"I used to live around here as a child. I remember riding my horse up to the memorial on top of the hill."

Every once in a while we still get visitors to Whitman Mission NHS who share these memories. Often they also comment on the appearance of the land at the time, the adobe bricks from some of the mission buildings still visible despite the grasses. That may have been all that was visible to the naked untrained eye, but to the archaeologist, the ground still holds much information about Whitman's Mission and mission life of the 1830's and 1840's.

After the Whitmans were killed in 1847, the buildings were burned by the Indians as much as was possible. The buildings apparently were still usable, as the T-shaped Mission House was reroofed in 1848 by the Oregon Volunteers when for a short time it became known as Fort Waters. After the Oregon Volunteers left, Indians again burned and destroyed the building, more thoroughly this time, so it could not be used again. A log cabin was built by Reverend Cushing Eells on the same site of the Mission House. The cabin burned in 1872, and after that at least two other houses stood in the same place. The last farmhouse was torn down in 1936 when Whitman National Monument was established. The evidence of the Mission House was buried for almost 100 years, covered by the earth and these later structures.

Thomas Garth was the first custodian of the site, called Whitman National Monument at the time (the name was changed in 1963 to Whitman Mission National Historic Site to better reflect the historical significance of the site). He was hired as a historical archaeologist to do excavations of the mission sites. Work was interrupted by World War II, but resumed in September, 1946 when preliminary work was done on the First House and Mission House. Work continued in 1947 with the goal of locating the major mission buildings, all were found but the Blacksmith Shop, although at the time Garth also believed he had found the foundations of that structure. First House and Mission House were excavated and recovered by soil in 1948 to preserve the sites. The irrigation ditch was also found during these 1940's excavations.

Garth found that the walls of the Mission House were "20 inches wide, made of adobe bricks 20 inches long, 10 inches wide, and 5 inches thick." (Garth, 1949: 297). The excavations of the 1940's uncovered many things, including glassware, broken china, nails, slate, etc. False teeth, individually molded of fine porcelain, were even found along with some other items that told of Marcus Whitman's medical practice. Garth writes of the Mission House in "Excavations at Waiilatpu":

"Forunately the building had a heavy dirt roof. This, when the supports burned through, crashed down on the burning wood floors below, in many instances smothering the fire and preserving planks, joists, and even bits of cloth, leather, grains and other foods, in a charred state. The roof also blanketed the area with 4 to 6 inches of earth, protecting it from the tramping and souvenir hunting of soldiers and others who came on the scene afterwards." (Garth, 1949: 297).

The next major period of excavation didn't take place until the 1960's. At the time of Garth's excavations, the locations of the Blacksmith Shop, the Mission cemetery, and Alice Clarissa Whitman's gravesite were still unknown. The excavations of 1960 - 1961 had the goals of finding the Blacksmith Shop and Alice Clarissa's grave. The approximate location of the Blacksmith Shop was discovered and foundation stones mark that location today. However, Alice Clarissa's gravesite met with more difficulty. The purpose of the archaeological investigations was so her remains would be safeguarded from construction projects and also to mark her resting place. Instead of finding her grave, these excavations uncovered the location of the Indian cemetery. Despite the fact that her grave was never found, a marker was erected near where it was thought to be.

Excavations of 1961 were also done of Whitman's original irrigation ditch and the Oregon Trail. These two projects assisted in their restoration and a more accurate portrayal of Waiilatpu.

In general, the archaeological investigations done at Whitman Mission have assisted rangers in interpreting the story that took place here 150 years ago. Some of the artifacts found during excavations are on display in the museum, while others are in storage. The value of these items to the science of archaeology would have been diminished had they been dug up by souvenir hunters. Much of the value comes from how items are found in relation to one another and to the site, the provenience of the item. Within the National Park system, collecting natural items, such as flowers and grasses, is prohibited due to their status as protected species. Likewise, artifacts and sites, whether prehistoric or historic, are protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA). Part of the law states: "No person may excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface or attempt to excavate, remove, damage or otherwise alter or deface any archaeological resource located on federal or Indian lands without a permit." (Via Internet ). Metal detectors may not be used within the site, and if a visitor finds an item thought to be an artifact on the grounds, he or she should leave it in place and inform a ranger of the find.

Archaeology is a fascinating science that explores the past, whether it be that of another culture or our own culture. Archaeological research has come a long way with the advent of new technology which does not even require excavation to see what is beneath the ground. Perhaps someday this new technique will be used at Whitman Mission.

Archaeological excavation is not currently being pursued at the site, however, lab work (which constitutes the majority of archaeological research after excavation) continues even 50 years after excavation.

We are taking archaeology in a different direction beginning this year with the development of a classroom and on-site archaeology program. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about the science of archaeology and how it assists in gaining knowledge of the past. Hands-on learning will assist in this goal. We hope area schools will be excited as we are about this new program. We also hope to create a summer Archaeology Day Camp to be held for one week during the summer at Whitman Mission NHS. The more people know about the past, the more likely they are to preserve it for the future.