La Grange, California
Encyclopedia
La Grange is a small unincorporated community
in rural Stanislaus County
, California
, United States
. Its altitude is 249 feet. As of 2008 it has a population of 345. (76 m), and it is located at 37°39′49"N 120°27′49"W (37.6635433, -120.4635289).
. By 1854, there were over 100 buildings in La Grange.
La Grange became the county seat
of Stanislaus County in 1856. Aside from its French population, the community included a significant Chinatown in its early years. At its height, the community had thousands of residents, but it was a largely lawless town. It was in decline by the time that Knights Ferry
became the county seat, as the gold mines were in decline. By 1880, mining had ceased. The La Grange area also included many gold dredgers that operated until the early 1950s.
Today, a post office and elementary school still operate in La Grange as well as the oldest church in Stanislaus County, St. Louis Roman Catholic Church, whose cemetery contains tombstones dating to the mid 1800s.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in rural Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County, California
Stanislaus County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. As the price of housing has increased in the San Francisco Bay Area, many people who work in the southern reaches of the Bay Area have opted for the longer commute and moved to Stanislaus County for the...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its altitude is 249 feet. As of 2008 it has a population of 345. (76 m), and it is located at 37°39′49"N 120°27′49"W (37.6635433, -120.4635289).
History
The name is French and means "the barn" or "the farm". The community and a French settlement nearby were also called "French Bar". The community was founded in 1852 around the same time French miners struck gold on a bar in the Tuolumne RiverTuolumne River
The Tuolumne River is a California river that flows nearly from the central Sierra Nevada to the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley...
. By 1854, there were over 100 buildings in La Grange.
La Grange became the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Stanislaus County in 1856. Aside from its French population, the community included a significant Chinatown in its early years. At its height, the community had thousands of residents, but it was a largely lawless town. It was in decline by the time that Knights Ferry
Knights Ferry, California
Knights Ferry is a town in Stanislaus County, California, United States. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, it is about east of Modesto on the Stanislaus River. The Willms Ranch, a California Landmark near the town, was one of many filming locations for the television series Bonanza...
became the county seat, as the gold mines were in decline. By 1880, mining had ceased. The La Grange area also included many gold dredgers that operated until the early 1950s.
Today, a post office and elementary school still operate in La Grange as well as the oldest church in Stanislaus County, St. Louis Roman Catholic Church, whose cemetery contains tombstones dating to the mid 1800s.