FWWMworld

Grant Me this Boon

2009-08-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ah, grants ... without them we could not undertake nearly as much in the way of exhibits and programming as we have in recent years. Despite the popular misconception that grants represent "free money," keeping up with them is an extraordinary effort in record-keeping and tracking.

To that end, we recently received a slightly more than $52,000 grant from a federal source known as the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The first piece of understanding is that, for exhibit purposes, this is a large chunk of money for the Museum. Secondly, it does not come without 'strings,' in that we must match it with another $53,000 in funding and in-kind value and issue periodic reports as well as a final assessment.

This grant will assist in research, design, and installation of a new exhibit with the working title, Through War and Peace: American Military and the People of the Homeland Tribes. We aim to showcase the interconnectedness between the various aspects of armed forces, Euro-American settlers, and the Indian people whose traditional homeland happens to be where we call home today. We also plan to purchase several life-like mannequins and replica uniforms depicting various eras of occupation at Fort Walla Walla. Also to be installed will be items from our Indian artifact collection and Fort Walla Walla military items. Ahem ... it's going to be a L-A-R-G-E exhibit.

Taken separately, these components would yield an incomplete, possibly false story of the historic era from the days of Lewis & Clark (a military expedition) through the region's participation in World War II. The ramifications continue to this day and will likely into the foreseable future. The exhibit will be completed by April 1, 2011.

With a pair of grants from the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, we'll re-install our Lewis & Clark diorama and include a new backdrop mural by acclaimed local artist Leslie Cain. It will feature a view from across the Columbia River at the mouth of the Walla Walla River, the site of Yellept's village and and location of the 'elegant white horse' gift exchange.

Building Progress: I took a walk through and around the entire structure today. I can report that electrical outlets and plumbing fixtures will be coming along, as soon as the mudmen conclude their work ... which will be soon. I also managed a trip upstairs to the storage area that will be above the south end, restrooms, utility room, and public access study area. Being able to store useful items in a climate-controlled area close to exhibits will be a great step-saver for the Collections & Exhibits folks.

Today's photos, from the top: the stairwell into our upstairs storage area, a mudman working on the restrooms exterior, the Grand Hall as it appears from the west entrance (the 'back door'), and our Lewis & Clark diorama as it appeared in the now-departed Exhibit Hall 1.

It's YOUR Heritage, Too!

2009-08-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

As darn near everyone in the world of not-for-profit enterprises [Fort Walla Walla Museum is a 501 (c) 3] will tell you, playing 'give-away' is mighty hard to do. We have a duty to be of public service and, out here on Myra Road in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley, we take that seriously.

Everyone should be able to connect with their heritage and for us that means folks who've lived here 'forever' (our Indian friends), those whose forebearers took up residence in the Frenchtown area during the 1820s (retirees from Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Walla Walla and their Indian and Metis families), scions of the earliest pioneer families, and those who arrived yesterday on their own migratory passages. If you live here, the heritage belongs to you.

Cost should not be the determinant in making the connection. We offer free family passes to a wide variety of social service agencies including BMAC, Children's Home Society, Lillian Rice Center, Christian Aid Society, YWCA, and others. We also partner with area schools to provide free admission for families whose economic challenges may preclude a Museum visit. Beyond that, we've offered our most recent book, Soldiers, Pioneers and Indian People, to schools and libraries throughout the region without cost to them.

We also contribute to some worthy causes. We get asked periodically to assist various entities' fundraisers. When appropriate, we're happy to comply. We had the opportunity to meet the winners of a "Walla Walla Get-Away" yesterday when they brought their free passes to the Museum. The passes were part of a package that included lodging, dinner, and a pair of winery tastings. As they are still traveling (and fairly far from home), I'll forego providing their point of origin, lest the criminal element of their home turf find those empty homes an easy mark.

They are having a wonderful time, especially enjoying the warm weather currently underway. It feels good to invite people to our hometown and see them enjoy it so well. Tourism is a key component of the local economy and the Museum's visitors, according to a variety of statistics, contribute about $2.5 million annually. That's just another way we work to 'preserve and share the heritage of the Walla Walla region.'

Building progress: After being away for a few days, I can see progress has been made. The main entries (front and back) have been boarded up, primarily to cut the dust for the mudders completing drywall work. The wood aspect of the log-look entry is also complete. Yesterday I noticed a workman installing frames around the six bathroom windows ... the windows will supply welcome light to both the men's & women's restrooms. Note: we heard our female advisors loud and clear~ their are four stalls in the womens, as opposed to just two in the men's. Perhaps equality means an equal time waiting for an unoccupied space.

Today's photos include the visiting gropup as they mug for the camera in our Ewe Guessed It: Woolen Goods from the Walla Walla Region special exhibit on display through September 7 and the blockhouse entry. The young lady is a French girl I met at the Farmer's Mrket last Saturday. She enjoyed playing with our 'demo' Jacobs Ladder toy that she's holding, as well as the cup 'n ball game we keep on hand for kids just like her. She and her family were nice folks, visiting their American family ... made me wish I knew more French beyond 'bon jour!'

2009-08-12T08:37:00.001-07:00

We have a new exhibit about to open (this Friday) featuring primarily woolen goods from our part of the world. Wool, of course, comes from sheep and I thought to illustrate the media release I wrote with some photos. I included a few sheep photos from our collection and another featuring one of our stellar volunteers, Adele Ganguet, standing beside one the sheep wagons in the Museum's collection. Adele's family were sheep people, so it was a fitting shot.

Sheep wagons are pretty cool. Whether one wants to assign the title of 'first RV' to them, conestogas, or some earlier incarnation ... how far back might 'gypsy' wagons go? ... they are along the evolutionary trail to our modern mobile homes and recreational vehicles.

Sometimes solitary, sometimes a couple or a pair of folks, often Basque sheepmen in the 'old days, the sheep wagon was a true 'home on the range' for its inhabitants. Besides the flock, a sheepman's company might have been no more than the horse pulling the wagon and his faithful (yet working) dog.

A little stove on which to cook and to keep warm in cool weather, a place to store food and extra clothes, a set of utensils, some tools of the trade, and a bed. Not a lot, but perhaps that was the point ... not everyone fares well when removed from the human flock.

In the Museum's 'Jo-So' sheep wagon ... named for the Jussaud family, one of whose descendants, 'Jo' Winn, sits on our Board Directors ... one can spot a small guitar. I was reminded of cowboys riding night herd singing their 'cow lullabyes' to their charges. perhaps sheepmen were inclined to perch on a nearby rock in order to strum and sing for their flocks by night, too. Maybe a little music helps keep the dark at bay through the long, lonely hours.

The new exhibit, entitled Ewe Guessed It: Woolen Goods of the Walla Walla Region, looks to be worth seeing as Collections Manager Laura and her volunteers are moving beyond the staging phase into installation this morning. Though largely a textile exhibit, there will be several items never before displayed by the Museum and a number of items distinctly not apparel. Come on out and see it ... it will run from August 14 through September 7.

Building Progress: The drywall is almost entirely in place and my early morning visit to the site showed me the 'mud men' at work. I noticed a fully wired electrical socket and work continues on the log-look of the blockhouse entry.

Today's photos include Adelle by a sheep wagon; the interior of the 'J0-So' sheep wagon; a 'mudder' plying his trade; and a pair of images of the blockhouse entry. Sheep were once almost as plentiful as the grass around here. At some point in the future, the future, the Museum will explore that heritage in more depth in a gallery entitled Where Sheep May Safely Graze. Enjoy!

Down in the Village

2009-08-07T09:12:00.001-07:00

There's always something worthwhile to see in Fort Walla Walla Museum's pioneer settlement. For many years, we've used a pair of props for 'curb appeal' ... trying to snag those drivers passing by on Myra Road and lure them into to a Museum visit. Apparently it works; our statistics show that signage and related items are key reasons visitors cite as the reason for their being here. The props ... meaning that they are not artifacts ... are our covered wagon and our tepee.

Regional Indian people made use of local building materials before the arrival of the horse in the 1730s. At that time, annual trips across the mountains to the buffalo country of what is now Montana began to take place; the original tule mat lodges were replaced with buffalo skin tepees. After the destruction of the great buffalo herds, canvas replaced animal hides. The Columbia Plateau-style tepee consists of 19 22-to-25-foot poles and a heavy mass of canvas. Traditionally, tepees were erected by a band’s women, who worked with each other to get a community’s portable housing put up in short order. Tepees were generally considered the property of the homemakers. Getting the poles nested in the right sequence is no easy task; it takes quite a bit of experience to get things just right. Doing it alone is extremely difficult. I tried this once upon a time at a Columbus Quincentenary event in 1992 on the Crow Indian Reservation ... the tribal elders found our efforts to be hilarious.

The Museum acquired the tepee from Old West Tipis of Lapwai, Idaho several years ago. According to company owners Dr. Steve Evans and his wife Connie, a full-blood Nez Perce Tribal member, Plateau-style teepees differ from their Plains cousins in several ways. The doorways are not oval, but a kind of upside down ‘U’ with no closure pins at the bottom. The vent flaps are typically shorter and the backs tend to be steeper. You can learn more from Old West Tipi’s website, www.oldwesttipis.com/

The tepee’s poles are assembled in an open nest-like pattern, then the canvas is draped over the frame. Tie-downs and final touches that ensure a realistic portrayal complete the job.

More next time about the 'prairie schooner.'

Building progress: The new version of the log-look entry is progressing. In an effort to keep the new building from looking too much like a new building, the architect has included several ideas to make things look as though the structure has been in place for many a year, much akin to an old military post. For instance, on the back side, a pair of window frams are in place, though no windows will admit light into the interior. Imagine a fort having a building in place but the commander has a new use for the structure ... the windows might be removed, though the frames left in place and the hole boarded up. Another notion is to give the log-look ends of the entry blockhouse a 'nock' on the ends, much like a log cabin would have looked (see the Ransom Clark Cabin in the village).

Today's pics, from the top: two images of Jim and Carol Kirk (Carol's an enolled member of the Confederated Umatilla Tribes) help direct the Museum's crew in erecting the tepee earlier this season; three images of the blockhouse entry.

'Stirring' up Memories

2009-07-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

We have lots of things that can be considered 'icons' of the Museum. Our "curb appeal" icons include the covered wagon and tipi on the lawn closest to Myra Road qualify. We often refer to our 33-mule team, Shandoney hitch, and wooden Harris combine in Exhibit Hall 3 as stars of the show, and our life-size Lewis & Clark diorama, currently on view in Headquareters as it awaits a new backdrop mural to be installed in the new Entrance building. By the way, local artist Leslie Cain has been commissioned to do the new mural.

Various things on display obviously please some folks more than others, but a perennial favorite is the Territorial Prison display in Exhibit hall 5. As you walk through the old firehouse doors and past the circa 1900 American LaFrance fire engine, you'll see an actual pair of cells and the locking mechanism used to maintain security.

Many folks ... especially kids ... seem to like to take photos of their friends and family 'in stir.' In the letters we get from participants in our school tours, boys are inclined to pick the jail as their favorite display on the grounds. Boys, of course, will be boys.

In these warm days, consider the life of a prisoner. The cells are small and were occupied by at least two men. In the days before modern plumbing, restroom facilities consisted of a chamber pot: a bucket with a removable lid. This arrangement was emptied once a day by the prisoners. One can imagine the aroma building on a day such as this.

Next to the cells is a bit of the history of the prison and includes a selection of home-made weapons designed and crafted by the prisoners ... before they were confiscated.

Building Progress Report: Two steps forward, one step back ... I was once told that a couple building a home could expect enough stress in the building process to test the vialbility of their marriage. Well, we aren't married to the contractors, but you see the point, I'm sure. The lovely wood-look being applied to the exterior of the blockhouse entry did not meet the architect's specifications. To that end, we are trying our best to keep our new building from looking so much like a new building. When you consider that we are trying to enmulate an old fort, that makes sense ... the idea of trying to make the building appear as if it's already had a long life with lots of use.

Today's fotos, from the top: Washington State Penitentiary employee Alan Walter portrayed first Warden Frank Paine in the Living History Company ... that's him by the jail cells; Walla Walla Fire Department Captain Greg Van Donge portrays Walla Walla's first professional fireman Robert Wolf in the Living History Company, standing beside the American LaFrance pumper; an employee of Jim's Glass Copany repairs some broken glass on the firehouse doors from a windstorm in November, 2007. The doors are from the old station #4 that was on Rose Street, where the parking lot behind the City Building stands; a closer-up of the wood-look/no luck situation with the entry.

Wearin' o' the Green

2009-07-29T08:43:00.001-07:00

Visitors to the Museum this time of year get to see the grounds in much of its radiant glory. Flowers are blooming everywhere and the cool shade from the large trees in the pioneer village offers a welcome respite from the day's bright sunshine.

Much work goes into making the grounds look so good. Jim, our Buildings and Grounds Manager, gets most of the credit, but he is ably assisted by a coterie of volunteers. Today, Wednesday, is lawn-mowing day. Visitors will not likely see this operation, as it is done in the early morning hours before we open. A gent from The City of Walla Walla Parks & Recreation Department climbs aboard the large machine and makes short work of things. The Museum rents this place acreage from the city and we are part of Fort Walla Walla Park. Our rental agreement includes lawn mowing and a few other odds 'n ends.

Our relationship with the city has proven to be highly productive. As we move forward with our construction, the city has stepped up big time with support. Perhaps the most obvious item to park visitors will be the outside-access only restroom on the new building's northeast corner. Park users will have access to the facility during early morning park hours and again in the evening. During the day, folks are invited to come indoors and use the Museum's restrooms. As a side note, ladies take notice: We heard you when you told us that restroom equity regarding the number of stalls was non-productive. In the new building, the women's restroom will be larger and have more stalls than the men's room. Both will have diaper-changing stations.

Come on out and see us. Jim has installed a couple of hummingbird feeders which proven to be very popular among our feathered friends. The Italian Herb Garden (a horticultural exhibit, along with our vineyard, in support of the Saturno Italian Farmstead) is getting productive, and the place just looks grand.

Building Progress Department: as I came into work this morning, I noticed that the crew was continuing work on the log-look to the entrway blockhouse.

Today's top-to-bottom photos include our pal Elaine Johnson at work in the Italian Herb Garden, the Fry family overlooking the Saturno homestead (you can see their kids rolling down the slope ... a major kid magnet, that hill!), a city worker mowing the lawn near our tipi, a view of the Headquarters (where the special exhibit Yesterday's Fashions is currently on view) from the construction site, and the log-look work on the entry of our new Entrance building.

