Home

General Information

Museum Events

Living History

Membership

Collections / Exhibits

Museum Store

Education

Press Room

Volunteer

Links

Support Us

In Command

Lt. Col. Edward J. Steptoe was the commanding officer of Fort Walla Walla when the fort
re-located from a temporary cantonment in what is now the heart of downtown Walla Walla to its final site where the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center is today.

On May 6, 1858, Steptoe led a force of 158 lightly armed dragoons and mounted infantry, northward to confer with the Northern Tribes (including Couer d'Alene, Palouse, Spokane, and other peoples). On May 17, Steptoe's column was attacked near the present-day town of Rosalia, Washington and a running battle ensued through the day. At nightfall the soldiers buried their dead and guns. The now unburdened soldiers escaped through a gap in the lines and retreated hastily back to Fort Walla Walla.

The community that grew up around the fort was first known as Steptoeville; the large conical butte near Rosalia is also named for Steptoe.

Visitors are encouraged to question re-enactors about their experiences and views, and visit the Museum’s many displays and historic buildings.

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