Back in Time

It's Mothers Day here in the United States, so today I will share with you the moment I first saw my mother, and she first saw me, all the way back in 1983. Happy Mothers Day, Mom! I love you!

Fort Walla Walla

Yes, it's true - Walla Walla has its own military fort. Granted, it's only used now for education and preserving history, but it's still a fort and it has been around for quite a while, though I can't seem to find the date on their website. I hope to show more photos from this place soon...sadly I've only ever visited here once in the 8 years I've lived here. They are currently building a new expansion and I am excited to see it once it is complete. This is one of the walkways between the museum at the top of the hill and the replicas at the bottom of the hill. It's a beautiful place to visit, with plenty of grounds (around 15 acres) to explore and things to see. Those of you gardeners out there will notice that this is an old photo - the irises aren't even ready to bloom yet, and the trees are still rather bare!

The Old Theatre

Today's post comes to us from downtown Walla Walla. This is one of the entrances to our Macy's department store, which used to be known as the Bon Marche'. The name changed a couple of years ago across the country. Macy's sells everything from clothing to kitchen gadgets to china to sheets to makeup to accessories to shoes to towels to crystal. They also have a gift-wrapping department where, for a cost, of course, they will gift-wrap your item in a size-appropriate box with beautiful paper of your choosing. This entrance to Macy's opens into the junior section (for teenagers), where the room is curved and the path into the room sloped. The reason for this? The building used to be a theatre back in the day. Long before me, I'm sorry to say. Ever since I've lived here, this has been a Bon Marche'/Macy's. I'm not sure when it became part of a department store, but it's still a beautiful old building and I hope they continue to provide upkeep for the facade.

Tour of the Back Roads 4

If I'd started this tour of the back roads just two days later, this would have worked out perfectly. The young person buried here died on February 2, 1903, so Monday will mark the 106th anniversary of his death. I think it's safe to assume that no one who knew him personally is still alive today, though it is possible. This little one died at age 11. When wandering through cemeteries - new or old - I always have to stop and think of the parents of these children who didn't live to fulfill their life dreams and goals. Join us again tomorrow for more of the back roads of the WWV.

Tour of the Back Roads 3

As we continue along our tour of the back roads of the WWV, our next stop is Valley Chapel Cemetery. With the snow on the ground, it's hard to tell how many graves actually fill this small place of memories and loved ones, but those headstones that rose above the ground numbered less than 20. Most of them marked graves that were between 100 and 120 years old, making this yet another pioneer cemetery. (See my previous post on Pioneer Cemetery on the outskirts of Milton-Freewater.) Tomorrow we'll take a look inside of the cemetery, at some of the very old gravestones laid with love and tears.

The Old Plant

I can't read the numbers perfectly, but I think the date says 1928. Even here in the western United States a building from this era is considered quite new, although buildings start becoming "old" when you get back to the 1800s, which will make a lot of you laugh. Remember, this is one of the newest parts of the world. This old power plant sits on the banks of the Walla Walla River, nestled up against a hillside and blocking one's view of the lovely riverside path that meanders through brush, trees, and other bits of nature. Again, this is not a place to hang out after dark, or probably even close to it, but during the day it's kind of fun to explore. And yes, this is how dreary it really looks in January. Surprisingly, there are still bits of green in the valley, but my guess is this has something to do with its proximity to the river.

Pioneer Cemetery

I realized after yesterday's post that I didn't follow through with my promise of a photo of the entrance to the Pioneer Cemetery I talked about on Sunday. So here it is a day late...with my apologies. To read more about this cemetery, see my previous post.

Stormy January

I suppose some would consider this a better picture for Halloween than early January, but oh well. This was taken in January 2008, and it shows what the winter weather is usually like in the Walla Walla Valley. This is an old graveyard my husband and I stumbled upon while geocaching in a wheat field on a hill not too far from our house. It's called Pioneer Cemetery, probably because the graves are all for some of the first people to settle in the WWV. Most of them are illegible by now, and weather (and probably some "helpful" teenagers with nothing else to do) has taken its toll on the stones. You can see the WWV in the background, down at the base of the hill. Tomorrow I'll post a photo of the entrance to this somewhat spooky old cemetery.

Whitman Mission

Marcus and Narcissa Whitman were missionaries to the Walla Walla Valley natives starting in 1836. The valley was then in what was known as the Oregon Territory, but is now part of southeastern Washington. The settlement became a stop along the famous Oregon Trail, and was known as Waiilatpu (why-ee-LAHT-poo), meaning "Place of the Rye Grass" in the Cayuse language. Marcus farmed and provided medical care, while his wife, Narcissa, set up a school for the native children. The sudden influx of white people brought with it disease and sickness. In a short amount of time, many natives were dying with measles. The medicine to cure measles known to the white people didn't have the same effect on the natives, leading to more white people being healed than natives. This, coupled with the intense nature of the conversion attempts of the Whitmans and their white friends, led the natives to believe that Marcus was killing the natives and only healing the white people. Over the course of several weeks, 53 women and children were held hostage by the natives until negotiations were finally settled for their release. Unfortunately, in the angry acts that followed the hostage-taking, the Whitmans were murdered in cold blood by the very people they were trying to help: the natives. Today, Waiilatpu is an historical marker along Highway 12 just north of Walla Walla and College Place. Whitman Mission is a few miles outside of town, located on several acres of beautiful tree-filled land. It's free to park and enjoy the picnic area, and a minimal fee (used for upkeep and staffing) allows you to explore the grounds and the museum, as well as the monument to the Whitmans located on a lone hill to the east of the museum. This photo was taken on the grounds of the Whitman Mission during the winter two years ago.