No Place Like Home

2009-07-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

After a week away from the desk communing with nature on Oregon's Metolius River and later, communing with my distant family in the hospital at Eugene, Oregon, I can report that truly, there is no place like home. My sister underwent semi-emergency surgery for an intestinal disorder and is recovering nicely, thank you very much. Also while my lovely wife and I were away, a friend may have delivered her first-born ... if so, congratulations Becky! On a more somber note, a member of our extended Museum family passed away ... adieu, Linda, whose celebration of life occurs today.

It is finally high summer in the Walla Walla Valley and the wheat harvest is in full swing. A small field across the road from the Museum was harvested in my absence, but given the prospects for development of that area, I thought last year might have been the last for urban wheat fields in my neighborhood. Nice to know that progress waited a little while for me to catch my breath.

Clear and sunny skies with cool nights makes the grapes perfect when it comes time to harvest them. I shall have to check on the progress of the Museum's own vineyard when I get caught up here. We grow a varietal known variously as 'Black Prince' or 'Cinseault.' I'm told that the name depends on whether you are a Francophile or an Anglophile, but the name may date to the days when the two European rivals disliked almost everything about each other. Whichever way, they are a delicious black, seeded grape suitable for either wine or the table. A local winery, Morrison Lane, sells a bottle of Cinseault (not our grapes) at its downtown tasting room at 4th and Main Streets. I may not write for Wine Spectator, but I highly recommend it.

In the meantime, progress continued on our construction project. Insulation has been put in place and interior plywood is now covering much of the framework. The drywall process began yesterday, too, as well as the first aspect of the 'log look' for the entryway blockhouse. I'll remind you that this is a community project and your help is greatly appreciated. We are still actively fund-raising on this project and seek support for such things as the orientation theater, children's hands-on stations, and other "naming opportunities." Call us at (509) 525-7703 if you'd like to participate as we carry the past into the future!

Today's photos, from the bottom up, include last year's wheat harvest across the road as one overlooks our vineyard, a sample of our grapes, a couple of shots showing the building of the log-look corner of the blockhouse, and a bit of the drywall.

Crossroads of America

2009-07-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

In a Walla Walla history class I occasionally teach at Walla Walla Community College, I refer to regional Indian people gathering in the area where The Dalles, Oregon is today. Because it was a major trading point for Coastal, Great Basin, Plains and Columbia Basin tribes, I've referred to it as 'mall of America' to help get the point across: ... people came from all over to "buy, sell, swap, or trade" for those things they couldn't readily get closer to home.

Later history proved to be much the same, in that pioneers from all over the country wound up here rather than elsewhere. We seemed to attract a fair amount of immigration from all around the globe, too, as testified to by our local Italian heritage (three cheers for the Walla Walla Sweet Onion!), Die Russecke (Germans from Russia), and many others up to and including the present.

We seem to be carrying on that tradition at the Museum ... in just the past week, we've received travelers from Belgium, England, France, Austria, Germany, Australia, and Egypt as well as visitors from California, Idaho, Oregon, Illinois, Maryland, Wisconsin, New York, Indiana, Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Montana, Iowa, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and, of course, Washington. Not bad for a week: seven countries and 23 states!

Each year we set ourselves an unofficial goal of receiving visitors from all 50 states. At this writing, we have only Mississippi left to record. That's sort of odd, in that in recent years chalking up visitation fro the relatively low population states from the distant northeast (Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island) has been the hardest. This year, the 'final four' were North Dakota, Kansas, West Virginia, and Mississippi. We also manage to record guests from 30 countries on average every year ... last year we set a record at 42.

If you pay attention to economics, these are important statistics. Visitors to the commmunity spend an average of $206 per person (according to Tourism Walla Walla's "black box" surveys). That's a lot of income into our region, which gets passed along about eight times before taxes make it disappear. Think of all that sales tax supporting streets, police, fire departments and more!

Construction progress: Yale Glass, under the supervision of general contractor Op & Seibold, installed glass in the back door and its adjacent windows. It looks pretty cool! Also, the final surface of the parking lot was laid and rolled.

Today's photos include, from the top: Operations Assistant Anne signs a beam in the new Entrance, inslide looking out at the new back door, a tour group from Walla Walla Community College learns about the blacksmith shop; and a Columbia River cruise tour bus delivers passengers to the Museum. I've also included a little video showing the parking lot work, below.

Smooth as a New Parking Lot!

2009-07-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

We're doing land office business today! I'm not at all sure where that expression comes from or why it means that business is booming, but that's where we are today. It's kind of unusual for a Monday, but perhaps today's slightly cooler temperatures are encouraging people to venture forth. Whatever the reason, we're glad they chose us for visiting.

We work hard at reaching the public ... with a mission that demands that we engage in "...sharing the heritage..." it's our duty to bring artifacts (and their stories) and people together. How we do that is quite varied. First, our newsletter is sent either electronically or via 'snail mail' to our members. We also send out lots of news releases to various entities, including print, radio, and television. We try to reach travelers through our rack cards that appear in regional hotels/motels and B&Bs. We make appearances at community events like Farmers Market and the recent '4th of July in the Park.' We create posters that get distributed throughout the area. We take ads out in a variety of places. And for many folks, we keep up our web site and reach more folks with this blog.

Through it all, the one thing that reaches more people, at least in terms of where our visitors tell us they heard about the Museum is 'word of mouth.' I can testify that many of the people I meet at the Farmers Market tell me they have friends or relatives coming to town soon and they will likely bring those folks out to see the neighborhood treasure house. Many of our phone calls are folks asking us about our times of operation or rates of admission (10 am - 5 pm daily, April through October; $7/adults, $6/seniors (62+) and students, $3/ children 6-12, and FREE to members and kids under 6) because "my Dad's in town" or "my husband's family is visiting."

We also appreciate that unofficial cadre of ambassadors who help spread the good word by telling all theiur friends and family about the great time they had at Fort Walla Walla Museum. That amounts to a lot of people ... we are within three states (Kansas, West Virginia, and Mississippi) of receiving visitors from 50 states; last year we had a record 42 countries represented by our visiotrs. When people have a good time her, they often tell others. It never hurts to be from an excellent, friendly community, either.

Construction update: Last Friday the crew got our parking lot paved. Fresh blacktop looks pretty neat before anyone's driven on it and even before the lines are painted. Today's photos include (top to bottom) the smoothing of the black top; the first blacktop spread; John, Bunmee and their daughter Thaireen from Wales with their Walla Walla friend; Christina, baby Angel, Katherine & Kamika from Georgia; and Marc-Thomas & Urte with son Nicholas from Germany.

Here's something about blacktop, also known as asphalt, you may not know if you're much younger than me ... the term "tarmac," often heard when a person lands at an airport ... sometimes those greatly happy to be at the place will literally kiss the tarmac ... comes from an older expression, "tar macadam." John McAdam, a Scottish engineer/road builder, developed a process in 1816 now known as 'macadamization,' using crushed rock on a bed of larger rock to create a smooth surface and raised in the center for water run-off. It was the first major change in road construction since the days of the Roman Empire. In later years, an application of tar was used to bind it all together, thus tar macadam ... it was shortened to tarmac and is now used as a reference to any large, paved surface.

Sign Here, Please

2009-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Construction continues at a torrid pace, even in the torrid weather. We now have the final layer of roof application (we used to call them 'shingles'), siding is up in many places, frames are around the exterior windows, duct work is being fitted, electrical and plumbing are trying to keep from bumping into one another.

It's cool, to be sure. One of the features that will not be readily observable when all is completed is that the women's restroom is both larger than the men's and has more stalls. We heard you loud and clear on that front! Another interesting feature is a concrete 'pit,' perhaps 12 feet long by 3 feet wide. Several years ago while digging a utility trench in the area behind the Saturno Farmstead in our pioneer settlement, we came across and unearthed a handful of tombstones. As it turned out, we had found the 'midden pile' of an early-19th century re-alignment of the Fort's cemetery ... the stones we found were those that had been replaced with new, more uniform markers. As the unearthed stones represent a variety of sizes and shapes, the parts needing to be below the surface also vary. In order for a new display to showcase these items, they will be 'planted' according to the necessary depth, so all will appear to be 'even' at the surface.

In the recent past, we've enjoyed taking some of our many volunteers and supporters for a brief tour of the interior as it works itself into recognizable shape. We are just kids at heart, I do believe, in that signing the studs is way too much fun. Once the buidling is finished, these pearls will remain hidden for perhaps a hundred years, when some future Museum operation decides the building is in need of replacement. We get to have a mark on the future!

From the top: today's pictures show Sonja Biggs' signature, volunteer Jacque Brock signing an upright, the frame around a west-facing window, an elevated electrician, and a view of the siding and new roof covering south of the blockhouse. Stop by if you'd like an opportunity to see things up close and personal, but be prepared: as this is a construction site, there is a fair amount of noise and dust.

Building a Better Museum

2009-07-03T14:15:00.001-07:00

There's a wonderful line in the movie Dances With Wolves, wherein
'Timmons,' the decidedly foul muleskinner, comes across the remains of a woman apparently killed by a war party. All we see is part of a skeleton and the feathers of an arrow. Timmons remarks, "I bet somebody back east is saying, 'Now why don't she write?!'" If you're wondering where I haven't written all this week, well, I was too busy for words ... literally!

Progress on the new Entrance building is apparent. As we are trying to go as 'green' as possible with the construction, you may notice that the new siding is Hardiplank ... fire resistant as well as great insulating value. As you can see in the photos, we are going with a fairly narrow style of siding, in keeping with that used 'back in the day.'

You can also see the beginnings of tarpaper on the roof ... that means there is a layer of strand board, a layer of insulating material, more strand board, the tarpaper, and eventually the shingles. Ain't nothin' gettin' through that roof ... nor will heat escape in winter. Should keep things from heating up too much in summer, as well.

No good photo of it, but the parking lot is rolled smooth as glass and ready for paving ... that will be an interesting improvement, parking right by the entrance! I made up for that lack by including the guy with the best hard hat. Who knew there were design elements in the world of helmet decorations?

The Museum will be open this weekend, though I'll be at the Farmer's Market on Saturday and James, our Director, (with volunteers Rod & Lois) will be at 4th of July in the Park (Pioneer Park) that same day. Don will be on the grounds making sure all runs smoothly this weekend, including Sunday's great Living History program featuring Shady Lawn Antiques proprietors Dave & Jill Emigh as pioneeer brewmasters John & Catherine Stahl.

Stop by and say hello!

YO, KIDS!

2009-06-25T10:40:00.001-07:00

In a season full of fun, yesterday was one of the most enjoyable days we have at Fort Walla Walla Museum: Explorers Kid Camp. The day-camp is designed to promote hands-on engagement with aspects of the region's heritage, in this case related to Lewis & Clark and the Indian people they met in the mid-Columbia basin.

We had 66 kids enroll this year and it's a situation where 'the more,the merrier' applies ... up to a point. We do have a limited number of spots available, to ensure a small-group atmosphere. After registration first thing in the morning (8:30 am), the kids are divided into seven groups, each assigned an adult 'shepherd' to help make sure kids move to the right station, stay on task, don't poke their neighbors (too much), and so forth.

The activity stations are each led by qualified adults. This year we featured a bow-and-arrow safety activity led by the folks from Walla Walla's Martin Archery and the 'Drilling with the 1800s Military' was conducted by a couple of gents from the local chapter of the Washington National Guard. The other stations are led by elementary school teachers recruited by our Camp Director Marcie Anderson, herself an experienced 3rd grade teacher at Davis Elementary School in College Place.

We work hard at updating the camp each year, so that kids who are interested may participate in new activities throughout the three-year span of the camp's age acceptance (9-11, although we take some 8-year olds whose birthdays will happen soon enough to keep them from being too much younger than the older kids). That age factor isn't simply random. In this part of the world, Washington 4th-graders and Oregon 3rd graders school curriculae require them to learn about regional history. The camps, along with our admission-free school tour program, allows kids a good opportunity to get in touch with the heritage that is rightfully theirs ... whether their families have been here seven generations, or whether they moved to town yesterday.

One down, one to go. We have our Pioneer Kids Camp scheduled for July 21. Organized in like fashion, kids can get hands-on experience in a blacksmith shop, panning for 'gold,' and 'building a log cabin.' At day's end, they receive a certificate of achievement, ice cream, and a chance to meet historical Hudson's Bay Trader William McBean, as portrayed by Rich Monacelli. Kids get the official camp T-shirt, pizza lunch, and plenty of liquids throughout the day to ensure hydration. As with Explorers Camp, we'll have a nurse on the grounds to deal with whatever medical situations arise.

Construction update ... the vapor barrier was being applied as I rolled in this morning. the progress is incredible! I'm told that we'll see drywall in about three weeks.

Today's pics include several from Explorer's Kids Camp and today's vapor barrier installation. The vid is from the 'Drilling with the 1800s military' station. Cheers!

Pssst: the word is FortWallaWallaMuseum!

2009-06-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

We keep track of all sorts of statistics in Museum Land, including where our visitors happened to hear about Fort Walla Walla Museum. We do this in a friendly, conversational way: nobody comes here to fill out a survey. Such things as AAA guide books, our strategically web site, news items or ads fill up a lengthy list, but far and away the leading source is the designation we call "friends/word of mouth."

I proved that myself last weekend. Not only do I work here, but my wife and I are members. When we receive out-of-town visitors, we take 'em to the Museum. Because of our membership at good ol' FWWM, we are also entiteld to visit Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, the museum of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

We had a blast; this was an old college buddy, so we reminisced about 'back in the day,' took in a few wineries, ate some great food in some great restaurants (which you can find on the reverse side of our Museum map of the grounds), and took in the museums. While we enjoy the wineries on occasion, I find that tasting wine before noon a bit tough to do, and after a few of them, I've had enough ... time for more substantial entertainment; in Walla Walla, that means the Museum.

Next time you have guests in town, take in all there is to do, but don't forget to bring those folks out to Fort Walla Walla Museum. It's a memorable experience for all involved!

Construction continues full bore as nice weather comes into the picture. Yesterday the crew installed the roofing insulation and particle board top layer (before the final roofing). Today I noticed that the windows have glass, the parking lot is smooth and flat (awaiting paving, maybe tomorrow), and that interior work has moved along quite a bit.

Today's pics include my pal Artie at the Territorial Prison cell, a view of the parking lot, and a couple of interior photos. Full speed ahead!

Work Progress, Adminisitration

2009-06-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

Construction moved apace while I spent Monday and Tuesday recovering from the weekend's affairs. I noticed yesterday that what used to be known as a 'steam roller' was near the parking lot, ready to tamp down the gravel spread out at last week's end. These are not your grandfather's steam rollers ... there is no steam power, to be sure, but they not only roll heavily over the surface, they also vibrate, hopping up and down so to speak, to help compact the gravel. We think paving will take place as early as next Monday.

