A collection of Captain Oliver Taylor’s letters, along with a few personal items of his, were donated to Fort Walla Walla Museum in late 2023. Museum Volunteer Karen Summers had the exciting opportunity to help the museum transcribe these personal letters and learn more about the early life of Captain Taylor during the 1800s. Below are excerpts from the transcription project, which is still ongoing. These documents help us understand who Taylor was, and how he found himself in the Walla Walla area. The excerpts below lay out some of Capt. Taylor’s early life.

Doctor Dorsey Syng Baker had a singular determination to make a name for himself. Through his own inventiveness, keenness, and his commitment to the betterment of Walla Walla, he has achieved a legacy like no other.

A brief biography takes us from his home in Illinois, across the Oregon Trail, and eventually into his chosen home of Walla Walla.

To celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, we have joined a Washington State initiative that invites “museums to partner with their communities to identify and exhibit [one] object, image, or artwork from their collection that reflects the American experience.”

We need your help deciding which artifact will be our “one.” Learn which artifacts we are considering and vote for your choice.