Fort Walla Walla is a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

located in

Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is the largest city and county seat. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,927 as of 2021. The population of the city and its two su ...

. The first Fort Walla Walla was established July 1856, by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe, 9th Infantry Regiment. A second Fort Walla Walla was occupied September 23, 1856.Whitman Mission US National Historic Site page The Many Fort Walla Wallas, http://www.nps.gov/whmi/historyculture/the-many-fort-walla-wallas.htm, viewed on September 15, 2014. The third and permanent military Fort Walla Walla was built in 1858 and adjoined Steptoeville, now

, a community that had grown up around the second fort. An Executive Order on May 7, 1859 declared the fort a military reservation containing 640 acres devoted to military purposes and a further 640 acres each of hay and timber reserves. On September 28, 1910 soldiers from the 1st Cavalry lowered the flag closing the fort. In 1917, the fort briefly reopened to train men of the First Battalion Washington Field Artillery in support of action in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1921, the fort and property were turned over to the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

where 15 original buildings from the military era remain. Today, the complex contains a park, a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

, and the Jonathan M. Wainright Memorial VA Medical Center.

Units stationed at Fort Walla Walla

*1856-1858 4th Infantry Regiment (United States) *1856-1861

1st Dragoons The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) was a heavy cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661 as the Tangier Horse. It served for three centuries and was in action during the First and the Second World Wars. It was amalgama ...

*1856-1861 9th Infantry *1856-1858 3rd Artillery *1861-1861 2nd California Volunteers *1862-1865 1st Washington Territorial Volunteer Infantry *1862-1865 1st Oregon Volunteer Cavalry *1865-1865 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry *1867-1873

Caretaker detachment A military caretaker or caretaker detachment is a group of one or more personnel assigned to maintain for future use a military base, fortification, or other facility that is ungarrisoned but not abandoned. Naval reserve fleets and military aircraf ...

*1873-1875 21st Infantry *1876-1884 1st Cavalry *1878-1878 2nd Infantry *1884-1890 2nd Cavalry *1890-1898 4th Cavalry *1899-1899 24th Infantry (Company M,

Buffalo Soldier Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in th ...

s) *1899-1901 6th Cavalry *1901-1902 Field Artillery *1902-1904 9th Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers), including the Field Staff, Band and E, F, G, and H Companies *1904-1904 19th Infantry *1905-1908

14th Cavalry The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conflicts ...

United States Army Indian Scouts Native Americans have made up an integral part of U.S. military conflicts since America's beginning. Colonists recruited Indian allies during such instances as the Pequot War from 1634–1638, the Revolutionary War, as well as in War of 1812. ...

served with troops from Fort Walla Walla until at least 1893. Indian Scouts saved the lives of many of Lt Col Steptoe's personnel during the Battle of Pine Creek. Most scouts came from the

Nez Perce tribe The Nez Percé (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning "we, the people") are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest region for at least 11,500 years.Ames, K ...

Military action taken from Fort Walla Walla

Military Post and City of Walla-Walla - 1862

In May 1858, the

Battle of Pine Creek The Battle of Pine Creek, also known as the Battle of Tohotonimme and the Steptoe Disaster,Keenan, Jerry. "Steptoe, Col. Edward Jenner." Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars 1492-1890 Santa Barbara, CA : ABC-CLIO, c1997 p. 223. was a conflict bet ...

took place, when Lt Col. Steptoe lead troops north to investigate the reported murder of miners and was forced to retreat after being attacked by a mixed force of

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...

Palouse The Palouse ( ) is a distinct geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of north central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and, by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, prima ...

, and Coeur d'Alene Indians near present Rosalia, Washington. In August 1858, the

Battle of Four Lakes The Battle of Four Lakes was a battle during the Coeur d'Alene War of 1858 in the Washington Territory (now the states of Washington and Idaho) in the United States. The Coeur d'Alene War was part of the Yakima War, which began in 1855. The bat ...

took place when

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

George Wright George Wright may refer to: Politics, law and government * George Wright (MP) (died 1557), MP for Bedford and Wallingford * George Wright (governor) (1779–1842), Canadian politician, lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island * George Wright ...

lead units of the 9th Infantry, 3rd

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

, and 1st Dragoons in a punitive action after the loss during the Battle of Pine Creek. The force met up with a large force of Indians in the area between present Cheney and

Medical Lake Medical Lake is a small city in Spokane County, eastern Washington, United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 5,060. The city is the site of a psychiatric hospital, Eastern State Hospital, and of Fairchild Air Force Base, two major ...