On the building itself, you can see work being done on the over hang. I was reminded of old-time high-rise riveters, sometimes called (affectionaltely, I hope) "monkeys," in that I saw one worker standing on the outer edge, leaning back toward the building, trimming a board with his saw. This overhang now surrounds the building. Window frames are in place, too.

Inside, the conduits have been run and swich boxes and outlets have been attached. On the floor, the general outlines of the internal rooms can be seen. From my vantage point, I could locate the orientation theater, special exhibits gallery, Museum Store ... and because of that, the remaining space will be our "Grand Hall." It looks pretty cool and smells wonderful ... hard to beat that fresh wood aroma.

Much work remains, including getting some things paid for. Your help in the financing would be greatly appreciated, whether you can help with any of the 'naming opportunities' or the more mundane-yet-necessary 'nuts 'n bolts.' It's a community project and it's a good chance to show your community spirit.

Today's photos include (top to bottom) former Board President 'Steve' Stevenson peering in at the progress, the floor layout of what will become the orientation theater, a look at the overhang work, and the window frames.

Fort Walla Walla Days! from the front lines

2009-06-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

When I got up this morning, the first thing I did was to bring in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin from the front porch. We'd seen a reporter and a photographer at Fort Walla Walla Days! yesterday and I was hoping to get some free 'pr.' I was not disappointed ... there we are at the 'centerfold' of the front-page section in living color! "Civil War Reenactment at Fort Walla Walla a Blast" with a couple of color photos. Yaaay! The story is online, too: http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/06/14/local_news/090614bcivilwar.txt

We had a blast ourselves yesterday, meeting and greeting all the historical interpreters, some of whom have been attending the event for many years. Included this year are lots of kids, who kept things lively with their small-scale uniforms and boundless energy. I stopped at a local grocer's on the way in this morning to get them a box of ice cream sandwhiches, a small salute for their efforts.

The battle re-enactment was won by the Confederates this year, but the biggest winners were the 200 or so members of the audience who were treated to cannon blasts, frontal assualts, and a host of military tactics appropriate to the 1860s. "A good time was had by all" hardly covers it.

At days' end, we gathered all our volunteers and event participants for our annual 'Fiendship Dinner on the grounds near the pioneer village. We 'ate fat' on picnic fare, donated to a great extent by Super 1 Foods, Safeway, Andy's Foods, and Grocery Outlet. Their generosity and community spirit makes a lot of what we do possible. Our hat is off to their dedication.

We're about to get after it again today, with another battle scheduled for early afternoon. Grab the kids, call your friends and tell 'em, Meet me at the Museum!

Construction news: For those of us whose 'inner five-year' old still likes dump trucks, Friday was a gas. The ground had been leveled out during the week so that morning trucks laden with gravel began spreading their loads in our new parking lot. I imagine this means paving will begin before long, too. Stay tuned!

Today's photos show (from the top down) dump trucks spreading gravel, our friendly little trooper girl, the crowd watching the battle, a couple of Spanish-American War re-enactors, and a contingent of Confederates ... visitors on the grounds can see where those 'Rebs' hoisted their flag on the windmill on the upper grounds. I laughed my head off this morning at their ingenuity.

The clip below is a little of the 'Battle for Fort Walla Walla Park' yesterday afternoon. Enjoy!

Fort Walla Walla Days!

2009-06-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Wahoo! This weekend is our annual Fort Walla Walla Days! The point is to portray and commemorate the region's 19th century military and Indian heritage, and we do that in colorful, enjoyable fashion.

This year, we'll feature a Civil War skirmish re-enactment. Now you might be thinking, Huh? There was no Civil War action out here! That's true, but soldiers posted at Fort Walla Walla during the Civil War years were sent back east to serve. In our current Abraham Lincoln and Walla Walla County exhibit, such a story can be seen. You can also be sure that loved ones those soldiers left behind ... as well as anyone else living here at the time ... would have been all but desperate for news of the war. Imagine a 3-month old newspaper arriving in town in those days.

We also have military encampments representing several eras of the 19th century from the Lewis & Clark expedition through the Spanish-American War. A few years ago when one of the community's World War I cannons came to rest on Museum grounds, we began including an encampment from those days, too, as artillery training went on briefly at Fort Walla Walla in 1916. There is a wonderful photo of utility-pole cannons resting on wagons that local, enterprising farm boys used as make-shift training equipment that will be displayed in our upcoming (Friday, June 12) new special exhibit, Salute! Soldiering in the Walla Walla Region, just in time for the weekend's activities.

Regional Indian people will share their stories, too, and give good play to their ongoing cultural vitality. This includes Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, the museum of The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and a new traveling exhibit of the Wanapum people. I think the Wanapum are bringing a young dancing phenom with them, too.

We'll have an author here on Saturday, Greg Hodgen, who co-wrote The Rocks are Ringing: Bannock-Paiute Indian War, Oregon, 1878. Soldiers from Fort Walla Walla engaged in the final encounter of that sad affair at Battle Mountain, just south of Pendleton. Greg may also do a Living History presentation of Cpl. Philip Murphy, a soldier from Fort Walla Walla.

It's also a chance for us to show more of our cultural side, as we present our annual 3-day Western Art Show beginning Friday. Coordinated by artist David Partridge, it features the work of several local artists following a general Western theme.

To top things off, we'll have food available from Tinos' Tacos and Deeney's Ice Cream. Looks like a great way to spend time with the family!

Today's photos show (top to bottom( our blacksmith shop demonstraion, a beadwork demonstration at the Wanapum exhibit, General William Clark, Kathleen Gordon from Tamástslikt, and a Civil War camp.

Up, Up and Away!

2009-06-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

We took giant strides yesterday in turning our construction project into something resembling a fort. The construction hands built the roof of the blockhouse-look entry on the ground, then a crane hoisted it into place.

I've been amazed at the size of the structure, especially so since this is Phase IA, maybe 25%-33% reduced from the plans for the the whole of it*. As the project was designed to be scalable, we can add other parts as funding becomes available. Nevertheless, having been in on the planning, having seen the initial drawings and later blueprints, being the photographer when the architect brought in his 3-D models, and watching as construction has proceeded ... once the walls and roof were being installed, a deep "Wow" escaped my lips. This thing is B I G.

Pretty soon, changes will not be so apparent to drive-by visitors as the efforts will be focused on the insides. We still have roofing & siding to put in place and I understand the building's south end will be finished first, so that it will be best viewed, at first, from Fort Walla Walla Park's parking lot. Next up should be parking lot paving, roofing and siding: stay tuned!

Today's photos are sequential from the top down ... you're watching the raising of the roof onto the blockhouse entry.

* Phase IB will be the Pioneer Gallery ... donations gladly accepted! This will house the 1880's Walla Walla street scene and include a different version of our Schwabacher Store exhibit as well as The Blue Mountain, Dorsey Baker's railroad only surviving engine.

Church in the Valley

2009-06-09T09:10:00.001-07:00

In the last couple of weeks, our Living History Company has featured two performances regarding the comunity's religious heritage. The first was Rv. Cushing & Mrs. Myra Eells, who founded the local Congregational church, as well as Whitman Seminary (later to become Whitman College). This past weekend showcased four individuals who portray Seventh Day Advenstist pioneers in the Walla Walla region dating to the latter half of the 19the century.

This version of community heritage goes way back. While it would be easy enough to suggest the first practioners of faith were Marcus & Narcissa Whitman, the likelihood of religious practice dates to the French-Metis/Catholic employees of Hudson's Bay Company. There is some evidence that grapes were grown from which wine was produced for sacramental reasons. This would take you back to the 1820s and the subsequent development of the Frenchtown community.

The Whitmans arrived in 1836 and the end note of their tragic sojourn among the locals is well known. Their traveling companions, the Spaldings, had little more success among the Nez Perce people at Lapwai, but at least managed to end their days from longevity and not the business end of a tomahawk. Shortly after their arrival came the Catholic missions, including one relatively close by the Whitmans. Father JBA Brouillet set up shop on land donated by William McBean, the Scottish Chief Trader for Hudson's Bay Company. This became St. Rose of Lima Church, the anchor point for Frenchtown until the early 1900s. There were several others across the region.

In past years, the Living History Company has engaged Jeanot Poirot to portray Father Brouillet. This year, we'll feature Jean-Paul Grimaud of Blue Mountain Lavendar Farm as Father Eugene Chirouse on September 13, an entirely new performance from the Company. Also, in their second performance of the season, Elaine Derby and Cleo Wentland portray Caroline Wood and Augusta Moorhouse discussing the life of SDA prophet Ellen White on August 9. All Living History programs begin at 2:00 pm in the cool shade of the pioneer village.

Construction: it looks like the blockhouse entry will be hoisted into postion over the front doors this morning/afternoon. Wow! Things are coming along in just jim-dandy fashion! Get involved!! lend your time, talents, and support!

Photos today include The SDA pioneers (bottom), with (l-r) Gordon Hare as William Nichols, Cleo Wentland as Augusta Moorhouse, Elaine Derby as Caroline Maxon Wood, and Bob Bohlman as Aaron Miller; Rich Monacelli as William McBean; Rick and Janet Narum as the Whitmans (black-and-white); Rogers Miles and Barbara Coddington as Rev. & Myra Eells; Jean-Paul Grimaud as Father Chirouse; and Jeanot Poirot as Father Brouillet (top).

Kid Korner

2009-06-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

I had a phone call early this morning from a young woman wondering about the Museum. She said she was a bit embarassed, but that they'd never been here before. That, I guess, means she lives here and has for awhile but has never been out to investigate the community's ... and her own ... heritage. Well, good for her for recognizing the need! I suspect she will be entertaining out of town guests and would like to do something worthwhile with them.

A problem for most heritage museums is a perception that exhibits, once in place, never change. Sigh ... we change our exhibits every year, sometimes more often; even displays that largely remain the same from one visit to the next often get updated. Artifacts on display now are rotated out for preservation purposes, but also to showcase other items in our collection. With more than 42,000 items in our collection, we can do this quite well ... visitors see about 4,000 - 6,000 items on any one trip.

Several years ago, the Museum undertook a year-long self-assessment to determine what people liked and disliked, what they wanted, and how we might go about providing for those wants and needs. Once we threw out the usual handful of "free candy!" and "dancing girls!" requests, the results were illuminating.

More hands-on activities for kids was among the chief requests. Your wish, our command. As we are now in Phase I of a three-phase construction project, one of the main things people will see when entering the Museum is a 'kids museum' interwoven throughout the whole. A three-foot tall cartoon 'Maury the Mule' will identify the hands-on stations. These will be positioned so that the next such station will be visible from the one a child is using.

My caller this morning will appreciate that ... she'll be bringing five kids under the age of 7!

Today's photos show the roof of the blockhouse for the entry ready to be hoisted into position and three aspects of 'Maury the Mule": Farmer Maury (in a wheat field across the road from the Museum), Soldier Maury (posing with Fort Walla Walla troops in downtown Walla Walla as they prepared to ship out during the Spanish-American War, ca. 1900), and Dapper Maury (in front of a 1908 version of our local Baker Boyer Bank).

"Is it Going to Look Like a Fort?"

2009-06-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

While the staff at Fort Walla Walla Museum finsishes its planning for our biggest event of the year, Fort Walla Walla Days! set for June 13-14, construction continues on our new Entrance building. Much of the effort is being directed at the entry of the new structure, with the installation of the blockhouse entry visitors will see from the new parking lot just outside.

With our A Special Season series of exhibits in the Headquarters this year, we've talked with a lot of people who wonder if the new building will "look like a fort." When here, they can get a good look at our plans, blueprints, and architects models that show what we hope to end up with after Phase I is completed, as well as the vision for the entire project, completed perhaps over a decade. The answer to the question is, well, yes and no. I think what folks are expecting is that our new appearance will resemble that classic "Fort Apache" look from the movies that people associate with military forts from the Old West. Ours won't look like that.

While some of the early Northwest Fur Company and Hudson's Bay Company trading posts had stockades and blockhouses, military forts did not resemble those. At one time in the early 1820s, the post's Chief Factor described the place as "the Gibraltar of the Columbia." You can get a glimpse of the military's idea of a fort at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial Veterans Medical Center ... the VA ... just around the corner from us, or a stroll down the 'Planet Walk.' On the backside of the VA facility stand the 1858 Officers Quarters, though their appearance today is not what they originally looked like. Nevertheless, that clapboard look is what we're striving for. Inititally, we thought to have them painted deep brown, as is the Headquarters building, but research indicated that such a color was not in keeping with reality. A greyish-white/whitish-grey is more like it.

We expect to complete construction by October, which means the tough work of filling up new space must begin ... that leaves us only five months to get ready for a new season in 2010! If you'd like to make a contribution to the cause, we're all ears.

Today's photos should help you get a look at what we're up to with the entry and some comparisons to the past. At the top: a construction photo shows the beginnings of the new entry; next is an image of the VA's Officers Quarters as they appear today; the black-and-white image is the Hudson's Bay Company fort at Wallula on the Columbia River, ca. 1820; the original adobe block construction beneath the exterior of the Officer's Quarters; an architect's rendering of Phase I shows the grey-white color of the buildings; and the other architect's rendering shows the design of the blockhouse-look entrance.

Becoming Part of Something Bigger than Yourself

2009-06-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Get involved! is the battle cry since we first heard it from our parents' knees. It's the idea that helps us take personal ownership of an ongoing process. It gives us a way to give back to something that has benefitted us (or others) and permits us to belong to something larger than ourselves. It takes the emphasis off 'me' and puts it on 'we.'

Membership in Fort Walla Walla Museum is like that, too. Portraying the heritage we all share is what we do at the Museum, but the larger point is that we do it for you, our collective audience. You get quite a bit with your membership. Besides daily access to the Museum, all its gardens, displays, and exhibits, as well as special events and Living History presentations, you get to connect with a wider world.

When you are a member of Fort Walla Walla Museum, you get concurrent membership in 'Time Travelers.' With this, you get a variety of varying discounts at more than 170 museums and historical societies nationwide ... free or discounted admission and parking, gift shop discounts ... sometimes a collection of several reduced-fee offerings. Vistors to FWWM from other museums in the program are entitled to an admissions discount and 10% waiver in the Museum Store. This works out well, as many of us who are happy to be members of our local museum tend to be happy visiting other museums along our travels.

