Mountain Man Visits Fort Walla Walla Museum
Mountain men were among of the earliest Euro-Americans to settle in the Northwest. Following in the footsteps of the Lewis & Clark expedition, these men were the toughest of the tough. Trapping beaver and trading with Indian people in a pristine wilderness, they opened the West for many more to follow. Among that hardy breed was Joseph Meek. Portrayed by Walla Walla County Court Services Director Mike Bates, Joe Meek will appear Saturday, August 16 at 2:00 pm in the cool shade of the Museum’s pioneer village.
Joe Meek first entered the Oregon Country in 1829 as a mountain man along with William Craig and Robert Newell. He met Marcus and Narcissa Whitman at the 1836 fur trappers rendezvous on their way to Walla Walla and was greatly attracted to Narcissa. In 1840, as fur trapping waned, Meek, Newell, and Craig brought the Whitman’s wagons left behind at Fort Hall near tod ay’s Pocatello, Idaho, to the mission at Waiilatpu west of Walla Walla. These were the first wagons ever to cross the Blue Mountains.
eek went on to settle in the Willamette Valley, but left his daughter , Helen Mar , with the Whitmans in the Walla Walla Valley. When he returned to the Whitman Mission after the incident of 1847, he found his daughter had died of illness while a captive among the Cayuse people. Meek then made his famous winter ride to Washington, D.C., to plead for U.S. troops and a government presence in Oregon. As a result, he was appointed U.S. Marshal for the new Oregon Territory that included all of what are now Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, as well as parts of Montana and Wyoming.
Joe Meek is portrayed by Walla Walla County Court Services Director Mike Bates. The Living History Company is composed of more than 40 Walla Walla historical figures from the 1800’s who tell the stories of their lives. Different people are presented each Sunday from April through October, plus Saturdays June through August.
Living History performances take place in the Museum’s pioneer settlement on Myra Road. Visitors are encouraged to question the performers about their experiences and views, and visit the 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.
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