French-Canadian priest John Baptiste Abraham Brouillet, a Québécois, came to the Walla Walla Valley in September 1847, just a few weeks before the incident at Whitman Mission. He established his own mission about 25 miles south of the Whitmans shortly after he arrived. Although Father Brouillet and Marcus Whitman had some disagreements when Catholic priests first came to the valley, they nevertheless developed a friendship.

Brouillet was on his way to Whitman Mission to verify a rumor of a terrible occurrence and found the Whitmans’ bodies, along with eleven others, killed on the scene. A handful of Indian warriors responsible for the slayings were still present. When he arrived, Joseph Stanfield, a Métis, was preparing the bodies for burial, and Brouillet helped inter them. Brouillet also helped arrange the release of 60 captives taken at the Mission.

Father Brouillet went on to become a pioneer figure in Walla Walla’s Catholic institutions, purchasing the land for St. Vincent’s Academy in 1863 and founding Saint Patrick’s School for boys in 1865. He also founded Des La Salles school for boys, which later became Desales High School.

Father Brouillet is portrayed by ski instructor, woodworker, and retired teacher, Jeannot Poirot.

Have you been wondering how Walla Walla River Basin will meet our water needs without a decent snowpack, with negligible rainfall this summer, and soaring temperatures? Even in a good year, our water supply is over appropriated.

Come learn about the Walla Walla Watershed Strategy, a collaborative effort to meet the Basin’s growing water needs and improve overall watershed health for our rivers, fish, farms and people.

Judith Johnson, a member of the Basin Advisory Council will provide background information, explain the WW Water 2050 Plan and its strategies for the equitable sharing of water, and inform you on ways you can make a difference.

Judith has been involved in water issues for 25 years, and co-founded Kooskooskie Commons, a non-profit which works on stream restoration and water quality monitoring, in addition to promoting better understanding and appreciation of natural resources within the Basin.

In this class, you will explore time-honored preservation techniques like canning, fermentation, and drying. Learn good safety practices for home preservation. You will be able to take home a jar of soon-to-be homemade sauerkraut.

This class will take place over two Sundays in a row, Sunday, July 26 & August 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days.

Instructor Kristin Fry is a teacher and office manager with a lifelong interest in heritage skills and Northwest history. She learned to can and preserve from her mom and grandma, without whom this class would probably not be happening!

Fort Walla Walla Museum will be open late Saturday, July 18th in partnership with the Walla Walla Summer Theater. Starting at 5 pm, the Museum will offer free admission until close, which will happen at 8 pm.

Learn more about the Museum’s upcoming Heritage Skills series, with live demonstrations of various handicrafts. From candle-making to contra dancing, there’s something for everyone. Class sizes are limited, so if you’re interested in learning a new skill, make sure to sign up! Other demonstrations will include:

• Blacksmithing

• Woodworking

• Early Naturalist Explorers

• Regenerative Agriculture

• Family History Preservation

• And more!

Additionally, evening guests will enjoy Ada’s Food Truck. Grab something to eat before heading to Disney’s Newsies at the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater.

Try out a new historic skill and enjoy Fort Walla Walla Museum, dinner, and a show!

Lettice Millican was born in 1830, the oldest of 12 children. In 1843 her family headed west with a wagon train carrying 1,000 settlers. After her family settled in the Willamette Valley, she married Ransom Clark, who in 1855 obtained a 640-acre donation claim along Yellowhawk Creek.

Lettice and her husband came to Walla Walla to prove up their claim in 1855 but were driven out by the Indian War of that year.  Ransom Clark died in Portland in 1859, and Lettice returned to Walla Walla the same year to complete their cabin, which is now located in the Museum’s Pioneer Village.  She was the first white woman to reside in the Walla Walla Valley after the Whitman tragedy, later marrying mill owner Almos Reynolds and becoming a public benefactor who made substantial gifts to Whitman College.

Lettice Millican Clark Reynolds is portrayed by Pam Myers.

In 1862 Mrs. Whitman came to Walla Walla to join her husband E.B. Whitman, who had been recently elected as the city’s first mayor. She was born in Portland, Maine, in 1828, the daughter of a lawyer, and was educated in the Boston area where she met her future husband. The couple married and had two sons.