You are also entitled to our newsletter, The Dispatch, which offeres interesting stories and loads of pictures. If you're reading this, you can sign up for the electronic version of The Dispatch, saving the Museum a nickel on paper/priniting/postage, as well as seeing all the photos and layout in color (the way its designed). The upcoming issue has a page full of our building progress photos.

Fort Walla Walla Museum members are entitled to a daily 10% discount in the Museum Store and a 20% discount as we close-out for the season in late October ... it's a great opportunity to stock up on some truly uniques gifts with Christmas just around the corner.

A couple of years ago, the Museum negotiated with The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, the tribal museum, to grant cost-free admission to both museums for all our respective members. That's right ... two museums for the price of one.

We also offer occasional perks. Of late has been the ability to purchase passage aboard the Lady Washington or her sister ship, the Hawiian Chieftan, at a 20% discount in conjunction with the Lady W's 20th anniversary sail up the Columbia River. My wife and I went yesterday and it was incredible. I couldn't help but think of the many pioneers who came up the Columbia into the Northwest Interior. Hard not to think of the Black Pearl from "Pirates of the Caribbean," too; the Lady Washington played the part of the 'Pearl' in that fun movie.

Today's photos are from yesterday's "Adventure Sail." Enjoy (we sure did!). You can see the two ships at the dock (Lady Washington on the left, Hawaiian Chieftan on the right), my wife Celia aboard the Chieftan, 'pirates' on their way to boarding, a crew member (engineer) who did a gunnery demonstration, Bos'un Jim's anchor tattoo, and some young folk helping the crew haul away on a halyard. There's also one of the Lady Washington as she passed us and 'opened' fire' on our starboard beam.

Below, you can watch a little clip of the Lady Washington sailing past us.

Below, a clip of Bos'un Jim tying a knot.

And, below, the gunnery demonstration. Don't you just love things that go KABOOM?!

Doin' it for the Kids

2009-05-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Construction continues apace today as the crew puts up the roof deck ... we're going to be indoors pretty soon!

Yesterday I wrote of school kids disembarking at the Museum. We get about 5,000 participants in our admission-free School Tour Program each year and another 2,500 who arrive with parents, grandparents, et al. We conder the Museum to be an adjunct to what goes on in classrooms all across the region, including public, private, and home schools. With some serious generosity from Boise, Inc.'s Wallula Mill, Blue Mountain Community Foundation, J.L. Stubblefield Trust, Bonnie Braden Trust, and the Pacific Power Foundation, we can offer tours of the Museum to schools without cost to them beyond bus drivers and gas. Not bad for your neighborhood non-profit heritage Museum!

Heritage is a shared experience providing a foundation on which to build for the future. By connecting children with their heritage, great things happen. Children gain a sense of place and belonging in their community and in the process their self-esteem grows. Heritage education helps children become fully integrated, productive members of society. Fort Walla Walla Museum supports the educational process and inspires children to learn more about their heritage.

Learning takes place on many levels in the life of a child. Schools perform exceptional work in many areas, but the difficulty of making history come alive for students can be both costly and logistically daunting. A school trip to Fort Walla Walla Museum can be particularly useful in supporting classroom-based assessments (CBA). Children can see and touch aspects of the past that books and lectures cannot address. Utilizing the Museum’s free Teacher’s Guide, teachers may prepare students for a visit and find activities in multiple disciplines for follow-up learning.

Through ongoing surveys of visiting students, the Museum has learned that 86% have never visited a museum before. Further, 82% want to return with their families. Beginning with the new Entrance, a ‘Kid’s Museum’ will be interwoven within the larger Museum. Children who can connect with the region’s past will feel a sense of belonging to their communities, develop healthy self-esteem, and become involved in something greater than themselves. Engaging, interactive, fun, and seamlessly educational hands-on stations children identify by spotting “Maury the Mule,” a friendly, cartoon graphic clad in overalls, red 'long-handles,' and straw hat signaling where children can get involved with the past.

Today's photos show the Museum's 'Maury the Mule' icon, the roof deck being built over the Grand Hall, and our wonderful Docent Vi Jones (left) and teacher Tamar Lundsen with students from Othello's Hiawatha School.

What Goes Up, Must be Filled

2009-05-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

The construction gang continues to put roof trusses into place today, so I thought I'd address just what is going to be accomplished when the building is ready for public inspection. We hope to complete construction by late October or early November ... then the hard part of filling up the space begins.

For the past umpteen years, visitors to the Museum have entered through a chain-link fence gate in the back of Fort Walla Walla Park. That sort of fencing is wonderful for keeping people out, but not so great at welcoming people in. Some years back, when our perimeter fence was topped with barbed wire, the look was reminiscent of an artifact prison. Hmmm ... I think we can do better.

The new entrance building will have its own parking lot close by the front door. This will be a great boon to our older and physically challenged visitors. Further, while the current park road in no way resembles the roundabout near Arlington Park in Virginia, having our thousands of school kids disembark their busses where traffic moves is not the ideal plan. The parking lot has been designed to accomodate the turning radius of a school bus, so that kids may be delivered right to the front door; they will assemble indoors for the introductory orientation, as opposed to the outdoors-in-all-weather scenario we use now.

The look of the new building's entrance will appear like a blockhouse from 'fort days.' Upon entering, the experience will begin immediately, with displays to the right and left, as well as above. Inside, to the right, will be an orientation theater that provides some background into Walla Walla as "the cradle of northwest history" and a bit about the Museum a visitor is about to enter. This is planned to be a no-cost experience ... if a visitor wishes to tour the Museum, payment can be made opposite the theater at the Museum Store.

I'll tell you more about this in the next few sdays, time permitting. Today's photos show some of the ongoing construction, as well as the water truck that mitigates dust problems and allows for vehicle clean-up before the rigs travel on city streets. There's also architect Jim Stenkamp's rendering of the new Entrance.

A reminder that fund-raising is ongoing and your help is greatly appreciated. You can simply send a check earmarked for the project or do so online through our web site at www.fortwallawallaqmuseum.org. The past is ours to save!

All Over the World

2009-05-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

Anne, our Operations Assistant, tells me that last Sunday looked like "International Day" at Fort Walla Walla Museum, a regular 'United Nations' of visitation. We love that! Each year we get visitors from, on average, about 30 foriegn countries; last year we welcomed travelers from 42 distant ports of call.

I leafed through our guest register book yesterday, a much handier task this year with the absence of its former location in Exhibit Hall 1 and its new home in our Headquarters. We had visitors from Cambodia, two different cities in Sweden, and Hong Kong that day, along with folks from California, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and, of course, Washington.

A couple years back, we had a family, the Becks, visit us from Germany and however unlikely it seemed, they knew as much about the Museum as anyone could who had never been here before. Students of the Internet age, they'd researched us and regional history thoroughly before embarking on their trip. Their vacation began in Portland and consisted of a tour of the west, heading across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana before concluding their trek in Yellowstone Park.

It's amazing that world travelers find us here in Walla Walla. Yes, you can fly here, but only from Seattle, and not always conveniently. Yes, we're on a US highway, but it's not the same as the Interstate system: we are not on the way to anywhere for most folks. 100 miles west of here, the highway begins a twisting, tortuous route over the Bitterroot Mountains that takes you to Lolo, Montana and Lewis & Clark's famed 'Traveler's Rest.' To our west lie the Tri-CIties and the source of much of our visitation, but only 100,000 or so folks reside in the four communities that make up the Tri-Cities. South from here, state route 125 becomes Oregon Highway 11 and connects us to Pendleton, which is on the east-west Interstate 80. The old joke of 'you can't get there from here' isn't quite true of Walla Walla, but the flavor of the sentiment lingers on the palate.

Nevertheless, our international visitors continue to arrive from all over the world. Like all of our visitors, they are most welcome and we are more than pleased to share our fabulous heritage with them. Today's photos include from top down: the John King family from Wales by Thailand, with their Walla Walla friend; the Beck family from Germany; high school kids from Sasayama (our Sister City), Japan; Rotarians from Ghana; and the Astons from Northern Ireland.

Reach for the Sky!

2009-05-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

In the days of the proverbial, if not literal, "Old West," bad guys were forever saying, "Reach for the Sky!" Well, we're not the bad guys, just the protector's of the region's heritage, but we have our own version of that classic expression.

Our building project is showing definitive signs of growth and progress. We are both literally and figuratively reaching for the sky. After our slightly late construction start, we have more than made up for lost time. Late last week, we saw some sonstruction on what our architect refers to as the 'mezzanine level,' a sort of middle level betweeen the first and second floors.

This week, we've seen roof trusses go up and now we have at least the skeletal outline of the building's 3-D configuration. By the end of the week, the building will look pretty much like the final look, except for the 'blockhouse' effect of the entrance proper.

What Grows Around, Comes Around

2009-05-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

Agriculture has been the region's economic mainstay for almost as long as anyone has been writing about the region. If history is defined (narrowly) as the written record, then we begin our saga with Lewis & Clark. Not much agriculture can be expected of travelers, but the next Euro-Americans to follow, the fur traders, were assigned the task of procuring their own food. When the powers that be declared the boys at Fort Nez perces/Fort Walla Walla at the mouth of the Walla Walla River were a little too profligate with their trading with local Indian pople, they received orders feed themselves ... how about a garden?

Some of the Hudson's Bay Company men took Indian wives and retired in the region, building cabins in the area called Frenchtown just west of where Walla Walla is today. Among the crops they grew were grapes for wine making, according to local historian Sam Pambrun, whose family roots go back that far.

The missionaries of the region were perhaps the first commercial farmers, though it's hard to imagine the HBC chaps not trading their produce for something. Marcus & Narcissa Whitman actively sold crops to pioneers from the Oregon Trail. That enterprise ended rather abruptly in 1847, maybe the only time agriculture failed to make a go of it around here.

Following the Indian Wars of the 1850s, the US Army moved in to the neighborhood. Feeding the troops and their horses was an opportunity to make a buck and a few hardy souls ventured into the region to do that. The Army kept a hay ranch in the foothillls of the Blue Mountains (up from Dixie, WA, if I recall correctly) to feed their horses in the winter. It was the Fort that attracted ever more farmers to the region, as well as the near-holy growing conditions.

As gold was discovered up on the Colville, Orofino, and the Boise Basin, and with the Army here to keep the peace, agriculture began to bloom. Nurserymen and orchardists began to ply their trades and wheat was becoming increasingly important. Sleepy little 'Steptoeville,' the community growing around the cantonment at Mill Creek crossing where what is now First & Main Streets downtown, officially became Walla Walla 150 years ago.

Soon, wheat became 'king.' Thereafter, other crops became important like asparagus, peas, and onions, and a major cannery industry grew up. Commercial orchards were next in line. Now we have wine grapes, so perhaps we've come full circle. The Fort outlived its usefulness, but the VA medical facility is still a major employer in town, sharing the grounds of the former military reservation with us and the other entities of Fort Walla Walla Park.

Ah, grapes ... and the wine they produce. This region is unvelievably blessed when it comes to producing deep red wines like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. For those who imbibe, an opportunity to support the Museum has come to fruition that involves the tipping of a glass, or, at least, the purchase of a bottle. Fort Walla Walla Cellars is offering a special limited release of its 2006 Walla Walla Valley Merlot for just $32/bottle (plus tax). 30% of the retail price will be donated to Museum operations. Wine Spectator magazine has awarded a 90-point rating to this varietal, making it well worth your time and the price. I tasted it yesterday ... it's really good! The tasting room where you may purchase the wine is located at the corner of Main and Spokane Streets in the heart of downtown.

Today's pics include some gents from the Italian Heritage Association harvesting the Museum's vineyard a few years ago for IHA's annual 'Grape Stomp' -they picked about 300#s that year; a photo of the Black Prince (aka 'Cinseault") grapes from our vineyard... they make good wine and great table grapes; an image of the 1820s era Hudson's Bay Company Fort Walla Walla (once described as 'the Gibraltar of the Columbia') that is is Fort Walla Walla Cellars logo; a bottle of Cliff Kontos & Jim Moyer's wine; and an urban wheat wheat harvest, across the street from the Museum, as seen from our vineyard last year ... that may be the last harvest from that location as development ... a.k.a. progress ... is occurring.

Hurrah for the Boat People!

2009-05-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

A number of years ago, Fort Walla Walla Museum began receiving visitors from the Columbia River cruise tours. We started referring to these wonderful people as 'boat people,' something of a joke as they do not in any way resemble one's classic idea of those real, most unfortunate, sojourners. The joke became short hand, so now we when someone is schelepping around the large coffee urn that we can expect 'boat people' that morning.

We recently received some good news, in that CruiseWest, one of the longer-lived cruise lines, will 'tie up' at the Museum through the summer. This is a change from the usual, as the ships normally ply the Columbia only in spring and fall; in summer they could be found in the Inland Passage wending their way to Alaska. For those who don't know, the cruise companies dock in Pasco and bus their clients to Walla Walla for the day.

In speaking with Troy Campbell, the company's Senior Manager of Product Development, I learned that CruiseWest's original intent was to keep the morning agenda purposely open to allow clients a variety of options. Ahem, said the clients, we prefer to visit Fort Walla Walla Museum! We're pretty happy about that ... earlier this month I checked our guest register book and found that we'd logged visitors from 17 states and two countries the first week in May. Much of that variety comes courtesy of the cruise tours, whose clientele comes from all parts of the planet to float through our back yard.

The community benefits from this increase in tourism, too. First of all, these folks are the best ambassadors money can't buy. Invariably, they seem to greatly enjoy a trip to the Museum as well as the community. You can be sure that when they get home, they'll be telling all their friends about "the town so nice they named it twice." Secondly, the group (typically numbering 50-80 people), stop for lunch at a local restaurant (Bob Parrish's Backstage Bistro this summer) and two wineries (Annete Bergevin & Amber Lane's Bergevin Lane and Gordon Venneri & Myles Anderson's Walla Walla Vintners). This is the best that tourism can do, bringing people from outside the community in to spend money.

Perhaps the best part is meeting people from so many backgrounds. Walla Walla is turning into the crossroads of America ... the reason they like it here so much might best be summed by Troy: "The whole town is so gosh-darned nice!"

Today's photos show a bus laden with cruise tourists unloading at the Museum and volunteer Rod Hahn explaining the workings of our Blacksmith Shop to interested visitors. If your a Walla Wallan, you may have noticed Rod on your recent water bill inclusion. Here's a hat tip to Carol at the City for helping us inform the neighborhood of what's good about our town!

All Over the World!

2009-05-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Farmer's Market Day and for those in the know, it was a perfect day to either be a Walla Wallan or to be visiting here. The best the community has to offer was on display and for little to no expense.

