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1860s New Orleans Lady Comes to Walla Walla

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.”

Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily. Admission is free to members, children under 6, and through a reciprocal agreement Tamástslikt Cultural Institute's Inwai Circle cardholders and enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; $3 for children ages 6-12; $6 for seniors (62+) and students; and $7 for adults. Your admission cost can be applied to a membership, which includes free admission to all Living History performances, priced beginning at $25. 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.