The Oregon Mission - Ithaca, NY - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

text: "The Oregon Mission sent out by First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca in 1834 in response to search of Nez Perce Indians foe White Man's book from heaven was under leadership of Rev. Samuel Parker. With him went Samuel Allis of Ithaca and Rev. John Dunbar of Auburn Seminary. In 1838 Henry Spalding of Bath and bride Eliza Hart together with Dr. Marcus Whitman and Narcissa Prentiss followed. These being two first white women to cross Rocky Mountains. The Whitmans founded mission at Waiilatpu, where they were martyred. The Spaldings established mission at Lapwai, Idaho among Nez Perces, which continues to present erected by State Education Department, Presbyterian Church, and Cayuga Chapter D.A.R. 1934"

wikipedia "When the Spaldings established their mission to the Nez Perce, they also established the first white home in what is today the state of Idaho. They were also responsible, in 1839, for bringing the first printing press into the territory. Spalding was generally successful in his interaction with the Nez Perce, baptizing several of their leaders and teaching tribal members. He developed an appropriate written script for the Nez Perce language, and translated parts of the Bible, including the entire book of Matthew, for the use of his congregation.

Eliza Spalding was very well liked by the Nez Perce peoples, whose women often followed her around her home wanting to see how the “white woman” cooked, cleaned, dressed, and cared for her children. She was quickly liked by them and respected for her courage and for her attempts to act as a buffer between the Nez Perce and Henry, who was not always as well liked. He was inflexible on gambling, liquor, and polygamy and reproved many people and even went as far as whipping some Nez Perce or having them whip each other. This led to him being ridiculed and denounced by some. Henry was the opposite of Eliza in his relationship with the Nez Perce; where she sought to understand them, he sought for them to understand him. Similarly, the relationships with Spalding's fellow missionaries were also less than ideal. Amid criticism by Whitman and others in the region, Spalding was dismissed by the American Board in 1842, although he never left his mission or stopped his missionary work. He was reinstated following a review by the Board."

Group that erected the marker: State Education Department, Presbyterian Church, and Cayuga Chapter D.A.R. URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: DeWitt Park Ithaca, NY USA 14850

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