The Balloon Stampede offered up more than a dozen hot air balloons into a clear blue sky. Watching costs nothing! If you were up early enough to take that in, then a trip downtown to the Farmer's Market was also in order. There is no expense to that outing, either, unless you choose to buy early season vegetable like asparagus and 'salad' onions, or feed yourself on omelets, bbq, Italian fare, bakery, and more, or feed your soul on the music offered up (for free!) at the corner of Main & 4th (catty corner from the historic Dacres Hotel, the site of the Stine Hotel, once-largest brick hotel in all the region outside San Francisco).

It was a fabulous sunny day at the Market and people turned out in droves to enjoy the weather, each other, and the friendly ambience that has developed there. It's my job to pass out '$1 Off for All Adults in Party' coupons, so that as many people as want to can enjoy Fort Walla Walla Museum. By 1:00 pm when the Market generally begins shutting down, there were still 100s of people in the area. In all, I distributed 261 passes ... by my reckoning, that involves meeting close to 800 people. My pal Don, our Operations Manager at the Museum told me Sunday that we'd received quite a few passes back already, as well as similar coupons passed out by our volunteers at the Balloon Stampede. Cool! While we need to turn a dime to pay for all that the Museum offers, it should never be the cost that keeps people from a visit. I'm pleased we can make it so easy.

To that end, we give out quite a few free passes during the year, too. We partner with the schools to make sure that kids from economically challenged families get a view of their heritage. We also contribute free passes to a cross section of the community's social agencies like YWCA, Christian Aid Society, Children's Home Society, and more.

Underlying all this is the belief that people who are connected to the community's heritage make better citizens ... imagine voting without knowing the roots of this or any community: the past is our only roadmap to the future. When we include the community's children, we're talking about tomorrow's leaders--we'd like them to be fully versed in what makes the town tick, right? And for the many kids who arrived only recently with their families, this is their heritage, too. When you live here, you get to stake a claim in the past, because what we are today is what has been building for generations.

BTW, I met a couple from the UK, as they called it, home being "north of London a bit." I also noted in our guest register book that we'd received visitors at the Museum from 17 states and two countries in the first week of May ... isn't that astounding? People come from all over the world just to see what we keep in our backyard!

On the construction front, the crew brought in a giant crane Friday and began moving roof trusses from outside the security fence to inside the growing structure. It's my guess that we'll see the trusses going up this week, another benchmark to be noted along the way to completion of our new Entrance. I missed getting a crane pic, but won't miss out on the roof going up!

Today's photos are from the Farmers' Market on Saturday. The boy pictured is attempting to make the 'Jacob's Ladder' toy work. The simple device is an engineering marvel. The toys we bring to such venues are truly 'kid magnets;' I like to tell them that these are the "Game Boys" of the 1880s. They offer great hand-eye coordination development, as well as 'small-motor skills' development. The second picture shows why we celebrate Mother's Day.

Yonder Stampedes the Balloons!

2009-05-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

Look! Up in the sky! Today is the opening of Walla Walla's 35th annual Balloon Stampede and a more glorious morning for it is hard to imagine. Crystal clear blue skies are the order of the day and if the breeze dies down just a little, the heavens will fill with an almost science-fiction looking display. In years past, I've witnessed nearly two dozen balloons up at the same time.

The Stampede has been a Walla Walla institutiuon for a long time now and Fort Walla Walla Museum will have a presence there. It's another outreach opportunity for us to be in the community, instead of sitting back on our heels waiting for the community to come to us. As people come to town for this event from near and far, we can put into practice our plan for the year: let's entice those folks who are already here to visit the Museum.

I'll be at the Farmer's Market again on Saturday, so come on down before you head out to the Fairgrounds for the Stampede ... you can enjoy all of the best that Wallla Walla has to offer this weekend when you roll a Museum visit with Sunday's Living History performance into your activities list. Walla Walla County Court Services Supervior Mike Bates portrays Legendary mountain man and US Marshal Joe Meek at 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.

What a grand weekend!

Today's pictures feature an image of mountain man Joe Meek courtesy of Michael Schaub's "Malachite's Big Hole," Mike Bates portraying Joe Meek as a US Marshall at the Museum's Precott Jail, and Jerry Cummins' hot air balloon at a recent museum event.

Learning Lessons

2009-05-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

nine

Flu bug got you down? Not yet, maybe ... I understand there are now 9 reported cases in Washington state today and several possible cases have been reported in Umatilla County just across the border in Oregon. Swine flu is here, the latest progression in Mexico's killer outbreak.

We learn from history, our only roadmap to the future, but one must be careful of the lessons taken from history. A mere 91 years go, Spanish flu crept into our outpost of the realm. The first reported cases appeared in the Spokane Area on September 27, 1918, but ten days earlier, the illness appeared among recruits from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who arrived sick at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Another alarm came September 23, when 10,000 people assembled for a National Guard parade. The Guard's medical officer noted a few cases of flu, but said there was little to worry over. In two days, the malady was of epidemic proportion in Seattle. Soon it reached Spokane and across the state. Public assemblies were cancelled throughout the state and schools closed. By late October, masks were mandatory for anyone who went outdoors.

The flu remained in the state until spring, 1919, when it vanished as fast as it came. In the process, nearly 3/4 of a million people died in the United States alone. Thousands died in Washington, an immense total considering Washington's population at the time was only one million.

Can it happen again? Probably ... flu pandemics are with us. Will they be so devestating? Not as likely. Advances in hygiene, healthcare, medicine, and detection may prevent the high death rates. Preparedness comes into play, too. 90 years ago, no one took care until the disease was already rampant; witness how much has already been done since news broke in Mexico just a few weeks ago and well before the flu reached the Inland Northwest.

Wash your hands, try not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth, and do your best to keep others from catching what you may have. We learn from history and this is a great application of that lesson.

Today's pics are scenes from 'the day,' one of St. Mary's Hospital at night, another with the Sisters of Providence at work in St. Mary's, one of Walla Walla (General) Hospital, and one of St. Mary's fire in 1915.

Market Matters

2009-05-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday at the Farmer's Market went swimmingly well ... it seemed that way, perhaps, because of the weather, but nevertheless was a fun day. Rather than set up our less-than-waterproof canopy in the pending rain, I chose to take my shade umbrella from my home barbecue. A wiser fellow might have chosen a raincoat over a hoodie, but as I enjoy rainy weather I did not suffer lasting adverse affects.

Going to the Market is a good time, largely because of the opportunity to meet so many people. I distributed '$1 Off for All Adults in Party' coupons, which is an easy way to make contact with complete strangers. All in all, I gave away 233 coupons and spoke to more than 600 people.

As this was a 'wine weekend,' one could expect to meet people from near and far and that was the case: Portland, Vancouver, WA & Vancouver, B.C., Tacoma, Yakima, Puget Sound region ... as well as loads of my neighbors and soon-to-be friends. I did miss seeing my ol' pal Deeson ... he's moved away. He was one of the many kids who stop by to try the cup-and-ball game, to spin the top or fathom out the 'Jacob's Ladder.' I like to tell the kids that these were the 'Game Boys' of the 1880s.

The Market is also interesting because of the neighborliness of the vendors. People are forever offering help with setting up, schlepping merchandise from car to canopy, and politiely asking if what they intend to do in their space will impact what the neighbors have in mind with theirs. It was good to see so many of the 'old faithful' in place and heartening to see so many new vendors. There was a surprising amount of early season vegetation for sale ... I like that especially because it represents the legacy of the past for me. It used to be farmstands in the countryside, where the farm wife and farm kids would tend enourmous vegetable gardens, then sell the excess to their city cousins out for a jaunt in the country.

The music was great, the neighbors wonderful and the people I met were gracious and interested in the Museum. As noon rolled around, I got hungry, so had my choice between bbq, Italian fare, omelets, sweet onion sausages, gyros, and many other delectables. As you can see, I'm looking forward to next Saturday, as well. See you there!

Soldiering in the days of Fort Walla Walla

2009-05-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Takin' it to the Streets

2009-04-30T08:17:00.001-07:00

It looks to be another glorious weekend in beautiful Walla Walla and what better time to begin the Farmer's Market season. Fort Walla Walla Museum will have a presence there every weekend from May 2 through October 31.

If you've looked around, this is most definitely an agricultural community, with deep roots in the theory and practice of farming. The first Euro-Americans who settled here ... Hudson's Bay Company retirees in the Frenchtown area near today's Whitman Mission National Historic Site ... brought the modern equivalent of farming with them. There is some evidence that local Indian people engaged in pre-agriculture activities, knowing which plants to harvest in which season, and it is also true that they were in contact via trade with North American Indian societies that actively engaged in a sowing/tending/harvesting cycle. When the pioneers began to arrive, things really got underway.

The first serious endeavors had to do with serving the miners of the gold fields of the Boise Basin and up on the Colville. It may not be as romantic as swirling a pan in a cold stream looking for 'color,' but it is far more effective at both paying the bills and amassing an inheritence for one's progeny. Prices for staples in the remote gold camps ranged between exorbitant and astronomical and a far-seeing farmer could plan on a crop to make himself a tidy profit.

A harsh winter along the way put a damper on prospects, especially animal husbandry, but farming recovered and soon prevailed. A look at the fine homes on Palouse, Catherine, and Boyer streets in Walla Walla tells a quiet tale of when 'wheat was king.'

Little has changed in the intervening years as a tour of the Palouse region will show. We still have our wheat and sweet onions, even if asparagus, peas, and orcharding have peaked and waned. Grapes get the bulk of our agricultural panache these days and that ties in to the upcoming barrel-sampling weekends, another celebration of agricultural production.

In any event the Farmer's Market has become a Walla Walla institution and a good place to snag one of the Museum's "$1 off all adults in group" coupons. Saving a little money hasn't gone out of style around here, either.

Today's photos show my pal Deeson from Zerba Farms and the lovely young lady is my charming wife Celia. In the meantime, check out the Famer's market web site ... and see y'all on Saturday! http://www.gowallawallafarmersmarket.com/

Another Museum outreach occurs this afternoon at 12:30 in Heritage Park where ArtWalla unveils its 'windows to the past' project. Collections Manager Laura will be speaking to the assembled. heritage Park is the alcove-like area along East Main Street just north of the old Sears building where the Sew 'n Vac Center is today. Ya gotta love a town that takes its heritage this seriously!

Progress on the Expansion Front

2009-04-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

I blogged a little about the progress of our new Entrance building in our Services & Facilities Enhancement Project, so thought I ought to show some of the results.

Watching an efficient construction crew at work is pretty interesting. These guys obviously have done this sort of thing before, so they move along apace, with minimal conversation or slack time.

They have a piece of equipment with independent wheels (it's orange in the pics) that the driver can turn around on a dime (and get change back, too) that lifts the heavy sections from horiozontal to vertical.

By later in the afternoon, the walls were all in place except for those they must wait on. Today, Wednesday April 29, there is a flatbed trailer loaded with pre-built trusses, so we can anticipate a roof pretty soon.

You know, this really is a community enterprise. We had financial backing of magnitude from the State Heritage Capital Campaign Fund, but after that, things were overwhelmingly local. The Sherwood Trust, a few other smaller grantors, and more than 300 individuals contributed to this 'next generation project' in the preservation of local heritage ... OUR heritage. An indication of the importance of that can be found in our daily visitor statistics. We query folks about how they happened to hear of the Museum; the lion's share of answers are variations on a theme: word of mouth. People bring thier visiting friends, relatives, and business associates to the Museum to share our collective past with them.

It's quite a story we can tell with more than 42,000 artifacts in the collection. Folks have been busy in this corner of creation for many a year and the evidence of that is all around you at Fort Walla Walla Museum.

Great Day in the Sun!

2009-04-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Oh, Sunday was a glorious day! We threw the gates open wide and invited any and all to enjoy the Museum on our annual Open House day. Hundreds of people came out on what seemed a sort of unofficial 'baby buggy day.' Lots of families, lots of kids, lots of special moments.

We enjoyed great food from Tino's Tacos and some extraordinarily fine weather. It is one of our most fun days from a staff point of view, as everyone gets their money's worth. When the weather is as delightful as it was, things just click along.

Visitors got a chance to see our construction project underway, the models of what things will look like when we're all done, and just how different things look when there's no building where the old one used to be. That situation changed radically in the past few days ... the constuction gang spent the latter part of last week building frames for walls ... on Monday, they began putting them up. A drive-by would show you the general outlines of the project and the fact that there really will be a new Museum entrance before too long (late October/early November if we stay on schedule).

2009-04-24T07:53:00.001-07:00

Families of all kinds enjoyed 2008's Open House.

This will be our first "big weeekend" of the year. It's time for our annual Open House this Sunday, an admission-free day we dedicate "to the wonderful community supporting the Museum." As a 501[c] 3 (not-for-profit organization), we are tasked with providing a service to the community. Our service is a heritage experience for those who live in the region. Nowhere does it say to provide service only to those who can afford it, so once a year we drop the price altogether and throw the gates open wide. Welcome all!

This year there'll be a wonderful Living History program at 2:00 pm with Ron Klicker portraying pioneer merchant, banker, & railroad builder Dr. Dorsey S. Baker. We'll also have food available from Tino's Tacos and Deeney's Ice Cream Treats.

Open House is a wonderful family event that's easy on the wallet, a great chance to spend quality time with the folks you love the most. On top of all the entertainment, you get the same great Museum, plus the first of six special temporary exhibits in our Headquarters. When Grandma & Grandpa Were Kids showcases children's clothing from 1875-1955. It's on display only through May 11, making this an excellent opportunity to take it in. Beyond clothing, there's some pretty interesting toys and accoutrements worth seeing.

Did I say free? I wouldn't want to forget that!! 10 am - 5 pm this Sunday, April 26th. Be there!

What a Great Bunch o' Folks!

2009-04-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Some of our 2008 Volunteer Award winners. Left to right are Bob Bonstead, Lenora Hermann, Barb Keniston, Carroll Adams, 'Steve' Stevenson, and Museum Director James Payne.

We had a great time Tuesday night ... good food, good company (nearly 80 of us in attendance) ... as we honored our outstanding volunteers from 2008. We had 12 categories of volunteers this year, plus our two "big" awards. Those honored are:

Building Maintenance: Bob Bonstead

Building Attendant: Millie Friday

Gardener: Joann Johnson

Collections: Esther Dixon & 'Steve' Stevenson (tie)

Office Support: Fran Chase

Museum Store: Sally Wood

Intern/College Level: Lindsey Hill

Intern/High School Level: Adana Escobar

Docent: Toss Benefiel

Living History: Rich Monacelli

Buildings & Grounds: Carroll Adams

Morris Ganguet Outstanding Volunteer of the Year: Lenora Hermann

Gerwyn A. Jones Service Award: Barbara Keniston

The Morris Ganguet Award goes to a recent volunteer who exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism. Known affectionately as "The Mustard Lady" (one of the Museum Store's biggest-selling items to our Columbia River cruise tourists), Lenora has worked in the Store, out of the Store, and at numerous special events the past couple of years. On top of that, she hasn't missed more than a couple of shifts in the entire time she's been with us.

