Now a quaint mountain village, La Porte was one a bustling centre for hydraulic mining until legislation in 1884 made it illegal. The town was originally named Rabbit Creek as it was located on the banks of this tributary of Slate Creek, then renamed Rabbit Town when the post office was established in 1855. In 1857, it took the name La Porte.

A fire in 1855 destroyed the wooden town but by 1857, it had been rebuilt with more permenant structures.

There are signs of hydraulic mining are all around the town. La Porte is in Plumas County northeast of Strawberry Valley on route 120.