Soldiering in the days of Fort Walla Walla

This weekend's Living History performance (Sunday, May 3, at 2:00 pm) features local musician Joel Fitts portraying Fort Walla Walla soldier John Singleton.

Singleton was an Irishman who came to Walla Walla in 1857 to be a soldier at Fort Walla Walla. he nearly lost his life in the disastrous Battle of Steptoe Butte under the command of Lt. Col. Edward J. Steptoe, for whom Walla Walla was originally named. The community that grew around the temporary fort near the intersection of First and Main Streets in what is now the downtown area was originally known as "Steptoeville."

Singleton’s wife, also Irish, followed him here, and purchased a pre-emption claim in Walla Walla from Captain Pierce, who used the money to open the first mines in Idaho. Pierce’s actions set off a gold rush that made Walla Walla a boom town in the 1860’s. Local Indian people, the Nez Perce, called on the Fort to help protect them from the large influx of miners.

Singleton retired from the army in 1861, and he and his wife lived and farmed for the rest of their lives in Walla Walla.

The story of the military in the region is now more than 150 years old, as last year was the sesquicentennial anniversary of the opening of the 'permanent' fort on the grounds where the Wainwright VA facility is today. You can see some of the 1858 officers quarters on the back road of the facility, though the exteriors do not look as they originally did.

Maintaining the old buildings of the medical center is not the primary function of the VA and I believe they'd appreciate being out of that business. Nevertheless, the structures represent the bulk of Washington State's pre-Civil War architecture and are the historic legacy of the modern city of Walla Walla. What to do? Everything costs money, including preservation activities at museums, and no one seems to have much to part with these days. In the meantime, the buildings suffer from neglect and exposure to the elements. The VA is anticipating some investment in new facilities on the site and perhaps through that the community can take charge of the old structures.

Got a good idea? Let's hear it!

Today's photos show Joel Fitts as John Singleton playing in the Oregon Trail Band, which will also be here on Sunday afternoon. They play popular 19th century music preceding the Living History program every first and third Sunday through our season. While Fitts no longer plays with the Band, he is an accomplished musician and can be heard at various venues around town with his friends in The Rogues. Another image shows the original adobe blocks beneath the more modern exterior of one of the officers quarters. The map shows Oregon & Washington Territories and the black-and-white image shows the Fort in 1862.