The Gerwyn A. Jones Award is our "lifetime achievement" acknowledgement. We like to honor someone who's done it all and Barb Keniston has certainly laid claim to that over the years. She participates in special events, Kids camps, works tirelessly in the collections/exhibits department, has been on our Board of Directors and even served a term as the Board's secretary. Barb looks especially good in the '57 Chevy she and hubby Ken own.

To all our volunteers, especially those listed here, Salute!

Salute to the Volunteers!

2009-04-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our Annual Banquet and Volunteer Awards. Each year we invite all the members, volunteers, and the public to participate in our salute to the previous season's outstanding volunteers. These wonderful folks logged more than 8,700 hours of service to to Museum doing all sorts of things to make a vistor's experience memorable. We have tour docents, store clerks, Living History portrayers, office support, collections & exhibits helpers, gardeners, building & maintenance help, and a whole host of event participants. Let's not overlook our Board members, who all serve on their own time. In all, it represents more than $150,000 savings to payroll.

We also feature a guest speaker each year and they have been memorable~Darby Stapp, a Tri-Cities archaeologist; Roberta Conner, Director of Tamastslikt Cultural Istitute; and David Nicandri, Director of the Washington State Historical Society are just a few who've graced our meeting. This year we've invited the leader of a sovereign nation: Antone Minthorn, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Mr. Minthorn will be speaking about the challenges of putting our youth in contact with their heritage and possible joint efforts that the Museum and Tribes may pursue in that regard. We also have special awards for last year's outstanding first-year volunteer and a 'life-time achievment' award.

The food is outstanding, too. Carissa Bossini's Walla Walla Catering is serving up an Italian buffet. If you ever dined at Caravaggio's at the Airport, then you'll know the quality of Carissa's fare. We'll have a social time beginning at 5:30 pm tomorrow with dinner to follow at 6:00 pm. The event takes place in the Blue Mountain/Mill Creek Room at Walla Walla Regional Airport. Tickets are $20 per person and if you'd like to attend, please call today: 505.525.7703.

Serious progress to report today regarding Fort Walla Walla Museum's 'Services & Facilities Enhancement Project.' According to Jim, our groundsman, the construction gang began pouring the slab of our new Entrance Building at 6:00 am this morning. At 8:00 am they were halfway done.

Today's photos show the sign announcing our project that was posted Friday; ongoing concrete construction; last year's Morris Ganguet Outastanding (new) Volunteer of the Year award winner Sally Wood; and the three co-winners of the Gerwyn A. Jones (lifetime) Service Award, Joe & Helene Eaves and Myra Addlington.

Meet Me at the Museum!

2009-04-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

It is clear as a bell this morning at Fort Walla Walla Museum and this looks like it will be a great day, perhaps to be followed by a glorious weekend. Finally! Sunny and warm, just classic Walla Walla weather.

The weekend also brings a couple of Museum events. Today we open the first of our "A Special Season" of six temporary exhibits. Because of construction, we felt a need to keep value high for our visitors. We did not raise rates this year as we might have (due to construction; still the same for a third straight year), but as the building going up is replacing one that held most of our changing exhibits, we thought we should provide something 'extra' this year.

Collections Manager Laura and her mini-army of volunteers have put together four 'permanent' exhibits in the Headquarters foyer and today we unveil When Grandma & Grandpa Were Kids: Children's Clothing from 1875-194. It's pretty cool to see ... one section features a variety of underwear, including a small-scale set of back-flap long-handles. Elsewhere are christening gowns and ... yep ... a boy's dress. I'm told in the long ago, young boys wore such things before their first pair of short pants. Who knew? There's some children's toys that are of interest, too, including a miniature washing machine of the hand-powered variety and a pair of spring shoes, sort of like a pogo stick without the stick for each foot. Seeing is believing. There is also a parasol-covered wicker pram that is a must see!

On Sunday you can chat up Walla Walla's first mayor, E.B. Whitman, as portrayed by local attorney Dan Clark. The Living History performance is preceeded by 19th century popular music played by the Museum's own Oregon Trail Band. The OTB recently acquired themselves a pump organ, though I'm not sure know they have anyone to play it yet ... are YOU interested?

The Museum is open 10 am - 5 pm daily, including weekends and holidays. The Oregon Trail Band plays at 1:30 pm and ol' E.B Whitman strides through almost 150 years of history in a return to the community over which he once presided. Be sure to ask him what he thinks of all the changes in that time!

Today's photos include Dan as E.B Whitman at the Museum's Union Schoolhouse, the back-flap long-handles and wicker pram in When Grandma & Grandpa Were Kids, and the the 2008 edition of the Oregon Trail Band. This weekend, call your friends and tell 'em "Meet me at the Museum!"

Good for the Gander and all those Geese

2009-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

I received a note last week from Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reporter Sheila Hagar asking a number of us in the non-profit field for instances and stories about how we are turning bad times into coping experiences. That's not too tough for Fort Walla Walla Museum, as we tend to look at things in their historical perspective. We, as a community, have always ... always ... managed to cope with economic down turns. There's a wonderful story from the Great Depression about the head of the local YMCA accepting 'bindlestiffs' (we'd call them homeless today) in to sleep on the floor of the Y's gym. We look to see that our neighbors are alright, do what we can for ourselves, and do what we must until things turn around again. That's a comforting thought: this too shall pass. The general values the community shares will see us through these tough straits, too.

Our on-going building project is an example of doing the right thing for the community. While we are still actively seeking support for portions of the project that remain unfunded (call 509.525.7703 if you'd like to help), we did accumulate enough to make a good start on our new Entrance Building. Now that we're underway, you can see the benefits. The other day I counted 14 construction workers busily earning their next paychecks. There are plumbers, electricians, concrete workers, excavators, equipment operators and other people associated with the building trades.

That's a nice thing to see. Most of the guys are likely to have families and you can be sure those folks appreciate the income, too. The merchants where they shop are happy to have customers and the taxes generated from all that money passing through the community helps support our police and fire fighters, parks, government, and more. I understand each dollar turns over about eight times before it 'disappears' into the system.

Not bad for your friendly, neighborhood not-for-profit heritage museum, si? Today's pics feature the construction gang at work. One of the images shows a stack of lumber that means we'll be going distinctly vertical very soon. Another shows the black pipes coming up from the ground ... that's where the new restrooms will be. By the way, there will be another outdoor-access restroom for Fort Walla Walla Park users during hours when the museum is closed to visitation.

Fruit of the Vine

2009-04-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Some of our favorite volunteers visited us yesterday, at the same time marking what surely, finally must be the onset of spring. These are the Oenology & Viticulture students at Walla Walla Community College.

For the past several years, they've come out a few times each year to prune our Black Prince/Cinseault grapes planted back in the 1990s by winemaker of note Berle 'Rusty' Figgins. Rusty comes by his talent honestly: his maternal grandfather was Francesco Leonetti, whose name adorns one of the appellation's finest wineries. Our vineyard is an interesting project for the kids in that we do not trellis our vines, like you see all across the valley these days. Instead, we manage them the way an earlier age did it, known as 'stake trained' or 'bush trained.' The center is pruned out, allowing sunlight to reach all the remaining branches and grapes. In the 'old days,' this was by far the least expensive way of producing a crop.

In today's photos you can see our groundsman Jim (in his ever-present ball cap) speaking with Billo who heads up the viticulture program, as well as a number of the students participating in the spring tune-up for the vineyard. It's a great piece of work they do on our behalf, much appreciated and really makes for an interesting experience for our visitors. By the way, the grapes are delicious!

The Women in our Lives

2009-04-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Don, our Operations Manager, is involved with a whole lot of things. He is in charge of the Store operations, our volunteer coordinator, program development, business sponsor program, events director and likely a number of other things not coming immediately to mind. He is among the hardest working, best organized people I've known in a lifetime of work. He's the "lone stranger" in today's photos.

Along with Don, I'm helping to develop our Women's History Day (August 23) into something beyond its original origins as a Living History program. We are hoping that a young woman of immense talent we know will provide some musical entertainment that day and I just got off the phone with a prominent women's history author whom we hope to bring to the event as a speaker as well as a book-signer. A fascinating conversation!

March is Women's History Month, but as Fort Walla Walla Museum is not open to visitation that month, it is difficult to create a proram at that time. Perhaps in the future when we can call ourtselves a year 'round museum that will change. We choose August for our event in order to call attention to Women's Equality Day August 26, established in 1971 by Rep. Bella Abzug. The day is in honor of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the constitution guaranteeing American women the right to vote.

The core of the day is to highlight the women in our Living History Company and have them tell of womens' lives from the eras their characters lived in. In past years we've featured the wife of the community's first mayor, an Indian woman who was among the first women to own property in this region (let alone among the first Indian people to do so), a leading suffragist, a former slave, and pioneer women of many backgrounds. Last year we featured one of the more enterprising businesswomen of her day, Josphine 'Dutch Jo' Wolfe, operator of an upscale bordello in early Walla Walla.

The Museum alters its usual rates of admission for the day; all girls 12 and under receive free admission and all adult women pay 77% of the going rates as a reflection of the disparity in men's and women's wages that still persists today. We also supply the lemonade and cookies ... pioneer women would always entertain in that fashion when receiving guests.

Communing with the Past

2009-04-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

If you saw Friday evening's Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, welcome to FWWMworld blog! If that's the reason you're checking in today, then I'm doing my job pretty well. As Fort Walla Walla Museum's Communication's Manager, it's my duty to get the word out about all that goes on at the Museum.

To be sure, this is a great deal of fun. I'm a writer by trade, so cranking out news releases is something where I get paid to do that which I love. I also get to design the ads we run in several publications, something that took a bit of training in certain softwares, but also allows me to take my photography to new levels. We feel that ads featuring people are far more interesting than those that don't. In a world crammed with messages that require reading skills, fitting the Museum into someone's view-finder is a hard-to-master trick.

My standard of reference is a trip to the grocer's. There are things in the parking lot to grab your attention; signage on the floor; a blizzard of signs hanging from shelves, racks, and bins; signs sticking out from the shelves that impede two-way traffice in the aisles; and signs with flashing lights. A narrow passageway at the check-out is crammed with eye-catching non-essentials and even in-store messaging can be heard to distract you from your errand. That's a lot of competition for your neighborhood not-for-profit corner museum and it's everywhere we go.

Fortunately, you can leave all that behind when you vist the Museum. An hour or two in our pioneer settlement is to be transported back to a more genteel age. Hurrying won't get you there any quicker, the senses aren't constantly assaulted with a commercial blitz, and a chat with a friend makes time almost stand still. This is something you can't get many places anymore and while it comes with a price tag, the price hasn't changed in several years.

Do yourself a favor ... take a break from the rat race and catch up with your roots. Finding out about the legacy the community has inherited from the past is a great bonding experience for you and the kids or grandkids, out-of-town visitors, the next door neighbor ... even your in-laws. It's an experience you'll long treasure.

The Land is Green and We Make It Grow

2009-04-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally a-bloom in Walla Walla this year after what seemed an interminably long, drawn out winter. We've had a fair amount of 60-degree days and even a couple approaching 80F. Currently the fruit trees are sending out their fragrant blooms, the first tulips are up as the daffodils and hyacinth begin to fade, and the forsythia are absolutely radiant. It is the best time of year to visit Walla Walla.

When you do, make it a point to take in the floral glories of Fort Walla Walla Museum. Between Jim, our multi-talented groundsman, and a slew of dedicated volunteers, a gardener's paradise is created every year. Gardens abound at the Museum and some serve as horticultural displays in support of Museum exhibits.

The Italian Herb Garden and the Black Prince* (also known as Cinseault) vineyard exist to help define the Saturno Italian Farmstead. The apple trees near the pioneer settlement help tell the importance of fruit farming in the pioneer era. If you know the wonderful Ritz Mansion on Plaza Way near the Country Club, you might be interested in knowing that Phillip Ritz was an early orchardist in the region. The Blalock Addition of College Place and Walla Walla was first the Blalock Orchards ... Spitzenberg (an apple variety) Street still hints at those origins.

The rest of the Museum's gardens exist to delight the eyes and nose. Throughout our season, new plants bloom and thrive making a stroll through the grounds a very pleasant experience. Of special worth are the dahlias Jim (that's Jim planting a tree above) grows each fall near the entrance and Store. These giant flowers are amazing and worth the trip by themselves.

*while the Museum's grapes are not used to make the wine, a local vintner (Morrison Lane in downtown Walla Walla) produces a varietal from locally-grown grapes.

Hoo-Rah and Up She Rises!

2009-04-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

Much of the staff ... Jim, Anne, Don, and myself ... arrive before 8:00 am each weekday to get underway. Early birds, to be sure, but these days we're Johnnies-come-lateley. Every morning the construction gang is already here and hard at work.

It's a sight to see. The first thing most of us notice is the "missing" building. The view to the VA off in the east seems much closer than it did when Exhibit Hall 1 was in place. Soon, the current view will be blocked by the ever-progressing new structure, but we're cognizant of the fact that this will become the view when the Entrance building is completed. The VA, of course, is on the grounds of the old military Fort Walla Walla, the cornerstone of the commmunity's development. That connection with our heritage ... and namesake ... is an intereting and desirable thing for us.

The construction guys are pouring footings and walls and doing things with machines I can't even describe, let alone know what their called. We're just aware that progress is on the march and we couldn't be happier. We invite you to share the happiness with us ... come on out and check the construction for yourself ... my grandson in Portland, Nikos, would dearly love to see the big earth-moving equipment at work. We're still actively fundraising for the project and we'd love it if you shared that with us, too. Call the Museum at 509.525.7703 to see how you can help.

Lost in Time (but not in space)

2009-04-08T08:42:00.001-07:00

Here's something to wrap your mind around today.

It's all about the past, right? That's what most folks assume when thinking about or visiting a heritage museum like Fort Walla Walla Museum. After all, that's the point, to see how things were done in bygone years.

