Located in the heart of some of the most scenic high desert country in the Western United States, Jordan Valley's history is the history of hardy people making a life in a hard land. The town sits among the Owyhee rangelands, and is the gateway to the Jordan Craters, Succor Creek State Park and Leslie Gulch. Hunting, fishing, backpacking, cross-country skiing, bird watching, snowmobiling and river rafting all can be enjoyed in and around the area.

Built by miners and ranchers, Jordan Valley continues to celebrate its pioneer heritage; the Jordan Valley Big Loop Rodeo, held the third weekend in May, draws many local residents to join outside participants.

For much of the 20th Century, Basque immigrants have provided the backbone of the Jordan Valley community. From the 1890s through the First World War, Basques emigrated in great numbers from their native Pyrennees Mountains to Southeastern Oregon and adjacent areas of Idaho and Nevada, bringing with them their traditional games, customs and festive occasions. The ball court began in the spring of 1915 at the peak of Basque immigration to the area. Though last used on a regular basis in 1935, the Pelota Fronton has become the singular landmark of the Basque Culture in the region.

Construction of the court was done by young Basque immigrants who had learned the trade of masonry in the Basque country. They carted stones from a quarry east of Jordan Valley, hewed them by hand and mortared them into a stone wall about 30 feet high.

The Jordan Valley PeIota Fronton is a two-walled masonry structure with a cement floor. Interior walls are stucco. The front is approximately 30 feet long and 30 feet tall. The south wall is approximately 100 feet long and 30 feet tall with the courses of masonry diminishing gradually toward the east end of the side wall, creating a stepped effect. A screen 10 feet high extends above this coping. Stone buttresses support the outer faces of the walls. The walls are approximately 18 inches thick.

Games were played every afternoon and evening. The early Basques scheduled games in evening to determine champions among Jordan Valley players. Spectators who came to watch the games stood along the right side of the court.

The pelota game played in Jordan Valley was traditionally called blaid, but because no other form was played, the Jordan Valley games were simply referred to as Pelota. The game could be played with two players or with teams, two or three players on a side. The server stood in the forecourt and slammed the ball against the front wall so that it hit above the strip of tin three feet above the ground line, and bounced back to the player of the opposing team who stood behind a vertical marker on the left-hand wall (the pass line). This player then returned the ball to the front wall directly or by bouncing it off the left-hand wall. If the ball hit out of bounds (below the tin strip or beyond 90 feet) or if a player failed to return a ball, the opposite side gained the serve and a point in the same play. In this respect, pelota differed from handball in which a side first won the serve and played for a point in the next rally). The game continued to 30 or any score previously agreed upon by the players. Although the court is a simple L-shaped shell, this much of the game can be understood from the remaining physical structure.

Aside from the court, the only equipment necessary was the ball. Good players frequently made their own game balls. Starting from a core of hard rubber, the balls were wrapped with twine and covered with wet goatskin. When the skin dried, the ball was smooth and hard. Because the ball caused sore and swollen hands, players in the Basque country sometimes wore gloves to prevent injury. This practice did not carry over to the Jordan Valley Pelota game. It has been said that players would step on their hands to reduce the swelling so they could continue the game.

Although the game was most frequently played with the hand (mano), the players also used a paddle or bat (pala) to hit the ball. Pala was played in the Basque country, and the inspiration for Jordan Valley Basque to use the bat seems to have come from the Old World, rather than an adaptation from American games such as tennis or baseball. Use of the bat did not alter the rules of the game. In the Basque country, the bat was generally made of chestnut: in the western United States, it was usually of maple. The bat was about 18 inches long, 6 inches wide, and one and a half inches thick at the hitting surface. It weighed about one and a half pounds.

A Basque Fall Festival was held September 13, 1997 to celebrate the restoration of the Frontoia and the addition of a courtyard on the south side of the wall. Peloto, Pala, Weightlifting demonstrations, Basque choir, Basque dancers, Basque Band and a traditional Basque Dinner brought the landmark to life for the first time since 1935.

City of Jordan Valley Website

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Last modified: 08/18/08