In 1850 Mr. Whitman traveled west to seek his fortune in the California gold fields. Mrs. Whitman remained in Boston to raise her children until E. B. had chosen a new location for the family. After 12 years, the couple reunited in Walla Walla where they were active in civic affairs and resided for the rest of their lives. Mrs. Whitman will share music of her time with Museum visitors.

Maria Greenwood Whitman is portrayed by Barbara Clark.

How in 1856 did a few Sisters of Providence from Montreal manage to become the founders of St. Mary’s Hospital here in Walla Walla?

Author Linda Andrews will lead us through their trials and triumphs as they followed their “call to service” into the wilds of unsettled Washington Territory. Starting with a harrowing sea voyage, they made their way to the Walla Walla Valley to educate children and tend to the sick and poor. Theirs is a story worth hearing.

Presented by Linda Andrews, author of In Order to do Good: The History of Providence St. Mary Medical Center.

Are you ready to travel the Oregon Trail to Fort Walla Walla? 🐂🧺🌾

It's Fort Walla Walla Museum's annual Ice Cream Social and Oregon Trail Game. Pack your wagons and get ready to travel the Oregon Trail!

In this live-action version of the beloved 1985 computer game, you will begin at the museum’s General Store, packing your chosen supplies to help you overcome the variety of calamities you will face along the Oregon Trail. It will take a combination of pioneer skills, creativity, and pure luck to reach your destination. If you make it to Fort Walla Walla, you will be rewarded with your own 320 acres of land!

Don’t forget that members get in free.

Thank you to Columbia REA, Baskin-Robbins, and Yancey P. Winans Testamentary Trust for their sponsorship of this event.

Larry Panasuk spent his career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service in the Soviet Union and Romania under communism.

He has many stories of the people, customs, and tensions that surrounded his life and work, which he will share.

Presented by Larry Panasuk.

Join David Douglas on a nature walk as he guides you through the flora and fauna of the Northwest.

Yen Tom lived in the Walla Walla Valley in the late 1800’s as a farmer.

Yen Tom will be portrayed by Galen Tom.

Bror Sornson, played by his great-great-grandson Ron Klicker, will describe his family’s immigration from Sweden to Utah, where they became followers of Joseph Morris, a new prophet challenging Brigham Young.

After Morris and his followers were attacked by authorities and Morris was killed, many went into exile and in 1867 some, including Sorenson, followed William W. Davies to the outskirts of Walla Walla. Here, Davies proclaimed a piece of land on Scenic Loop near what is now Mormon Grade a consecrated place, where he established what he called “the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth” and revealed himself as the incarnation of the Holy Spirit.

In 1868, Davies proclaimed his newborn son the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and in 1869 identified another son as God the Father. After a diphtheria epidemic struck the religious commune in 1879 and his wife and sons died, several of his followers sued Davies in Walla Walla County Superior Court for the return of their pooled property and compensation for the labor they contributed to the community.  After a trial, Davies’ land was sold to satisfy the judgment awarded against him, and the community was ultimately dissolved.  Some, including Sornson, remained faithful to their prophet throughout their lives. 

Living History performances take place on the Museum’s grounds or inside the Grand Hall. Visitors are encouraged to question re-enactors about their experiences and views, and visit the Museum’s many displays and historic buildings.

During World War II, over 6,000 men were assigned to Walla Walla’s Army airfield base. Walla Walla Air Field was unique, in that it was the recipient of the first squadron of African-American WACS (Women’s Army Corps) ever assigned to an air base. About 100 of them arrived in August 1943, composed of WACs from different bases.  Who were these black WACs? And what was their role at the air base?

How were the WACs assigned to Walla Walla treated, and what was their interaction with the community like?

Several Union-Bulletin articles, two air base newsletters and a long-forgotten microfilm of Walla Walla Air Field history uncovered at the Whitman College Archives helped reconstruct the WACs’ experience here.

Presented by Susan Monahan.

Enjoy a day of free admission to the museum! 🏛️🎟️

Fort Walla Walla Museum invites guests to come and see what’s new at the old fort—and to mark the official re-opening of the Pioneer Village for the warmer months!

With five exhibit halls and a Pioneer Village with historic buildings, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. This year holds a special exhibits as we honor the 250th anniversary of the US. Learn about the territorial prison, horse-era agricultural practices, the history of Walla Walla's many forts, and more!