While taking care of the past is among our primary duties ... "preserving and sharing" is in our mission statement ... we also must consider the future. While preserving congers visions of forever, perpetuity, and everlasting, we don't know how long forever actually will be. For us, looking down the road about 200 years is the best we can do given current budgets and technologies. We keep the lion's share of our artifacts in climate-controlled areas and are working to do that with much of the rest of our more than 42,000 (and growing) collection.

Somethings just won't work indoors. the 17 buildings in our pioneer settlement come to mind first, one of which, the Ransom Clark Cabin) is among the oldest structures in the state dating to the 1850s. For that building, periodic maintenance including log oiling, re-chinking, and roof replacement is what we're capable of doing. We hope that in 200 years, new ways of taking care of things will allow our grandchildren's grandchildren to gain some perspective through that window into the past.

In the meantime, there's the present. There isn't much point in preserving the past for future generations if no one cares about it today. We do our best to keep the public informed about our new exhibits, events, programs, and the importance of staying in contact with our shared heritage.

So there you have it ... we take care of the past for the sake of the future all the while informing the present about why it's all important. Whew! That's a brain-bender for sure ... fortunately, it's a lot of fun for us and we hope you think so, too. Today's pics represent past (the Ransom Clark Cabin), present (an urban wheat harvest across the road from the Museum in 2008), and future (an artist's idea of a city in the future).

Building Progress!

2009-04-06T08:23:00.001-07:00

Friday marked a milestone at Fort Walla Walla Museum in the construction of our new Entrance Building. Until now, most of what was accomplished was demolition or 'horizontal work.' Bulldozers and front-end loaders moving earth and gravel around, the digging of utility trenches, and so forth.

We actually worked 'vertically' Friday, with the pouring of the footers and the walls upon which will be built the new structure. Hopefully we'll continue to see progress with a little bit nicer weather and the ironing out of the expected problems. It is a given in construction that young couples building their first home together will put a strain on their new relationship ... in building, "the best laid plans o' mice an' men gang aft agley," as Robbie Burns wrote ... nothing goes easily or according to plan.

Pouring the concrete was interesting ... a giant crane held up a long pipe through which was pumped the concrete directly from the cement truck. Apparently, that allows exisiting trenches to remain undisturbd, security fencing to remain in place, and the job of delivering concrete to specific points is accomplished with ease.

History Comes Alive!

2009-04-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

We take history seriously at Fort Walla Walla Museum, but we're also aware that not everyone else wants a lecture on the subject. One of the most interesting and entertaining ways of learning a little about regional heritage is through our Living History program, the first of whose presentations occurs this Sunday at 2:00 pm.

It's important to learn from our past. As philospher George Santayana once wrote, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The Museum's Living History Company, through its more than 40 weekend presentations through the season, tells the stories of real people in their 'own voice' who helped create the community we have today. I get first nod of the season as I portray Lewis & Clark Expedition member John Colter. Next week, Charles Saranto portrays one of the best stories anywhere as pioneer blacksmith & hotelier Fred Stine.

Through the season, which features performance every Sunday, plus Saturday June through August, you can enjoy Captain Mullan from Mullan Trail fame, Madame Josephine 'Dutch Jo' Wolf, early brewmasters John & Catherine Stahl, Hudson's Bay Company trader William McBean, Suzanne Cayuse Dauphin who was one of the first Indian women to own property in this region, and many, many others. Included in the bunch are special presentations during Ice Cream Social, Women's History Celebration, Frenchtown Rendezvous, and a '19th Century Party' to conclude the season. The season has been described as "a 42-week course in Walla Walla history." Maybe so, but it sure is fun!

Today's photos, top to bottom, include Rich Monacelli as William McBean, Judith Fortney as Suzanne Cayuse Dauphin, Lois Hahn as 'Dutch Jo,' Charles Saranto as Fred Stine, and me, Paul Franzmann as John Colter.

From Near and Far

2009-04-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

After our first day of operations this year, we are pleased to report that attendance is up 10% from last year! That's a trend we hope continues throughout the season. We had several visitors from Seattle and Tacoma arrive yestreday, as well as folks from La Grande, Oregon. Our first visitors of the day were from Vancouver, WA and timed their visit to April 1 for our opening.

That's two states down, 48 to go. In my memory, we have never missed our unofficial goal of all 50 states; that might go back a dozen years or more at this point. A couple of years ago, we hit that goal in mid-June, though it's usually September, even October, before we log the final state. The toughest one to record is Rhode Island, a low-population state nearly as far from here as possible.

I also had email yesterday from Jørn in Denmark who'd visited us last year, purchased a quilt-raffle ticket and wondered who won the draw (Rosemary Kenney of Portland, OR was our winner; that's her with the prize). We typically receive visitors from more than 30 foreign countries in a season, though last year that number was 42. Amazing! Imagine traveling halfway across the world to take in the heritage we have right in our own backyard. Pictured here are Marc-Thomas and Urte with their son Nicholas (a family from Germany) at the Jacky play cabin and a group of visiting highschool kids from our sister city, Sasayama, Japan.

Most of our visitors come from 'the neighborhood,' Washington, Oregon, and Idaho followed by California and Montana. We receive many of the rest of the states courtesy of the "boat people," those Columbia River cruise tourists who get bussed here from the docks in the Tri-Cities. They tend to be active retirees who are intensely interested in all facets of life. Like all of us, they love to share the interesting things about their home towns, what they've done along life's road, and what they are doing sailing up the Columbia River. You can see the bus they arrive on ... that looks like a pretty comfortable ride!

It's one of the best things about museum life ... we get to meet the neatest people! I also think that's one of the biggest draws for those who volunteer here, the chance to share our wonderful community with so many people, an average of about 25,000 annually over the past decade.

Family Fun at Fort Walla Walla Museum

2009-04-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

This is it! The Museum Store is re-stocked, the 33-mule team is buffed, and new exhibits are ready for inspection! Welcome to Fort Walla Walla Museum's 42nd season of service from beautiful Fort Walla Walla Park!

It's Spring Break and a great opportunity to take the family to the Museum. Less costly than the movies and an experience that will last far longer with your young ones. It's good to share time with your kids, doing things as a family. The kids will remember that sort of gift more so than most any tangible present they might receive.

The weather will be mostly dry today, so grab the kids, call a friend and let's all meet at the Museum!

Here's to the Children!

2009-03-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's the BIG Day, the opening of our 42nd season of service from our location here in beautiful Fort Walla Walla park. We already have something approaching 2,000 participants booked for the admission-free school tour program this spring. The program is open to public, private, and home schools and is generously sponsored by Pacific Power Foundation;Boise, Inc's Wallula Mill; The Blue Mountain Area Foundation; the J.L. Stubblefield Trust; and the Bonnie Braden Trust.

Most years we get kids from across Washington and Oregon, as well as from Idaho. As school budgets have been strapped the past couple years, we've seen a bit of a decline in numbers, but the progam still averages more than 5,000 participants each year. Not a bad way to put kids in touch with their heritage!

Many schools that arrive at the Museum also manage to book a tour at Whitman Mission for the other half of their day. I'm told that many schools also take their students to either the Yakama Nation Museum or to Tamastastlikt Cultural Institute, the museum of The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. When they're through touring, the kids end up with a pretty good base of regional historical knowledge.

We enjoy being a part of the region's educational efforts. Kids who know of their heritage are far more capable of helping to lead our communities into the future. To that end, the past is just about our only road map into the future and we ignore it to our peril. It doesn't matter if your family has lived here for umpteen generations or if you just finished unloading the moving van, this is the region's heritage and now it's yours. Knowing it helps us cope with daily existence as well as helping to make a brighter tomorrow for us all.

These days, we interact with regional school kids only once or twice in their K-12 years. We'd like to make that five or six times. Our plans for the future include hirring an Education Coordinator so that we can do more outreach in the schools and have more things for kids while they're at the Museum. History class is too often a 'death match' between kids and the guy at the front of the class (and he'd win if it weren't for graduation!) ... I think it's all about people and that should make it all the time interesting.

So here's to the kids! Bring 'em to the Museum this week during Spring Break ... it's one of the best things parents can do for their kids.

Enjoy the photos ... I like the one of Walla Walla's Edison School with the kids near their busses, all waving.

Snow, man!

2009-03-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Snow?!? Waking up yesterday was a bit of a shock. Having moved here from Montana nearly a dozen years ago, snow in March was hardly unusual ... nor is April or even May blizzards. In the years I lived in that state, I saw it snow on every major holiday. But a late March snow in Walla Walla seems like something our grandparents would have referred to from the 'old days.'

Snow or rain (but not gloom of night), Museum work continues. Each year we take a day to shoot new photos of our Living History participants so that they'll look fresh in newspaper articles, web site postings, and wherever else they might appear. In the past, we did the shoot in late February and it seemed that more often than not we were dodging cold rain or snow flurries under an overcast sky that was hardly repesentative of local weather during the bulk of our season. We try hard to portray the community in its best light (no pun intended), knowing that our many guests from 'the wet side' travel this far to enjoy dry, sunny weather. Shooting in the gloom largely defeats that purpose.

This year we pushed picture day back a month to try to take advantage of better weather. Saturday's day-long rain and Sunday's snow nearly doused that hope, but by Sunday afternoon the clouds parted and things had warmed up. A goodly number of the Company arrived for group and individual portraits, including Chloe, the first kid we've seen in the Company for awhile. All dressed up in 'Sunday-go-to-Meetin' pioneer garb, she was quite a lovely sight.

Today is gloriously sunny ... out my office window I can see the farthest windmills on the ridge west of town, even see the blades rotating. That means its quite clear today, so let's all get out when we can and enjoy as much of the day as possible. It's Spring Break for Washington School kids and teachers and the Museum opens April 1 for visitation. Looks like a good opportunity to have a little family fun at Fort Walla Walla Museum!

Workin' for the Kids

2009-03-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Serendipity or Progress ... which is better? As Fort Walla Walla Museum continues to work into our Services and Facilities Enhancement Project, we'll gladly accept both and not look too closely at a gift '33-mule team's' teeth. Progress, I suppose, is when things move along according to plan. Serendipity is when good things happen perhaps because of, but even in spite of, one' s best laid plans.

Yesterday brought us a little serendipity in our construction project. Excavating for utilities left us with a large pile of pretty darn good topsoil that we might have stored for a long time until we could use it elsewhere in the steps of our expansion. We asked Jim Dumont, who heads the City's Parks and Recreation Department if he knew of any pressing needs for good earth within within Walla Walla. As it happens, such a need exists at the Eastgate Lions Little Leaugue field. A lot of our focus is directed towards children, so being able to support 'the All-American game' made us feel really good. Large dump trucks began hauling away the topsoil yesterday and are already continuing to do so today at 7:45 am.

Here's a cool thing. The history of baseball in the region dates back almost to the origins of old military Fort Walla Walla. Soldiers posted here after the Civil War likely revived interest in the game of "Base Ball" from their time spent back east. Through the years, teams from the Fort participated in a number of leagues in the region that came and went as time went by. Now it's full circle .... Fort Walla Walla Museum resides upon the former military reservation of US Military Fort Walla Walla; now earth from the old Fort will support youth baseball in the city. That's a pretty neat little historical nugget we can pass on to the kids.

Today's photos show the removal of the dirt pile and from the Museum's collection, FWWM # 86.42.12, of a young man in baseball uniform that reads "14th Cav" across his chest. On the back, it says, "Sincerely yours, G.W. Mills, Sergt., Troop C, 14th Cav., Fort Walla Walla, July 5, 1908." If that's Sgt. Mills in the photo, he looks like he'd have no trouble knockin' one over the fence, eh?

Building on a Firm Foundation

2009-03-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

This is our 42nd season of service to the community from the ridge atop Fort Walla Walla Park. We are fortunate to to be the beneficiaries of 50 years hard work from those who first built the place we love. Their selfless dedication is a monument to perserverance and pride of community.

As we undertake our expansion project, it's interesting to know that the Exhibit Hall our founders brought forth, when all the numbers are counted, may be re-used or recycled to the tune of nearly 95% of volume. A week or so ago as the building came down, all the concrete blocks and the pad were hauled away to be crushed. Earlier this week we saw the return of the crushed rock and saw it spread over the area where a new pad will be poured before too long.

What we'll end up with is a new building built literally on the firm foundation we received from our own pioneers, the folks who built this great place. Call it a hat tip or a salute, but we're thrilled at being able to do something so 'green' and at the same time remember our past and carry it into the future!

You can see a little more of the construction and other video clips at http://www.youtube.com/user/FortWallaWallaMuseum

Enjoy!

Reaching Out

2009-03-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

We're doing a lot of outreach these days. Sometimes that happens here at Fort Walla Walla Museum with an off-season tour permitted for a group of folks from the Boise area last Friday who would not otherwise be able to conveniently see the Museum (the young woman above is 17-year old Sierra from the Boise 'VW Things' group). At other times, Museum staff and volunteers go into the community to make contact with groups seeking entertanment through our Living History Company. Barbara portrayed Walla Walla's first professional school marm Sarah Miner at the VA yesterday (That's her, seated at the Museum's Union Schoolhouse). Today, we host our annual volunteer meeting on the grounds (the other pic is from such a meeting a few years ago)and this afternoon the Director and I will give a short presentation to the residents at Garrison Creek Lodge, our neighbor around the corner on The Dalles Military Road.

In the course of a year, we do a lot of this sort of thing. Museum staff and volunteers represent the Museum in a wide variety of ways and places. Don sits with the City's Parks and Rec Advisory Board and serves as a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, Carolyn is the Secretary/Treasurer for the Columbia County Cemetery Association (there's quite a few historic cemeteries in that county), and I sit on the Union-Bulletin's Community Board. James, the Director, is on quite a few Boards, including Tourism Walla Walla, the School Boundary Task Force, the Historical Advisory Board, and a bunch of others.

We like to give back to the community that supports us so strongly and it helps when we can answer invidiuals' questions about what's going on at the Museum ... not everything gets into the news. If you have a question, stop in to see us or call 509.525.7703. You can email us at info@fortwallawallamuseum.org, too.

Volunteer Day

2009-03-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the day Fort Walla Walla Museum hosts its annual volunteer orientation meeting. The Museum survives (really) because of the efforts of more than 400 volunteers ... we truly could not do all that we do without their many, varied and wonderful talents. A number of those volunteers are once-a-year participants in our special events. Last year we had nearly 100 historical re-enactors at Fort Walla Walla Days. Day to day in the season, we use the services of a smaller but tremendously dedcated group of about 90 folks.

