Whitman Mission National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located just west of Walla Walla, Washington, at the site of the former Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu. On November 29, 1847, Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa Whitman, and 11 others were slain by Native Americans of the

Cayuse Cayuse may refer to: *Cayuse people, a people native to Oregon, United States *Cayuse language, an extinct language of the Cayuse people *Cayuse, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the United States *Cayuse horse, an archaic term for a feral or ...

. The site commemorates the Whitmans, their role in establishing the Oregon Trail, and the challenges encountered when two cultures meet.

History

left, The first printing press in the Pacific Northwest was first used at the Whitman mission, initially to print religious texts and legal documents., 248x248px WhitmanMissionSunset1

In 1836, a small group of Presbyterian missionaries traveled with the annual fur trapper's caravan into

Oregon Country Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...

. Among the group, Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Hart Spalding became the first white women to travel across the continent. Marcus Whitman and Narcissa Whitman established the Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu, near the Walla Walla River. The mission was in Cayuse Country. The Cayuse welcomed the Whitmans to their land in 1836 after learning of them the previous year from Samuel Parker. The Mission became an important stop along the Oregon Trail from 1843-1847, and passing immigrants added to the tension. With the influx of white settlers the Cayuse became suspicious of the Whitmans again, fearing that the white man was coming to take the land. A

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

outbreak in November 1847 killed half the local Cayuse. The measles also broke out in the Mission but more white settlers survived. Some of the Cayuse blamed the devastation of their tribe on Dr. Whitman and Mrs. Whitman. They were killed along with eleven others; forty-seven other mission residents were taken hostage. The deaths of the Whitmans shocked the country, prompting Congress to make Oregon a U.S. territory, and precipitated the Cayuse War. Five Cayuse were hanged for murder; see

Cayuse Five The Cayuse Five were five members of the Native American tribe, the Cayuse of Oregon who were hanged for murder, in 1850. Their names were Clokomas, Isiaasheluckas, Kiamasumkin, Telakite, and Tomahas—note how these names are spelled varies ...

. In more recent times, the site has been excavated for important artifacts, and then reburied. A memorial obelisk, erected fifty years after the event, stands on a nearby hill. The historic site was established in 1936 as Whitman National Monument and was redesignated a National Historic Site on January 1, 1963.

References

External links

National Park Service: Whitman Mission National Historic Site
{{authority control 19th-century colonization of the Americas 1936 establishments in Washington (state) Archaeological sites in Washington (state) Cayuse War Christian missions History museums in Washington (state) History of Walla Walla County, Washington History of Washington (state) Museums in Walla Walla County, Washington National Historic Sites in Washington (state) Native American history of Washington (state) Oregon Country Oregon Trail Parks in Walla Walla County, Washington Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Protected areas established in 1936 National Register of Historic Places in Walla Walla County, Washington