Capturing the Pacific
“Capturing the Pacific” will focus on the Pacific Theater of operations, and Walla Walla’s connection to the war. Eighty years is significant for historians because it marks a point where most people who have first-hand accounts of an event have passed. The work of preservation and remembrance is especially salient at these times, when living knowledge is lost.
The Pacific Theater saw the creation of vast technological advancement throughout all arenas, making the battles and skirmishes accomplished during World War II possible. At the end of the war the advancements stuck around, such as the transformation of Walla Walla’s airport.
Along with the conduct of individual battles, documentation of the war and the subsequent dissemination of information would not have been possible without the development of new camera technology. This technology was quickly utilized by the newly formed Army Pictorial Service (APS) and helped to make World War II the most visually documented event during its time. Those at home here in the Walla Walla Valley saw and heard of the war through these and other photographs, newsreels, newspapers, and the newly popularized radio.
Those on the front lines bore witness to the changes in technology just as readily. Soldiers, both American and otherwise, received pamphlets, cards, and other paper media. Specializing in a new field of science focused on the mind and human behavior, the American Psychological Warfare Branch (PWB) operated in the Pacific. Documents were printed and distributed to both American and Japanese soldiers, the images and text carefully worded to be compelling to its audience. These pieces of paper, cheekily called “paper bullets,” were designed to do damage with a different approach to warfare. These printed materials were used as part of larger projects, which in the Pacific Theater meant getting Japanese soldiers to consider surrender.
Fort Walla Walla Museum’s exhibit will also display some of the weapons and interesting historical items present in the Pacific theater, such as Japanese pesos and weapons. These artifacts were removed from Japanese soldiers, taken as war spoils and brought back to Walla Walla.
Through contextualizing what war in the Pacific looked like for those present, and how it was seen at home, the Museum asks visitors to consider their own relationship to technology and news. While Fort Walla Walla Museum continues to ask “why does history matter,” visitors are encouraged to explore the new exhibit with this question in mind as well. We hope that you might find your own answer.
The Oregon Trail Game & Ice Cream Social
It’s time again to celebrate the start of summer with good old-fashioned family fun and ice cream at Fort Walla Walla Museum!
The Museum’s biggest summer event includes free ice cream, Living History, and the interactive live-action Oregon Trail Game (inspired by the popular 1985 education video game)– Bring your team and survival skills to make it from Independence, Missouri, all the way to Fort Walla Walla. In this kid-friendly game, there will be calamities to overcome, fun activities to complete, and a photo opportunity at the end.
Pack your wagon to travel the Oregon Trail and stop at forts along the way, where your wagon party will be checked for the necessary supplies for your travel. Along this journey, you will face different calamities which you must overcome with using pioneer skills, creativity, or pure luck. If you make it to the last stop, Fort Walla Walla, you will be rewarded with 320 acres of land!
From packing your wagon with supplies to overcoming obstacles along the way (snakebite remedy, anyone?), kids and adults alike will have a lot of fun learning about travel on the Trail.
We would like to thank our sponsors who make this event possible year after year.
World Wars Encampment: Living History Weekend
Attention, history enthusiasts and adventure seekers!
Get ready to experience an immersive journey into the era of World War I and II, as over a dozen passionate and talented reenactors descend upon Fort Walla Walla Museum.
This thrilling event presents a golden opportunity for families to engage with history like never before. Picture yourself walking amidst the atmosphere of the 1940s as you interact with passionate reenactors who embody the spirit of the era. As soldiers, their dedication and attention to detail will transport you back in time.
Engage in conversation, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made during this momentous period. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience, where entertainment merges with education, fostering a love for history and connecting generations. We invite you to join us at Fort Walla Walla Museum, where history comes alive!
Come see weapons, tools, uniforms, and vehicles (including a half-track). The reenactors will represent multiple nations’ militaries.
Escape from the Territorial Prison! Family Game
WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE: Seasoned criminal Orvy Whipstitch Horvath—known to keep company with lowlifes and horse-thieves has escaped Walla Walla’s territorial prison. Gather up a search team and help the law track him down! If you succeed, you will be rewarded. Horvath took an escape route through Fort Walla Walla and left behind careless clues.
This two-day family-friendly event is an interactive puzzle through the Museum. Find clues detailing Orvy’s escape plans, bring your wits, and trace Orvy’s trail to discover the criminal in his hiding spot!
We are grateful to our sponsors for supporting this event.
Lewis & Clark: Living History Weekend
From August 9th to 10th, the Museum will host our annual Lewis and Clark Days. During this two-day special event, the Pacific Northwest Living Historians (PNLH) will demonstrate the tools and skills employed by the explorers of the epic Lewis and Clark expedition.
