Whitman Mission National Historic Site, Washington
Posted by: Volcanoguy
N 46° 02.486 W 118° 27.838
11T E 386726 N 5099692
The Whitman Mission National Historic Site, Washington.
Waymark Code: WM8M03
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 04/16/2010
Views: 10
In 1836, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman established a mission here at Waiilatpu on the Walla Walla River. They established a large self-sufficient mission complex with multiple structures, cultivated fields, orchard, and irrigation system that produced enough food to feed themselves and to sell to immigrant trains that arrived after 1843. Beginning in 1845, most of the wagon trains began taking a shortcut which bypasssed the Whitman Mission and only those that were sick or low on supplies stopped a the Mission. In 1847, an emigrant train brought measles to the mission and half of the local Cayuse tribe died. As a result on December 8, 1847, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and a dozen others were killed by the Cayuse and the mission was burned. In March 1848 a compnay of volunteers arrived and established a camp named Fort Waters. The remains of the massacre victims were collected and buried in a mass grave which existed until 1897 when the remains were reinterred in the present Great Grave as part of the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the deaths. The Whitman Memorial Shaft was also erected in 1897. The Whitman National Monument was established on June 29, 1936. On January 1, 1963, the designation was changed to Whitman Mission National Historic Site. The Whitman Mission National Historic Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Most information comes from NPS website (http://www.nps.gov/whmi/index.htm) and the National Register nomination form (https://fortress.wa.gov/dahp/wisaard/documents/RN/0/2/2332.pdf).
Street address: 328 Whitman Mission Road Walla Walla, WA United States 99362
County / Borough / Parish: Walla Walla
Year listed: 1966
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Information Potential, Event
Periods of significance: 1825 - 1849
Historic function: Church Related Residence, Church School, Religious Structure
Current function: Park - National Historic Site
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2010 To: 12/31/2010
Hours of operation: From: 8:00 AM To: 4:30 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.