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is a city in Fayette County, Texas, United States, near the Colorado River. The population was 4,478 at the 2000 census. The 2006 population estimate was 4,645. It is the county seat of Fayette County.
La Grange was the site of an early crossing of the Colorado River during the Mexican period along La Bahía Road. The earliest white settlers in the area were Aylett C. Buckner and Peter Powell, who lived slightly to the west. The first settlement on this location was by Stephen F. Austin's band of colonists in 1822. John Henry Moore built a blockhouse in 1828 as protection from the Comanche, which is now known today as Moore's Fort (the fort is currently found in nearby Round Top, having been moved there for restoration).
The town was a major site of German and Czech settlement, because the rolling hills and forests are reminiscent of their homelands. Even today the German and Czech influences on the town remain strong, seen in many local customs, the local architecture, and the town's reputation for not having participated in prohibition beyond a token effort.
La Grange is the site from which the party in the Black Bean Episode left, after gathering around "the historic oak" which is a local land mark. The tree is still standing and alive, although it suffered some damage after impact from a drunk driver and relies on a concrete support (which it has partially encompassed) to maintain stability.
Outside of La Grange was the "Chicken Ranch", a brothel. It was closed in 1973 largely through the efforts of a Houston television reporter, Marvin Zindler. The town also drew worldwide attention when ZZ Top released its classic rock song "La Grange", which referenced "that home out on the range" (the Chicken Ranch). La Grange is the setting of
La Grange is the birth place and current home of the Chihuahua used in marketing by Taco Bell.
In 1974, a Little League team from La Grange won the Texas state championship and finished second to Jackson, Tennessee in the Southern Region tournament in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites are located south of La Grange off U.S. Route 77.
The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center is located at 250 Fair Grounds Road in La Grange. The center is constructing a new archives building, with a seed donation given by the estate of Adolph R. Hanslik of Lubbock. Hanslik was known as the "dean of West Texas cotton producers" and was a native of Hallettsville in Lavaca County.