1860s New Orleans Lady Comes to Walla Walla
Deana Underwood portrays Annie Mix
It’s easy to think of the pioneers as
rugged, rough-hewn
folks, but the American West drew people from all walks of life, including those considered highly refined. Deana Underwood portrays one such early Walla Walla resident, Annie Mix. A woman of sophistication and elegance, as well as indomitable spirit, Mrs. Mix was so highly regarded regionally that Woodward Canyon Winery used her picture on the label of its 1984 cabernet sauvignon (below).
Mix was born Anna Dwight in New Orleans in 1831 and arrived in Walla Walla with her husband and three children in 1863, a time when Walla Walla was the biggest city in Washington Territory and transitioning from rough-and-tumble frontier town into a community of more respectability. Her husband, James D. Mix, was born into a Virginia family of some standing. Mr. Mix served twice in the Territorial Legislature, as City Attorney, and as a member of the City Council. After retirement from public duties, he was involved with farming and stock-raising endeavors.
Following her husband’s death in 1881, Mrs. Mix took over the operation of the family business interests, including agriculture, stock ranching, and commercial properties such as the Palace Hotel. The hotel once stood on the west side of Third Avenue between Main and Alder Streets in downtown Walla Walla, where the Bank of America building and the Baker Boyer Bank parking lot are today.
Annie Mix was widely known for her gracious hospitality and judicious business ability. An interesting footnote in her life, according to Professor W.D. Lyman’s History of Walla Walla County, is “the distinction of being the owner of the first family sewing machine in San Francisco.”
Performances begin at 2:00 p.m. in the pioneer settlement at Fort Walla Walla Museum. Visitors are encouraged to question the Living History re-enactors about their lives and times. The Museum is open daily, 10 am - 5 pm, April through October; 10 am - 4 pm, November1 through December 23; and weekdays, 10 am - 4 pm, January through March.
Admission is free to Fort Walla Walla Museum members,
eligible service personnel & their familes through
the Blue Star Museums program, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute's
Inwai Circle cardholders,
enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and all children under 6;
$3/children
6-12; $6/seniors (62+) and students; $7/adults.
Your admission fee today may be applied to a membership,
priced beginning at $27. For more information, contact Fort Walla Walla Museum at 509-525-7703, or email: info@fortwallawallamuseum.org.
Image of Annie Mix courtesy of Woodward Canyon Winery.
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