Thank you to STCU for their sponsorship of this event.

Rook’s Park in Walla Walla is a beautiful spot for residents and guests alike to spend time. But have you ever wondered why there is a Navy anchor in the memorial of an Army Corps of Engineers park? And what of the story behind the park’s name? Welcome Gary Lentz, retired Washington State Park Ranger, who will answer these questions and more.

The USS Houston, under the command of Capt. Rooks, fought a valiant battle against overwhelming odds before being sunk in the Sunda Strait early in 1942. Survivors were sent to Japanese prison camps and forced to work in the jungles of Burma building a railroad. Two of the survivors lived in Walla Walla and its vicinity after the war.

We invite you to find out more about Captain Albert Rooks, the USS Houston, and their impact on the park we know and love.

A Vindication for the Unwritten – or How to Write Yourself Back Into History
written by Ana Maria Campoy

Meet Carmelita Colon. Born in Mexico, she arrived in Walla Walla, Washington Territory, with her husband Sebastian in the 1860s. For several years, they ran a mule train to the gold mines in Idaho. Later selling tamales and running a Mexican restaurant in Walla Walla.

What was life like in Walla Walla in the late 1800s? What was Carmelita’s life like? Might she have seen women’s rights pioneers Susan B. Anthony and Abigail Scott Duniway speak about suffrage when they visited Walla Walla in 1871?

Based on extensive research, Ana Maria Campoy has created a vibrant portrait of Carmelita Colon, from her childhood in Mexico to her migration to Washington. She has brought this early Walla Walla resident to life and written her back into history.

The program is part of KCPT’s Washington Women’s History Tour: Suffrage Lecture Series – a dramatic chronology of the suffrage/women’s rights movement across Washington State with a special focus on under-represented voices and little-known stories of BIPOC women.

In the heart of the Inland Pacific Northwest, the rolling hills of the Palouse were transformed between 1860 and 1920 from undulating prairie into one of the nation's premier dryland farming and ranching districts.

Palause Heritage is based here, growing rare, time-honored grains using regenerative farming practices. Richard Scheuerman, a co-founder of the family-owned business, will discuss the significance of landrace crops and the origins of agriculture in the Walla Walla Valley. Explore what he calls the core principles of restorative agriculture, as applied by contemporary practitioners. 

Richard Scheuerman was recently honored by the Northwest Historians Guild with their Lifetime Achievement Award. His writing includes Harvest Heritage: Heirloom Crops and Agricultural Origins of the Pacific Northwest, co-authored with Alex McGregor through WSU Press.

We have archives of films, newspapers, even seeds -- what if we could make one for the entire surface of the earth? Changes to the Earth’s biosphere have reached a critical mass and it is now clear that we can no longer halt these that are resulting from human-induced earth system modifications. The resulting climate crisis, coupled with human population growth and land
use changes, are fundamentally altering our planet and as a result we have a limited time to record the Earth’s surface and the distribution of biota. Here we call for a massive international effort to 3-D scan the entire land mass of the planet (29.2%) to create a digital Earth Archive to provide a comprehensive baseline database of the Earth’s surface, and everything on it, at a high resolution that is accessible to as many as possible. Drawing on his experience mapping an ancient city in the Honduran jungle, archaeologist Chris Fisher makes the case for scanning the whole planet with LiDAR—a technology that uses lasers shot from an airplane to map the ground—in order to preserve our cultural and ecological heritage.

This will be a virtual presentation. Guests are invited to join us in the Grand Hall, where they can watch the lecture live and ask questions.

Wheat has been harvested in the Walla Walla Valley since the mid-1800s, first grown on the Hudson’s Bay Company farm. Hear from Tom Williams about farming and preserving this historic site.

Join the festivities happening at Fort Walla Walla Museum!

Meet Pioneer Santa for pictures and holiday stories in the Grand Hall. Kids can enjoy a creative crafts table, and refreshments will be served with a side of holiday cheer. The event is admission-free for visitors looking to shop the Museum Store and participate in the holiday festivities without touring the museum.

Staff and volunteers are pleased to offer complimentary gift wrapping for all holiday purchases made in the Museum Store on this day, and all store purchases help support the museum.

The perfect family activity for when it gets too cold outside!