) rank, and since had six, mostly consecutive incumbents:


 * Eugene Antonio Marino, Society of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites, S.S.J.) (1974.07.12 – 1988.03.14) (later Metropolitan of Atlanta)
 * Bernard William Schmitt (1988.05.27 – 1989.03.29)
 * Paul Albert Zipfel (1989.05.16 – 1996.12.31)
 * James Edward Fitzgerald (2002.01.11 – 2003.09.11)
 * Mitchell Thomas Rozanski (2004.07.03 – 2014.06.19)
 * Witold Mroziewski, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn (NYC, USA) (2015.05.19 – ...)

Etymology
Tourists to Walla Walla are often told that locals call it "the town so nice they named it twice". It is a very nice town, however, very few locals actually use this slogan. Walla Walla is a Native American name that means "Place of Many Waters". The original name of the town was Steptoeville named after Colonel Edward Steptoe. In 1855 the name was changed to Waiilatpu, and then by 1859 had been changed again, this time to the name it holds today.

Geography and climate
Walla Walla is located at 46.065°N, -118.33028°W (46.065094, −118.330167).

Walla Walla is also located in the Walla Walla Valley, with the rolling Palouse hills 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 mi west of town. The city lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, so annual precipitation is fairly low.

According to the, the city has a total area of 12.84 sqmi, of which 12.81 sqmi is land and 0.03 sqmi is water.

Walla Walla has a hot-summer according to the  system. 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.

2010 census
As of the of 2010, there were 31,731 people, 11,537 households, and 6,834 families residing in the city. The was 2477.0 PD/sqmi. There were 12,514 housing units at an average density of 976.9 /sqmi. 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% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.0% of the population.

There were 11,537 households of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were 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.

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.

2000 census
As of the of 2000, there were 29,686 people, 10,596 households, and 6,527 families residing in the city. The 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% from other races, and 2.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.42% of the population.

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.

In the city, the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 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.

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. The for the city was $15,792. About 13.1% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the, including 22.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.5% of those aged 65 and older.

Fine and performing arts
The Walla Walla Valley boasts a number of fine and performing arts organizations and venues.


 * The began in 1906 and performs a season of about six concerts per year at Whitman College's Cordiner Hall.
 * The Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival is held twice a year and features guest musical ensembles playing classical chamber music in various small venues throughout town. The summer festival includes performances for almost the whole month of June. The winter festival is a small-scale version of the summer program, it is held in mid-January.
 * The GESA Powerhouse Theatre opened in 2011 in Walla Walla; it was originally the Walla Walla gas plant, hence its name. Its dimensions closely resemble the Blackfriars Theatre once used by William Shakespeare. The venue is used by Shakespeare Walla Walla as well as host to various concerts and other performing arts events throughout the year.
 * The Walla Walla Choral Society began in 1980 and performs a season of three or four concerts per year in various locations around the Walla Walla Valley.
 * Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater is an open-air stage with bench seating on the grounds of the Fort Walla Walla Park, next to Fort Walla Walla Museum. It used to host Shakespeare Walla Walla productions and now hosts the Walla Walla Community College Summer Musical.

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—are well known for their outstanding theater and music performances.

Miscellanea
Baker Boyer Bank, the oldest bank in the state of Washington, was founded in Walla Walla in 1869.

In 2001 Walla Walla was a Great American Main Street Award winner for the transformation and preservation of its once dilapidated main street. In July 2011,  selected Walla Walla as the friendliest small city in the United States. 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.

Walla Walla is famous for its. There are more than 100 in or near Walla Walla.

Sister cities
In 1972, Walla Walla established a relationship with Sasayama, Japan. The two cities have since named roads after their counterpart sister city. Walla Walla also hosted exchange students from Sasayama since 1994 for a two-week home stay experience. One year high school student exchanges between the cities have occurred several times in the past. Cultural/art exchanges involving music, dance, and various art mediums have also occurred. Walla Walla Sister City Committee has been recipient of the Washington State Sister City Association Peace Prize in 2011 and 2014 for their involvement of promoting peace, cultural understanding and friendship.