Captain Meriwether Lewis and Captain William Clark were sent by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and to seek the best route to the Pacific Ocean through what we now call the Pacific Northwest. During their voyage of 1804 – 1806, they led the Corps of Northwestern Discovery overland from St. Louis, Missouri, to the mouth of the Columbia River and back again. With no means for resupply, the Corps (a U.S. Army unit of 31 men accompanied by Sacagawea and her infant child, Jean Baptiste) needed to use diverse skills and the right tools to survive.
Dressed in clothing of the style and materials worn by the members of the Corps in 1805-1806, PNLH interpreters will demonstrate and discuss many of those tools and skills, such as handling flintlock firearms, camp cooking, making clothing from leather, and making canoe paddles. Visitors can learn the history and stories of the Lewis and Clark expedition: the native people that they met, the unfamiliar territory they traveled and mapped, and the strange new animals and plants they discovered.
The program will take place all day Saturday and from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.
ATHS Annual Walla Walla Truck Show
Not too long ago, horses were replaced by “speed wagons”, motorized vehicles. Fort Walla Walla Museum is excited to recognize that history with the American Truck Historical Society, which will host its annual truck show.
Come out for the day and see locally owned, vintage trucks, pickup trucks, vintage cars, and “old iron” on display. Meet the owners and enjoy stories about their vehicles and equipment. The Annual Truck Show includes the Blue Mountain Chapter members’ vehicles and equipment, which reflects the road transportation history, and the connection with the region.
The Blue Mountain Chapter of the ATHS organizes and runs the truck show. Forty to fifty vehicles, including farm trucks, pickups, and semis, are expected to be on display, along with small engines, tractors, and other transportation items.
Incorporated in 1971, the American Truck Historical Society preserves the history of trucks, the trucking industry, and its pioneers. An annual convention has been held each year since 1972, with a public antique truck show added in 1980. If you are interested, have stories to share, or enjoy seeing and “feeling” old trucks and cars, we look forward to meeting you!
This is the perfect event for families. There will be live music, food, fun, and all manner of fine vehicles.
Historic Northwest Garrison: Living History Weekend
The Ol’ Fort will be hosting the Historic Northwest Garrison, coming to us from Idaho.
150th Birthday of the Rawhide Railroad! Free Admission
This event is sponsored by Baker Boyer Bank.
Pioneer Santa & Holiday Fun
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!
Annual Open House! Free Admission
Enjoy a day of free admission to the museum! The Museum Open House is a chance for residents 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 17-structure pioneer settlement, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Learn about the territorial prison, horse-era agricultural practices, the history of the Forts Walla Walla, and more.
Participate in our month-long April Fool's Scavenger Hunt! Modern items will be hidden in some of the museum’s exhibits, and young and old eyes alike can work together to find these historical inaccuracies. As you discover stories from the past, from the Oregon Trail to the horse-powered wheat harvest, kids can record things that are out of place. If you can list enough of them, you will win a small prize in the Museum Store! A fun way to talk about the exhibits and identify some things that don’t quite belong.
Bring a picnic and stroll the beautiful green grounds while rubbing shoulders with history.
We would like to thank our exclusive event sponsor, Community Bank.
April Fools' Scavenger Hunt
Fort Walla Walla Museum is officially ready for spring! April is the start of our annual April Fools Scavenger Hunt. There will be modern items hidden in some of the museum’s exhibits—list them all and get a prize in the Museum Store!
The first day of the event is Saturday April 1st, and the last day is Sunday April 30th. The Museum is open from 10am-5pm daily. Guests are invited to participate in the Scavenger Hunt, a fun way to talk about the exhibits and identify some things that don’t quite belong.
Don’t forget that members get in free!
Carmelita Colon: A Living History Presentation
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 they sold tamales and ran 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 toured the Pacific Northwest (including 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 life in California and then migration to Washington. She has brought this early Walla Walla resident to life and written her back into history.
CARMELITA is being developed by Key City Public Theatre (KCPT) in Port Townsend, under a Washington Stories Fund grant from Humanities Washington. A one-woman show, another character will be the Voice of History.
This program will be followed by a Q&A/discussion period with the audience, involving Carmelita, the playwright, and another researcher. Audience interaction is an important part of this and all public humanities programs.
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.
An expanded, fully-staged version of CARMELITA will run as part of Key City Public Theatre’s mainstage season beginning in late April. A touring version will also be available.
Pioneer Santa & Holiday Fun
It’s starting to feel festive at the 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!
"Lost Apples" Book Signing with David Benscoter
Fort Walla Walla Museum will host author David Benscoter on Sunday, November 17, from 12 to 3 p.m. to celebrate the publication of his book, "Lost Apples: The Search for Rare and Heritage Apples in the Pacific Northwest."
The book details his work as part of the Lost Apple Project, a program he started to save and preserve apples on the brink of extinction throughout Washington. Beautiful watercolor illustrations are taken from the USDA's pomological collection, and details about his work tracking down these once prolific species are included.
