My First Mission

One of the attractions I saw while visiting Walla Walla was the Whitman Mission. It's a National Historic Site in Washington. It's the site of a mission founded in 1836 among the Cayuse Indians by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. The mission also became an important station on the Oregon Trail.

A fictional story about Indians seeking teachers stimulated missionary interest in work among American  Indians in the Oregon country. After 11 years of working with the Indians, the mission effort ended in violence. The Cayuse realized their way of life was in danger. Then a measle epidemic spread rapidly among the Indians in 1847.  On November 29, 1847, a group of Cayuse attacked the mission and killed Marcus Whitman and others. The killings ended Protestant missions in the Oregon country and led to war against the Cayuse.

Upon one's visit to the present day mission, the first thing you should do is go to the Visitor Center. They have a small display and you have the option to watch a 25 minute film about the history of the mission. You then can walk the trail and hill to see various landmarks. There's the Great Grave, Whitman Memorial, Emigrant House site, Grist Mill site, First House site, and Mission House site.

View from the top of the hill by the Whitman Memorial. From this view you can see the Restored millpond.

The Whitman Memorial that is at the top of the hill.

Plant life around the mission.

Oregon Trail Wagon: Did you know that oxen where cheaper than horses or mules. They could pull heavy loads, they didn't bog down in the mud, and they didn't stampede.

On the trail where's their is a view of the Whitman Memorial on top of the hill overlooking the Mission.