. Near Liberty Lake, Colonel Wright's troops captured 800 Indian

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

s, the principal wealth for the tribes, and slaughtered them leading to the cessation of all hostilities by the tribes. On June 17, 1877, soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Regiment were involved in the Battle of White Bird Canyon during the Nez Perce War. More than 30 U. S. soldiers died during the battle. A monument to those killed is at the Fort Walla Walla Cemetery.Payne, James and Schultz, Laura, 2011, ''An Illustrated History of Fort Walla Walla'', Walla Walla, Washington, Fort Walla Walla Museum, p. 19 Between July 3 and 5, 1877, members of E and L Companies of the 1st Cavalry engaged the

Nez Perce The Nez Percé (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning "we, the people") are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest region for at least 11,500 years.Ames, K ...

Indians at the Battle of Cottonwood with a loss of ten soldiers. Their remains are also buried in the Fort Walla Walla Cemetery.

Roads connecting with Fort Walla Walla

Naches Pass road, between Fort Walla Walla and

Fort Steilacoom ''For the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom Park'' Fort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become the ...

, was built in 1853 by local residents after waiting for

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

to construct the route. It proved difficult to use with some very steep descents. The Fort Walla Walla Fort Colville Military Road was built on the long established native trail and fur trader's route between Walla Walla and

Kettle Falls Kettle Falls ( Salish: Shonitkwu, meaning "roaring or noisy waters", also Schwenetekoo translated as "Keep Sounding Water") was an ancient and important salmon fishing site on the upper reaches of the Columbia River, in what is today the U.S. ...

and the Hudson Bay Company's

Fort Colville Fort Colville was a U.S. Army post in the Washington Territory located north of current Colville, Washington. During its existence from 1859 to 1882, it was called "Harney's Depot" and "Colville Depot" during the first two years, and finally " ...

. Captain Pinkney Lugenbeel and his soldiers improved the road to support wagons in June 1859 on their way to build U. S. Fort Colville. In July 1859, US Army

John Mullan followed the Fort Walla Walla Fort Colville Military Road until just north of Benge, Washington and then built the 600-mile

Mullan Road Mullan Road was the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Inland of the Pacific Northwest. It was built by U.S. Army troops under the command of Lt. John Mullan, between the spring of 1859 and summer 1860. It led from Fort Ben ...

from Fort Walla Walla to

Fort Benton, Montana Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. Established in 1846, Fort Benton is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Montana. The city's waterfront area, the most important aspect of its 19 ...

through the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

Fort Walla Walla Museum

The Fort Walla Walla MuseumFort Walla Walla Museum
/ref> comprises 15 acres of the Fort Walla Walla Park, and includes four exhibit halls and a 17-building pioneer village. The museum offers

living history Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...

performances each season on weekends and children's programs. The pioneer village includes several cabins, an

outhouse An outhouse is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket toilet, but other forms of dry (non-flushing) toilets may be encountered. The term may also be used ...

harness A harness is a looped restraint or support. Specifically, it may refer to one of the following harness types: * Bondage harness * Child harness * Climbing harness * Dog harness * Pet harness * Five-point harness * Horse harness * Parrot harness * ...

shop,

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop,

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

s, a

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

train depot A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing su ...

doctor's office A doctor's office in American English, a doctor's surgery in British English, or a doctor's practice, is a medical facility in which one or more medical doctors, usually general practitioners (GP), receive and treat patients. Description Doc ...

and other structures. The exhibit halls include displays of military weapons and artifacts, tools, agricultural equipment, antique vehicles and firefighting vehicles, clothing and textiles.

References

External links

Fort Walla Walla Museum

John Ervin Joseph Fort Walla Walla collection at the Whitman College and Northwest Archives, Whitman College.

Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center

City of Walla Walla parks
{{Authority control History of Walla Walla County, Washington

Walla Walla Walla Walla can refer to: * Walla Walla people, a Native American tribe after which the county and city of Walla Walla, Washington, are named * Place of many rocks in the Australian Aboriginal Wiradjuri language, the origin of the name of the town ...

1858 establishments in Washington Territory National Register of Historic Places in Walla Walla, Washington Museums in Walla Walla County, Washington History museums in Washington (state) Open-air museums in Washington (state) Closed installations of the United States Army

History of the American West History of the Northwestern United States History of Washington (state) Military and war museums in Washington (state) Nez Perce War Indian wars of the American Old West Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)