Wild Walla Walla and the First Mayor
Walla Walla in the 1860s was a boom town with a wide range of adventures available – vigilantes, rough and tumble fights, midnight hangings, and many people stopping for supplies as they passed through on their way to the gold fields in Idaho's Orofino and Boise Basin.
E.B. Whitman, first mayor of Walla Walla, can tell you of those times. Living History performances begin at 2:00 pm each Sunday, plus Saturdays June through August, in the Museum's pioneer village.
E.B.Whitman, true to his public-spirited character, is restored to life by local attorney and civic activist Daniel Clark. After marrying and having two sons in Boston, in 1850 Whitman went to California to seek his fortune in the gold fields. Twelve years later he and his wife, Maria, were reunited here, where his cousin Marcus had lived. Several times elected mayor of Walla Walla, he was prominent in the community throughout the rough and violent times of the mid-1860s. Over the years he served as sheriff, justice of the peace, and clerk of the school board, as well as in other positions.
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 |
