What is the history of Walla Walla, Washington?
On September 1, 1836, Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains, arrived at Walla Walla, along with her husband Marcus Whitman. Here they established the Whitman Mission in an unsuccessful attempt to convert the local Walla Walla (tribe)Walla Walla tribe. Both were killed by natives following a disease epidemic. Whitman College was established in their honor. The original Fort Walla Walla, a major stopping point for migrants moving West, has been preserved with many of the original buildings. The current Fort Walla Walla contains these buildings, albeit in a different location from the original, as well as a Museum about the early setters’ lives. Walla Walla was officially incorporated on January 11, 1862. As a result of a gold rush, during this decade the city became the largest community in the territory of Washington, at one point slated to be the new state’s capital. The former Governor’s mansion still stands in the South part of the city.
