Early emigrants following the Oregon Trail passed through our picturesque valley and rested at the present-day site of La Grande before climbing the Blue Mountains toward their dreamlands in the Willamette Valley.
James and Elizabeth Baker were among the first Oregon Trail emigrants to settle in Easter Oregon. They traveled from Iowa in 1862 and were one of the original five families to settle in what is now the City of La Grande.
La Grande was a tree-less grassland when they arrived. James Baker was known as a horticulturist and planted many of the first trees in the community.
One of the original 250 Norway maple trees planted by volunteers along Spruce Street and "S" Avenue in 1923 to commemorate the end of the First World War and to appreciate the returning veterans. The beautiful tree-lined parkway, known as Victory Way, stretches from downtown to Riverside Park. The planting culminated in a large ceremony including singing, a luncheon, and speeches.
