St. Joseph's Mission (Tampico, Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Joseph's Mission
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St. Joseph's Mission
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| Location | East of Tampico, Washington on Ahtanum Road |
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| Nearest city | Yakima, Washington |
| Built | 1852 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001925 |
| Added to NRHP | December 22, 1976 |
St. Joseph's Mission is a historic place in Washington state, USA. It was started in 1852 by Jesuit priests. At that time, this area was part of the Oregon Territory. The mission is located near Tampico, Washington. In 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historical sites in the United States.
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History of St. Joseph's Mission
Founding the Mission in 1852
Two priests, Father Louis D'herbomez and Father Charles Pandosy, started St. Joseph's Mission. They founded it on April 3, 1852. The mission was built near Ahtanum Creek. This area is in the upper Yakima Valley, close to where the city of Yakima is today.
Father D'herbomez came from Le Havre, France. He arrived in the Oregon Territory in 1847. He became a priest a year later. Before St. Joseph's, he worked as a priest for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Father Pandosy had served at other missions. These included the Saint Rose Mission near Richland and the Conception Mission near Ellensburg.
Building the Mission with Local Help
Archbishop F. N. Blanchet asked the priests to build the mission. He wanted them to build it at the summer camp of Yakama Chief Kamiakin. Chief Kamiakin himself had asked for the mission. The mission was built on a large piece of land, about 677 acres. This land was along Ahtanum Creek, near what is now Tampico.
Chief Kamiakin's men helped a lot with the mission. They dug simple irrigation canals in the dry soil. This allowed them to grow many different crops. They grew wheat, corn, pumpkins, potatoes, and melons.
Mission Burned and Rebuilt
In 1855, the mission was sadly burned down. This happened during the Yakima Indian War. Soldiers from the US army burned it. They thought the priests might be helping the Yakama people.
But the mission was not forgotten. It was started again in September 1867. Just a few months later, the Yakama people helped to rebuild it. The new mission building was finished in 1870.
