Whitman Mission National Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Whitman Mission National Historic Site
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The Oregon Trail at Whitman Mission
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 Location in Washington (state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | Walla Walla County, Washington, United States |
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| Nearest city | Walla Walla, Washington |
| Built | 1837 |
| Website | Whitman Mission National Historic Site |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000749 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Whitman Mission National Historic Site is a special place in the United States. It's located west of Walla Walla, Washington, at a spot once called Waiilatpu. This site remembers Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa Whitman, and 11 other people who lost their lives there on November 29, 1847. They were killed by members of the Cayuse Native American tribe.
This historic site helps us remember the Whitmans and their important role in the Oregon Trail. It also teaches us about the difficulties that arose when two different cultures met and tried to live together.
Contents
The Story of the Whitman Mission
Early Journeys and New Homes
In 1836, a small group of Methodist missionaries traveled west. They joined a group of fur trappers heading into the Oregon Country. Among these travelers were Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Hart Spalding. They were the first white women to travel all the way across the continent.
Marcus and Narcissa Whitman decided to build their mission at Waiilatpu. This area was part of the Cayuse tribe's land, near the Walla Walla River. The Cayuse were a strong tribe, and they were careful about newcomers.
Building Trust and Facing Challenges
At first, the Cayuse were suspicious of the Whitmans. But things got better when Dr. Marcus Whitman tried to learn the Cayuse language. This helped them understand each other more.
Even though Dr. Whitman learned their language, he wanted the Cayuse to change their way of life. He believed they should learn to farm like the white settlers. These different ideas about how to live caused more and more tension between the Cayuse people and the Whitmans.
The Oregon Trail and Growing Tensions
From 1843 to 1847, the mission became a very important stop on the Oregon Trail. Many immigrants passed through, heading west. This large number of white settlers made the Cayuse suspicious again. They worried that the white people were coming to take their land.
A Tragic Event and Its Impact
In November 1847, a serious measles sickness spread. It killed about half of the local Cayuse people. The sickness also affected the mission, but more white settlers survived. Some Cayuse people blamed Dr. and Mrs. Whitman for the deaths in their tribe.
Because of this, the Whitmans and eleven other people at the mission were killed. Forty-seven other mission residents were taken hostage. The deaths of the Whitmans were a big shock across the country. This event led the U.S. Congress to make Oregon a U.S. territory. It also started a conflict known as the Cayuse War.
Remembering the Past
In later years, people dug up parts of the site to find important old objects. These objects were then carefully reburied to protect them. A large memorial stone, called an obelisk, was put up on a nearby hill fifty years after the event.
The site was first made a national monument in 1936. It was renamed the Whitman Mission National Historic Site on January 1, 1963.
Images for kids
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The park's western facing memorial hill is a popular place for visitors to watch the sunset
