[Illustration: Archeologists uncovered the ruins of the mission
buildings in the 1940’s. The rectangle of packed earth with the two
large pits is the base of the large hearth in the mission house
kitchen. Narcissa Whitman cooked on this hearth for only a few years
before it was replaced with a regular cookstove.]
[Illustration: A plan of the foundation ruins of the mission house,
as found by archeologists.]
[Illustration: Among the thousands of artifacts discovered were
these two buckles that might have been used for harnesses or belts.]
[Illustration: A millstone emerges from mud at the site of Whitman’s
grist mill.]
[Illustration: A useful everyday object was this fine-tooth comb,
found in the ruins. The missionaries had to be constantly on the
watch for lice, especially in their children’s hair. In a letter
home, Narcissa asked that some of these “louse traps” be sent.]
[Illustration: The site of the blacksmith shop was excavated in
1961-62.]
[Illustration: Concrete blocks outline the site of Gray’s house,
later called the emigrant house.]
[Illustration: AN ARTIST’S CONCEPTION OF WHITMAN MISSION
based on archeological and historical investigations]
[Illustration: WHITMAN MISSION NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE]
_About Your Visit_
Whitman Mission National Historic Site is 6 miles west of Walla Walla,
Wash., just off U.S. 410. Walla Walla is served by an airline, two
railroads, and bus-lines. Since there is no public transportation
between the town and the monument, you must arrange your own
transportation between these two points.
The grounds of the historic site are open from 8 a.m. until dark. A
self-guiding system of trails enables you to tour the mission grounds
and see the great grave and the memorial shaft. Markers, pictures,
wayside exhibits, and an audio system are located along the trails.
Special guide service is available to groups making advance arrangements
with the superintendent. In summer, free guided tours are usually
available on weekends without prior arrangement.
A visitor center housing a museum and a small auditorium is open from 8
a.m. until 4:30 p.m. every day except Christmas. The museum tells the
story of the missionaries in the Pacific Northwest, especially that of
the Whitmans. Illustrated talks about the missionary era and special
programs are given in the auditorium. Uniformed personnel are stationed
at the visitor center, where free informational literature and sales
publications of special historical interest are available.
_Administration_
Whitman Mission National Historic Site is administered by the National
Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
The National Park System, of which this Site is a unit, is dedicated to
conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the United
States for the benefit and inspiration of the people.
Development of the site is part of MISSION 66, a dynamic conservation
program to unfold the full potential of the National Park System for the
use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
A superintendent, whose address is Whitman Mission National Historic
Site, Route 2, Walla Walla, Wash., 99362, and whose offices are in the
visitor center, is in immediate charge.
[Illustration: (uncaptioned)]
_America’s Natural Resources_
Created in 1849, the Department of the Interior—America’s Department of
Natural Resources—is concerned with the management, conservation, and
development of the Nation’s water, wildlife, mineral, forest, and park
and recreational resources. It also has major responsibilities for
Indian and territorial affairs.
As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department works to
assure that nonrenewable resources are developed and used wisely, that
park and recreational resources are conserved, and that renewable
resources make their full contribution to the progress, prosperity, and
security of the United States—now and in the future.
_Related Areas_
Included in the National Park System are these other areas commemorating
phases of early western history: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
National Historic Site, Mo.; Homestead National Monument of America,
Nebr.; Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Nebr.; Scotts Bluff National
Monument, Nebr.; Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Wyo.; Grand Teton
National Park, Wyo.; Custer Battlefield National Monument, Mont.; Big
Hole National Battlefield, Mont.; Fort Vancouver National Historic Site,
Wash.; McLoughlin House National Historic Site, Oreg; and Fort Clatsop
National Memorial, Oreg. The nearby city of Walla Walla has preserved
the military cemetery of the U.S. Army Post, Fort Walla Walla.
_Suggested Readings_
Bagley, Clarence B. ed., _Early Catholic Missions in Old Oregon_. 2
vols. Lowman & Hanford Company, Seattle, 1932.
Bancroft, Hubert Howe, _History of Oregon_, 2 vols., (vol. 2,
1834-1848). The History Publishers, San Francisco, 1886.
Bischoff, William N., S.J., _The Jesuits in Old Oregon, 1840-1940_.
Caxton Printers, Caldwell, Idaho, 1945.
Brosnan, Cornelius J., _Jason Lee, Prophet of the New Oregon_. The
MacMillan Company, New York, 1932.
Drury, Clifford M., _Marcus Whitman, M.D.: Pioneer and Martyr_. Caxton
Printers, Caldwell, Idaho, 1937.
Elliott, T. C., _The Coming of the White Women_. Oregon Historical
Society, Portland, 1937.
Garth, Thomas R., “The Archeological Excavation of Waiilatpu Mission.”
_Oregon Historical Quarterly_, XLIX, 117-36 (June 1948).
Haines, Francis, _The Nez Percés: Tribesmen of the Columbia Plateau_.
University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1955.
Hulbert, Archer B. and Dorothy P., eds., _Marcus Whitman, Crusader_. 3
vols. Stewart Commission of Colorado College and the Denver Public
Library, Denver, 1936, 1938, 1941.
Jones, Nard, _The Great Command: The Story of Marcus and Narcissa
Whitman and the Oregon County Pioneers_. Little, Brown, and
Company, Boston, 1959.
Lavender, David, _Land of Giants: The Drive to the Pacific Northwest,
1750-1950_. (Mainstream of American Series, Lewis Gannett, ed.)
Doubleday & Company, Garden City, N.Y., 1958.
★ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1964 O-747-534