Spring Break
Four of the grandgirls and I took a trek around the Whitman Mission Site Wednesday. It's about 15 minutes from where I live and was a beautiful day. I walked more than I have in weeks. The girls ran everywhere back and forth. There is a piece of the Oregon Trail still here running through the grounds. It's disappeared on both ends. It was a northerly detour for emigrants who has left too late to make it through before winter. We saw a well done film on the history of the mission. It featured historians with many views of this event giving the Cayuse background and history as well. The portrait of the Whitman's as innocent martyrs has pretty gone by the way and about time in my mind. The situation was a very complicated one and this spot was an initial battle in what became war.
This is the restored mill pond from the mission. It is a sanctuary for turtles, the Western Painted Turtle and the Slider Turtle. They look a lot alike and I cannot tell them apart. I forgot my other lens so I couldn't get a closeup.
Three sisters on the path to see where the mission buildings were.
Fun in the creek. When I was growing up we called them cricks, now we call them creeks. What do you call them?
Listening to the story of the mission.
Monument near the spot where little Alice Whitman aged 2 drowned in the Walla Walla River.
My seven year old grandgirl wondered why anyone would let a two year-old go to the river alone. Her toddler siblings are never near any water unattended. I had the same thoughts after reading Narcissa Whitman's letters to her family. A sad thing.
Photo NPS - Renee Rusler
The photo above shows both kinds. The bottom shell on the Western Painted Turtle is bright red which you might be able to see on the small turtle sitting on a larger one. Their wooden island is isolated on one side of the pond to give them peace. Sometimes one or two will come out and amble around and come closer into view.
This is the marker of the mass grave for those who died in the 1847 massacre. It is only a marker, no one known to be buried here any longer. Farther back on the path though is a spot that may have been used as a cemetery and there may still be remains there, from when I wasn't able to find out.
After we were all thoroughly run out, historied, and sun-baked we went for ice cream and drinks.
posted by Celia | April 11, 2014
8 Comments:
I haven't been there for years but enjoyed it the time I was. The Cayuse story is in the museum in Pendleton on the Umatilla casino grounds. They built a fantastic museum there to tell the story of these tribes from before white man to today. It's a shame more don't visit it as it really is excellent.
Thanks for the reminder Rain; that would be the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and it is worth several visits. https://www.tamastslikt.org/
Lucky lucky you!!!
Beautiful, Celia. I love your writing and your thoughts, and it reminds me so of being there with you and your other grandkids, my kids. I love the beauty and history of that place, especially the wagon ruts - but it is so, so sad, I can feel it again, just reading about it. I like that you are Blue PLANET now. xo
Susan, it is a haunted place.
what a lovely day you had! Thanks for the history and turtle lesson! Cheers!
What a wonderful way to see you and your grandchildren. I love the photos and the writing. Thanks for the invite.
Summers and family history in Oregon always meant library book hours on the pioneers and the indigenous people. So many stories. The letters from women that moved West via cover wagon are inspired.
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