: Whitman Mission National Historic Site by Thompson Erwin N - Whitman Marcus 1802-1847; Whitman Mission National Historic Site (Wash.)

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HISTORICAL HANDBOOK NUMBER 37

This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing the historical and archeological areas in the National Park System administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. It is printed by the Government Printing Office and can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C., 20402. Price 45 cents.

WHITMAN MISSION NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

National Park Service Historical Handbook Series No. 37 Washington, D.C.: 1964

It is a distinct pleasure to acknowledge my indebtedness to Jack Farr, formerly with the National Park Service, and Robert L. Whitner, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash., who prepared the material on which most of this manuscript was based.

E. N. T.

Contents

Page Call from the West 10 Samuel Parker and the American Board 13 "We Want You for Oregon" 15 Those Who Answered the Call 18 The Oregon Country 19 The Trip West 25 A Welcome at Fort Vancouver 27 Starting a New Life 29 The Cayuse Indians 34 Reinforcements for Oregon 39 A Community Rises at Waiilatpu 41 The Mission Children 50 Missions in Oregon 53 The Ride East 57 A Caravan on the Oregon Trail 61 The Gathering Storm 64 The Massacre 66 The Harvest of Violence 71 Preservation of the Past 74 Testimony from the Earth: A Folio 76 Suggested Readings 92

In 1836 five people--Dr. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, the Reverend Henry and Eliza Spalding, and William H. Gray--successfully crossed the North American continent from New York State to the largely unknown land called Oregon. At Waiilatpu and Lapwai, among the Cayuse and Nez Perc? Indians, they founded the first two missions on the Columbia Plateau. The trail they followed, established by Indians and fur traders, was later to be called the Oregon Trail.

Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding were the first white women to cross the continent; the Whitmans' baby, Alice Clarissa, was the first child born of United States citizens in the Pacific Northwest. These two events inspired many families to follow, for they proved that homes could be successfully established in Oregon, a land not yet belonging to the United States.

In the winter of 1842-43, Dr. Whitman rode across the Rocky Mountains in a desperate journey to the East to save the missions from closure. On his return to Oregon, another chapter in the western expansion of this Nation was added when he successfully encouraged and helped to guide the first great wagon train of emigrants to the Columbia River. The Whitmans' mission throughout its existence was a haven for the overland traveler. Medical care, rest, and supplies were available to all who came that way.

For 11 years, the Whitmans worked among the Cayuse Indians, bringing them the principles of Christianity, teaching them the rudiments of agriculture and letters, and treating their diseases. Then, in a time of troubles when two opposing forces failed to understand each other, the mission effort ended in violence. In the tragic conclusion, the lives of the Whitmans were an example of selflessness, perseverance, and dedication to a cause. Their story is symbolic of the great effort made by Protestant and Catholic missionaries to Christianize and civilize the Indians in the first half of the 19th century. The missions represented one aspect of American expansion into the vast, unknown lands of the Pacific Northwest.

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