1) We take pride in the fact that the name Langlois stirs up so much interest in the pronunciation. The subject is a great ice breaker and is often the first question asked by visitors.
Langlois is a variant of the French "L'anglais" meaning the Englishman which seems to indicate the family name started when some English showed in France post-Norman conquest era. The variations in pronunciation stem from Anglicization and then Americanization down through the years. There are variations still among Guernsey (home of our founding family) and Jersey Islands The name is not quite on par with the Welsh town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwy rndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. So really, one might we have it easy, but is still up for debate. One of most accepted version is Langless stemming from a phonetic version of the 1860 Federal census of our Founding Family
However, the citation in Oregon's Names; How to Say Them and Where They are Located? by Bert Webber ( a well respected historian) lists the pronunciation as LANG lois.
The locals have their own take on the name: Lang lois Langwau, Lang o ise, Lang lewis , Lang lis , Lang loy and probably more. Here are some samples from us locals.
Along with this day old article the Langlois lions Club just got an alert that we may need to provide beds for folk needing shelter from Elk River etc. Man I thought we got away with no big fires this year but it's here again.
Stay safe and bug out if you get told. I worked for Coos Forest Patrol for a number of years and this is tough country and no rain in sight. Gorse fires are a bitch but trying to contain fires in that area is a giant nightmare. We will update if the Langlois Lions Club is open for displaced folk. At this point they just warned us to get ready if things get bad. Hope they don't.
