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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
Whitman Mission National Historic SiteW. H. Jackson painting of the mission in the 1840s based on other's descriptions.
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Whitman Mission National Historic Site
Whitman Mission - Appearance
 
Painting of Whitman Mission as imagined by William Henry Jackson based on written descriptions.
Courtesy of William Henry Jackson Collection
Painting of the Whitman Mission as it may have looked in the 1840s. Painted by William Henry Jackson in 1930. It is part of the collection at the Oregon Trail Museum at Scotts Bluff National Monument.
 
Appearance of the Mission House in the Light of Historical Evidence
From 1948 Archeological Report by Thomas R. Garth.
 

Description of Whitman Mission by Thomas J. Farnham
Thomas Farnham visited the mission in September of 1839.

 
Mission Period Artifacts
From 1948 Archeological Report by Thomas R. Garth.
 
View of mission grounds from hilltop. Lawn, trees, and millpond can be seen.
NPS photo
Mission grounds today as seen from the top of the hill.
book cover showing Marcus and Narcissa Whitman looking into the distance
Read more about the Whitmans
Clifford Drury wrote a very detailed and extensively documented 2-volume book about the Whitmans.
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photo of William Henry Jackson courtesy of William Henry Jackson Collection
Artist William Henry Jackson
Learn more about the artist and his paintings (links to Scotts Bluff National Monument).
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worker with shovel at archeological dig
1948 Archeological Report
Report on second year of archeological work at Whitman Mission led by archeologist Thomas Garth.
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Brass compass which belonged to Dr. Whitman  

Did You Know?
In the fall of 1842 Dr. Whitman decided to travel from Waiilatpu to Boston. He wanted to convince the board members to keep his mission station open. Dr. Whitman was in such a hurry when he left that he forgot his compass.

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Last Updated: October 05, 2008 at 15:24 EST