Hot Lake, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Hot Lake is an unincorporated community in Union County
, Oregon
, United States
. Hot Lake has an elevation of 2703 feet (824 meters). It is located about ten miles east of La Grande
, and seven miles northwest of Union
.
The first white men to see Hot Lake were the 32 members of an expedition under W. Price Hunt
, who entered the Grande Ronde Valley
on January 1, 1812, on their way to the mouth of the Columbia River
. On August 7 of that year, Robert Stuart
made the first written notation of the place while returning from the Columbia River. Hot Lake became a resting place for travelers, especially when settlers began traversing through the valley on the Oregon Trail
in the 1840s. The first hotel was built at Hot Lake in 1864 by Samuel F. Newhard, and a post office was established in 1883. In 1884, the railroad was built through the area. The Hot Lake Resort
was built in 1906. The resort began to decline in the 1930s, as a result of the death of its director since 1917, Dr. W. T. Phy, a disastrous 1934 fire, and the Great Depression
. The post office was discontinued in 1943. Hot Lake is now served by the La Grande post office.
Union County, Oregon
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the town of Union, which is located within its boundaries; in 2010, the county population was 25,748. The county seat is La Grande.-History:Union County...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Hot Lake has an elevation of 2703 feet (824 meters). It is located about ten miles east of La Grande
La Grande, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,327 people, 5,124 households, and 2,982 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,833.5 people per square mile . There were 5,483 housing units at an average density of 1,260.3 per square mile...
, and seven miles northwest of Union
Union, Oregon
Union is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,926 at the 2000 census.- History :Union was platted on November 11, 1864 along the Oregon Trail. The name references the Union states, or Northern States, of the American Civil War....
.
The first white men to see Hot Lake were the 32 members of an expedition under W. Price Hunt
W. Price Hunt
William or Wilson Price Hunt was an early pioneer of the Oregon Country in the Pacific Northwest of North America. An American and an employee of John Jacob Astor, Hunt used information supplied by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to lead the portion of the Astor Expedition that traveled to Oregon...
, who entered the Grande Ronde Valley
Grande Ronde Valley
The Grande Ronde Valley is a valley in Union County in northeastern Oregon, United States. It is surrounded by the Blue Mountains, and is drained by the Grande Ronde River. La Grande is its largest community. The valley is long, north to south, from Pumpkin Ridge to Pyles Canyon, and wide, east...
on January 1, 1812, on their way to the mouth of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. On August 7 of that year, Robert Stuart
Robert Stuart (explorer)
Robert Stuart was the son of Charles Stuart, a partner of John Jacob Astor who as one of the North West Company men, or Nor'westers, enlisted by Astor to help him found his intended fur empire...
made the first written notation of the place while returning from the Columbia River. Hot Lake became a resting place for travelers, especially when settlers began traversing through the valley on the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
in the 1840s. The first hotel was built at Hot Lake in 1864 by Samuel F. Newhard, and a post office was established in 1883. In 1884, the railroad was built through the area. The Hot Lake Resort
Hot Lake Hotel
Hot Lake Hotel is a hotel originally built in 1864 in Hot Lake, Union County, Oregon, United States. The hotel became a popular vacation and resting spot due to its relaxing thermal waters. It was purchased by Dr. W. T. Phy in 1917 who developed state-of-the-art medical facilities including a...
was built in 1906. The resort began to decline in the 1930s, as a result of the death of its director since 1917, Dr. W. T. Phy, a disastrous 1934 fire, and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The post office was discontinued in 1943. Hot Lake is now served by the La Grande post office.