• bible sitting next to a teapot

    Whitman Mission

    National Historic Site Washington

Stories

painting of covered wagon being pulled by oxen

A Missionary Saga

This series of 40 short articles chronicles the Whitmans trip out, describes their time at the mission, and focuses on some of the people they met. The articles were written for a local history column and were produced from 2009 through 2012.

Season 1: The Trip Out

Season 2: The Early Years

Season 3: 1843 Through 1847

Season 4: The People in Their Lives

 

More About Dr. Whitman's Exploratory Trip in 1835
Before Dr. Whitman and his wife came out in 1836, Dr. Whitman made an exploratory trip with Rev. Samuel Parker. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions sent Rev. Samuel Parker and Dr. Marcus Whitman to the Oregon Country in 1835 to locate potential mission sites. To reach their destination Dr. Whitman and Rev. Parker traveled with a fur trader caravan. A few of the incidents that occurred on this trip are listed below:

Hostility of the Men of the Caravan

The Dread Cholera Strikes the Caravan

Dr. Whitman Operates on Jim Bridger

 

Life in Old Oregon

Life at Whitman Mission

Communication - 1840s Style

Did You Know?

Brass compass which belonged to Dr. Whitman

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.