Come and find out exactly what kind of apple tree is growing in Fort Walla Walla Museum's Pioneer Village!
Free-Admission Day for Veterans
In honor of Veterans Day, military veterans and their spouses are invited to visit the museum at no cost. Thank you to our military personnel and their families!
War of the Worlds: a Live Radio Drama
Fort Walla Walla Museum will host its first live radio play. Written and acted by volunteers, this play is a retelling of H.G. Wells' "The War of the World", but it hypothesizes that the alien threat of the original story lands at Bennington Lake and it is the people of Walla Walla who are the first to contact the new extraterrestrial threat.
The original story was written in 1897 and was later staged as a radio broadcast in 1938, with faux news anchors and a true cast of characters interviewed throughout the story. It is believed that some of the original audience to the broadcast missed the introduction of the show and believed the play to be a real news broadcast, sparking outrage and panic in listeners. This tumultuous history makes it the perfect spooky story in the lead-up to Halloween.
A perfect evening event, there will be food, drinks, and entertainment provided. Admission starts at $7 for adults and $5 for seniors. Fort Walla Walla Museum Members receive free admission.
Thank you to Gary Lentz for developing this adaptation and writing the script, this project would not have happened without his vision.
ATHS 32nd Annual Walla Walla Truck Show
The American Truck Historical Society Blue Mountain Chapter celebrates its 40th anniversary and 32nd annual truck show this year. The Blue Mountain Chapter members like to share these trucks with the public. This yearly event brings the regional transportation history to the museum for the public to appreciate. The Walla Walla Valley and its surroundings have a rich farming history that includes road transportation. Not so long ago, horses were replaced by “speed wagons”, motorized vehicles.
Come out for the day and see locally owned, vintage trucks, pickup trucks, vintage cars, and “old iron” on display. Meet the owners and share stories about their vehicles, and equipment. Many of the trucks and cars are still taken care of by the original owners and are even currently in use. Even with changes, the vintage trucks, cars, and equipment are more than enjoyable.
Trucking has changed, from small farm trucks to large trucks, often 18-wheeler “grain haulers”.Diesel engines replaced gas engines, farm operations got larger. However, the Annual Truck Show still includes the Blue Mountain Chapter members’ vehicles and equipment, which reflects the road transportation history, and the connection with the region.
If you are interested, or have stories to share, or to enjoy to see and “feel” old trucks and cars; you and your family are invited to visit the Show. We look forward to meeting you.
The perfect event for families, there will be live music, food, fun, and all manner of fine vehicles.
Historic Northwest Garrison Living History Weekend
The Ol’ Fort will be hosting the Historic Northwest Garrison, coming to us from Idaho. There will be demonstrations of tin smithing, broom making, and infantry. This will include a mountain howitzer demonstration.
Lewis & Clark Days
Now is the time to start adding these events to your calendar! From August 10th to 11th, the Museum will host our annual Lewis and Clark Days. During this two-day special event, the Pacific Northwest Living Historians (PNLH) will demonstrate the tools and skills employed by the explorers of the epic Lewis and Clark expedition.
Captain Meriwether Lewis and Captain William Clark were sent by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and to seek the best route to the Pacific Ocean through what we now call the Pacific Northwest. During their voyage of 1804 – 1806, they led the Corps of Northwestern Discovery overland from St. Louis, Missouri, to the mouth of the Columbia River and back again. With no means for resupply, the Corps (a U.S. Army unit of 31 men accompanied by Sacagawea and her infant child, Jean Baptiste) needed to use diverse skills and the right tools to survive.
Dressed in clothing of the style and materials worn by the members of the Corps in 1805-1806, PNLH interpreters will demonstrate and discuss many of those tools and skills, such as handling flintlock firearms, camp cooking, making clothing from leather, and making canoe paddles. Visitors can learn the history and stories of the Lewis and Clark expedition: the native people that they met, the unfamiliar territory they traveled and mapped, and the strange new animals and plants they discovered.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, there will be a special demonstration on the methods the Corps of Discovery used to start their fires. Fire was important to the Corps not only for warmth but also for cooking, drying clothing, light in the dark hours, repairing weapons and tools, boiling water for cleanliness & medical reasons, and signaling. As modern matches had not yet been invented, alternate methods of creating fire were used. Transferring it to the Corp’s camp was simple if a campfire was already burning. If it was daytime, a burning glass worked well. However, when conditions were not ideal, a fire could be started from friction using a bow drill, or Flint & Steel. A member of the Corps, Sgt. Patrick Gass, will demonstrate these methods for those who wish to learn about and ‘discover’ our distant past.
The program will occur from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.
This event is made possible by Pacificcorp.
Escape from the Territorial Prison! (Family-Friendly Game)
WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE: Seasoned criminal Orvy Whipstitch Horvath has escaped Walla Walla’s territorial prison—known to keep company with lowlifes and horse-thieves. Gather up a search team and help the law track him down! If you succeed, you will be rewarded. Horvath took an escape route through Fort Walla Walla and left behind careless clues. Living History on Sunday July 16 at 2pm is Lettice Millican Clark Reynolds by Pam Myers.
Ice Cream Social: The Oregon Trail Game!
The Museum’s biggest summer event includes free ice cream, Living History, and the interactive live-action Oregon Trail Game, inspired by the popular 1985 educational video game. Bring your team and survival skills to make it from Independence, Missouri, all the way to Fort Walla Walla.
Pioneer Santa and Holiday Fun
It’s starting to feel festive at the museum! Come meet Pioneer Santa for pictures and holiday stories in the Grand Hall. There will be a crafts table set up for kids, and light refreshments will be served.
We will also have free gift wrapping for all holiday purchases made in the Museum Store!
Frontier Folk Music: Hank Cramer and Friends
Join us for an evening of 19th century folk music, including songs typical to the Oregon Trail, the frontier army, cowboys, settlers, and railroaders.
World War II Reenactors
Attention, history enthusiasts and adventure seekers! Get ready to experience an immersive journey into the era of World War Two, as a group of passionate and talented reenactors descend upon Fort Walla Walla Museum.
ATHS Annual Walla Walla Truck Show
Fort Walla Walla Museum is happy to welcome back the American Truck Historical Society, which will be hosting its annual large-scale car and truck show.
Ice Cream Social: The Oregon Trail Game!
The Museum’s biggest summer event includes free ice cream, Living History, and the interactive live-action Oregon Trail Game, inspired by the popular 1985 educational video game. Bring your team and survival skills to make it from Independence, Missouri, all the way to Fort Walla Walla.
Heritage Skills: Vegetable Fermentation
It’s August 1, 1870, and Fred Stine has harvested some vegetables from his garden just for this presentation. Food preservation is an important skill people needed in the past, and people can still grow almost anything in the Walla Walla Valley. Fred Stine will bring the ingredients and the knowledge to make fermented pickles, beets, and radishes. The whole process will be explained, and recipes will be made available so visitors can make their own at home. He has already fermented some vegetables and will be bringing them to share. Fred Stine is portrayed by long-time Living History member Charles Saranto.
Lewis & Clark Living History Weekend
The Pacific Northwest Living Historians (PNLH) will demonstrate the tools and skills employed by the explorers of the epic Lewis and Clark expedition during this two-day special event. Visitors will learn the history and stories of the Lewis and Clark expedition: the native people that they met, the unfamiliar territory they traveled and mapped, and the strange new animals and plants they discovered.
The program will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m- 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Escape from the Territorial Prison! (Family-Friendly Game)
WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE: Seasoned criminal Orvy Whipstitch Horvath has escaped Walla Walla’s territorial prison—known to keep company with lowlifes and horse-thieves. Gather up a search team and help the law track him down! If you succeed, you will be rewarded. Horvath took an escape route through Fort Walla Walla and left behind careless clues. Living History on Sunday July 16 at 2pm is Lettice Millican Clark Reynolds by Pam Myers.
Rough Riders & Buffalo Soldiers Encampment
The American Soldiers of the West reenactor group will be at the Museum, portraying two U.S. Army units that fought in the Spanish-American War in 1898: The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry (the “Rough Riders”) and the 24th Infantry Regiment (one of the “Buffalo Soldier” regiments).
This living history event will have a display of late 1800s guns, and set up camp on the Museum’s grounds for the weekend. The reenactors wear period uniforms, which are taken directly from the pages of history— as well as bringing accurate saddlebags, gear, and tack. Visit with them to learn about the Spanish-American War, and to learn more about the history of these two units.
Film Screening "Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts"
The Buffalo Soldiers—an African American regiment in the United States Army in the 19th century—fought military conflicts abroad and civil rights struggles at home.
The one-hour documentary film, “Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts,” directed by Dru Holley of Vancouver, Washington, would be an important addition to Ft. Walla Walla’s recognition of Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month. The film examines the profound and often-contradictory roles played in American history by The Buffalo Soldiers. African-American history isn’t in a corner by itself; it’s part of the U.S. historical narrative, and this film tells that story in a compelling and accessible manner.
Museum Open House - Free Admission!
Enjoy a day of free admission to the museum! Our Open House is a chance for local residents to come see what’s new at the old fort. With five exhibit halls and a 17-structure pioneer settlement, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Learn about the territorial prison, horse-era agricultural practices, the history of the Forts Walla Walla, and more.
April Fools Scavenger Hunt (first day)
We’ll be having our April Fools’ Scavenger Hunt for the whole month of April! Bring the kids and find the modern items hidden in some of the museum’s exhibits—list them all and get a prize in the Museum Store.