Esther, Barb, & Sally help with the textile collection, both in terms of curation and maintenance, but also in developing and creating exhibits. Helen helps us with exhibits, particularly in posterboard-mounting the text and images visitors see. Vi heps with the gardening, as a Store Assistant, Tour Docent, and keeping my paper files from devouring my office. Millie is a mainstay among the Building Attendants. Steve, like Vi, is a jack-of-many-trades helping with collections and exhibits and as a Tour Docent. A Touchet-area family has helped us garden in recent years, all four showing up to lend a hand. The list is a long one and no one is left out who wishes to participate.

On Friday we hosted a group of 20 or so young people from AmeriCorps. Each of them is required to come up with a service project and Patrick chose the Museum as a place to assist (his gal-pal Emily is the young woman, also a volunteer, you can see signing the Pledge of Allegiance through the Volunteer page on our web site: www.fortwallawallamuseum.org/volunteer.htm ). These folks helped primarily with the myriad chores of cleaning the pioneer village in preparation for visitation season, now just 8 days away. Their sheer numbers make light work of an otherwise immense project for Laura, our already heavily taxed Collections Manager.

If you're interested in giving back to the community, sharing oour wonderful community with vistors from across the country and around the world, or if you just like hanging out with like-minded folks having a good time, then come on over at 10 am Wednesday morning. The coffee pot will be on and somebody always brings cookies!

Here We Go!

2009-03-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

Here we go!! We are finally underway with our Museum expansion project ... demolition of Exhibit Hall 1 was accomplished yesterday. After years of planning, months of fundraising ... followed with what seemed interminable waiting, the project got a grand beginning. Exhibit Hall 1 is the oldest of our formerly five display buildings and nearing the end of its 'life expectancy.' Nevertheless, it proved remarkably resiliant beneath the force of pneumatic power. As the Museum takes a step into the future, we can assume Carl Penner and others among our founders would be applauding along side the rest of us.

As I stood out in the cold drizzle to record the event, I coouldn't help but ponder the nature of reality: from destruction comes life ... the plant kingdom is fully aware of that maxim and it seems to apply to our situation, too. The new Entrance building will largely cover the footprint of Exhibit Hall 1. To take it a step further, nearly 95% of the old structure has been/will be re-used or recycled. Much of the concrete will be crushed for aggregate in the new building ... we are truly building on a foundation provided by our own 'pioneer forebearers.' More than 300 2 x4s were removed for future use and seemingly acres of strand board were salvaged. Much of the insulation was offered to interested parties. Even the two steel doors were rescued and donated to a local church.

Today a crew is hauling away the detritus. Soon we shall see the beginnings of the Museum's future rise Phoenix-like from the same location.. We'll keep you posted.

Preserving & Sharing Via Technology

2009-03-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days have seen an interesting convergence of 19th century atrifacts and 21st century technology at Fort Walla Walla Museum. The first item that comes to mind is the grant we received Monday; the entire operation was done online, relating to the funding of our 1805-1806 Lewis & Clark diorama.

Another idea on the horizon is to turn a cd full of pictures of regional century+ old barns into a screen saver set for purchase through the Museum Store ... we have a couple of other notions on deck in that realm, too. These are things we can do in-house to had depth to a visitor's experience at the Museum. We have a collection chock full of interesting photographs dating way back to the community's origins; surely something can be done with some of those images, too. Ditto the several books whose copyrights we control.

All of this brings me to our mission: to preserve and share Walla Walla regional heritage. A few years ago, we acquired software that allowed us to put our entire collection records into digital format. We now know exactly how many items we have in the collection at any one time and, in theory, exactly where to locate any particular artifact. Sounds simple, but we have more than 42,000 items in the collection ... and they don't sit still.

Items are routinely rotated in and out of archival storage for displays, inter-museum loans, off-campus displays (see the exhibit case in the lobby of the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference center), and the always possible "other" category. Digitizing the collection was a major boon to preservation, allowing us to keep track of each and every item and devote regular periodic attention to its maintenance.

If technology allows us to enhance preservation (don't forget the digitized controls of the 'climate controlled' buildings and artifact repositories), it also helps us to share the wonderful heritage of the region's past. Being able to take a home a digital chink o' the past is a whole "brave new world" for the Museum and we'll likely move more in that direction.

Helping Hand for New Exhibit

2009-03-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Much of import happened while I was away yesterday! Fort Walla Walla Museum plies the grants market several times each year and we were rewarded with an announcement that one of those 'asks' had been acknowledged. It was a national-level grant that will help us move forward with some of the inside, visitor-visible aspects of Phase I construction.

Exhibit Hall I was emptied of all its various and sundry trasures over the winter and will soon be demolished (maybe starting today?). Among the exhibits housed in it was our life-size Lewis & Clark diorama. The scene depicted involved three mannequins representing Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Yellept, a headman of the Wallah Wallah people. They are in the midst of a gift exchange, Cap't. Clark's military saber for Yellept's "eligant white horse," as it was described in the journals. Behind it stood a mural representing Wallula Gap, just south of where the Walla Walla River enters the Columbia. Much of that exhibit was re-displayed in our Headquarters for this season, but we had to bid adieu to the mural.

In the new Entrance building about to arise phoenix-like from the demolished Exhibit Hall I, the diorama will be re-created. We have had preliminary discussion with a local artist of renown and acclaim to produce a new mural with seasonal coloring more appropriate to the actual time frame depicted, as well as a new view of the Gap from the far bank of the Columbia River where stood Yellept's village. As a whole, the scene will be more historically accurate, and colorwise, more pleaseing to the eye. Thanks to the new grant, we shall be able to proceed with the plan.

Stay tuned! Big things are under way!!

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch ...

2009-03-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

An off-campus meeting today about diversity training, then a long weekend. The work continues back at Fort Walla Walla Museum, where a new season is just 19 days away. Just yesterday, Operations Manager Don landed our food vendor for the season, no small trick in a shaky economy. Collections Manager Laura continues work on the new Headquarters displays for 2009, Ops Assistant Anne continues to re-stock the Museum Store, and Building & Grounds Manager Jim gears up for the final steps in sprucing up the appearance of the place. Even Tour Coordinator Bill is busy, as we already have a number of school tours booked, a string of Columbia River cruise tours headed our way, and even a pre-season special booking by an auto-enthusiast group from Boise. Bookkeeper Carolyn keeps us on the straight and narrow ... her work has ensured seven consecutive years of finishing 'in the black' (before depreciation).

I sent off a news release to the MSM yesterday about how so much about this season is NEW. New exhibits, new Living History characters, a new building in progress, new food vendor ... it's amazing! There's never been a better year to get involved at Fort Walla Walla Museum!

If you'd like to volunteer, there's lots of great opportunities. Call Don at 509.525.7703 and join the fun!

No blog on Monday, so see y'all Tuesday. -Paul (that's me doing an interview at the Museum with CNNMoney when it named Walla Walla as the best place to retire)

Laura's Sense of Sunshine

2009-03-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone, I think, is pretty happy that the gloomy days of winter are getting to be fewer and farther between. As I look out my office window, the sun is shining even if it is just 20F out there ... even that beats the heck out of dreary gray fog and drizzle.

At Fort Walla Walla Museum, sunshine presents a bit of a problem for Laura, our Collections Manager, however. As we are in a construction season, we will have a number of exhibits in our Headquarters Conference Room this year. The wall of south-facing windows have nice blinds, but even when closed the amount of light that 'leaks' in will cause damage to fragile artifacts. One of the exhibits planned for spring is a selection of our wedding dress collection (pictured), some dating to the mid-1800s. Other textile exhibits will also be displayed in the room this year, including our Annual Heritage Quilt Show in autumn(2008 show pictured).

What to do? When the going gets tough, the tough get busy. This week, Laura and her volunteers ... Esther, Sally, Sis, Helen ... are cutting poster board to fit over the windows. There will also be a drape covering the entire wall, so between the two, sunlight will be effectively blocked. Our mission is to "preserve and share" the heritage of the Walla Walla region. We can't share what we don't preserve, so we take that pretty seriously. "Preserve" means forever, and while current technologies don't let us guarantee that, we do look to get things about 200 years into the future. Our successors can then figure out how to take care of the next several centuiries, so that the fabulous story of the people of the Walla Walla valley can continue to be told for future generations.

Coffee Day a Little Different Today

2009-03-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

It sometimes feels like the whole world runs on coffee, doesn't it? Just think about all the various places even in a small town like Walla Walla where you can get a cuppajoe, from the many drive-throughs to the restaurants, from the coffee shops to the grocery stores, and so many folks at home. It's easier to count up my non-'evil brown brew*'-swilling friends than those who do imbibe.

Wednesday at the Museum is coffee day, it seems, as several of our stalwart volunteers (Rod, clad in his Living History gear above, and Steve, the '2nd story man' working on a new display in our Headquarters) arrive to share a moment or two with us before we get on with the day. The staff is rolling in, too: Don's back, Jim's here early, as ever, and Anne is here, too. Laura will be in soon, herself. The coffee's the same today, at least no worse than usual, but the conversation is a little more animated. We got the last approval we needed yesterday to begin the demolition of Exhibit Hall 1, the first step in constructing our new Entrance Building!

Those are two of the architect's rendering of the new entrance building pictured at the top.

We concluded 2008 with just enough money in our capital campaign to make a really nice start on Phase I construction ... call it 'Phase I-A,' if you will. We're still actively fundraising this year to acquire some items currently unfunded, so if you'd like to help, give us a call at 509.525.7703. If you'd like to use a credit card, go to our website at http://www.fortwallawallamuseum.org/ and look for the DonateNow button in the left margin toolbar. We're carrying the past into the future ... you can help carry the load!

*hat tip to Mike Schultz, Head Librarian at University of Montana-Western

Outreach ... A Great Way to Listen

2009-03-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Community outreach ... we do a lot of that around Fort Walla Walla Museum. It seems like everyday one or the other of us is making a presentation, repesenting the Museum at a meeting, or generally being out and about in the area. It was my turn today as a participant in the local newspaper's, The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, (http://www.union-bulletin.com/) community board.

A dozen or so of us show up at 7:00 in the morning to coffee, donuts, and interesting conversation. While the talk mainly centers around the function of the paper, it spreads effortlessly into the role of the paper in the community. It's an interesting cross section of the community that participates, along with a handful of U-B employees ... this time including about-to-be new publisher Rob Blethen. There's a representative from local tourism interests, the Sweet Onion Festival folks, a school teacher, a retired judge, a retired doctor and others from around the community. A pretty representative group

Others of the Museum staff sit on the local Parks & Rec Advisory Board, the local Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, a nearby county's cemetery board, Tourism Walla Walla, and a host of other heritage-related groups. It's good for us to get out and give back to the community that's been so generous to us. It also keeps us from talking in an 'echo chamber,' that kind of self-referentialism that happens when outside viewpoints fail to enter a discussion. We like to think we provide a service to the community, but if no one takes advantage of that service, it's time to change direction, right? So far, the listening has paid off ... I think we're on the right track.

Hob-nobbing with My Fellow Museumistas

2009-03-09T08:25:00.001-07:00

This may be the coolest job ever ... I know it's the coolest job I've ever had. I get to meet all kinds of people from all over the world, spend a lot of my time writing about things I know and care about, and put almost everything I've ever learned and done to use at a worthy enterprise.

Last year at this time I had a hand in organizing the regional museums into what hs become known as "The Blue Mountain and Columbia Basin Museum Cooperative." We exist to cross-promote one another, back-up a sister institute in the event of an emergency, and generally serve as a source of information. Hangin' out with my peers is especially cool because they are so interesting. We run new ideas past each other, communicate about big ideas and small, proof each other's work ... on and on and on. Not long ago, I referred one member seeking information about the 'Blalock Flume' (that's him in the photo) to another I knew had that information.

There are all kinds of organziations in the co-op: not-for-profits, house museums, a tribal cultural insititute, a for-profit tour company organizations with no place (yet) and a place with no organization (anymore) ... take your pick, there are 20-something of us. You can download our brochure from Fort Walla Walla Museum's web site: http://www.fortwallawallamuseum.org/area_museums.htm just scroll to the bottom of the page. The map side of the brochure is posted here for you to see.

Do you recall the scene in The Wizard of Oz near the end when the Wizard is about to leave Oz in his "Omaha State Fair" hot air balloon? He tells the denizens of the Emerald City that he's going off to "hob nob with my flellow wizards." I feel like that today ... our biennial meeting is being held today at the Franklin County Hisotrical Society Museum in the Tri-Cities. I'll be rubbing elbows with some of the best!

2009-03-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

We started our day out here at the Museum much like our pioneer ancestry did ... without computer connectivity. Like them, we are still subject to the whims of Mother Nature. It appears lighning took out our ISP's hardware up in the Blue Mountains.

Faced with that, we began work the old-fashined way ... by talking, and then by hand. By 11:00 or so, the system had come back on ... much sooner than anticipated ... and we were left to ponder the vagaries of modern technology, yet how pervasive (and necessary) they are to our daily lives.

Wouldn't the pioneers be amazed at what we can do? They might also be amazed at how few folks, comparativley, are involved in putting food on the table.

Enjoy the 'then and now' photos of regional agriculture.

Kids at the Museum

2009-03-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

We love kids at Fort Walla Walla Museum! We have an admission-free School Tour Program that offers kids, their teachers, and schools an opportunity to walk through the past. Walla Walla wasn't always a sleepy little town at the end of the trail, but was something of a big deal, leading to the long-standing claim of 'Cradle of Northwest History.' The program attracts about, 5,000 participants each year and receives some generous corporate sponsorship from Boise, Inc.'s Wallula Mill, Pacific Power Foundation, and others.

We see lots of other young folks in the course of a year, too. From babies in backpacks, to toddlers in strollers, and schools kids all the way through their high school years, as well as some college students. Some of the latter have been among our most vibrant, active volunteers, putting the lie to "What's the matter with today's kids?" Well, not much in our view ... they are active in the community and already giving back of their own time. That makes us feel pretty good about the long-term prospects of preserving our heritage.

Today's blog is a salute to those wonderful young folks whose energy we envy and direction we try to quietly mentor. There may be problems in the world, but 'our' kids aren't among them. We think kids who make contact with their community's heritage are much better equipped to help make the decisions about a community's future.

Grandparents

2009-03-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

Grandparents and grandchildren ... is there a more wonderful bond that exists in the world? Grandparents often are beyond the angst of child-rearing and the duties of discipline that fall more heavily on parents. Children get a little more freedom, but are still under the auspices of caring adults. For kids, the concept of their parents' parents is wonderful to explore ... "these are the people who knew my mom when she was my age."

We see lots of grandparent-grandchildren visitors at Fort Walla Walla Museum and we try to do our part to encourage that. The concept of the wisdom of elders being shared with a new generation is the foundation of human progress. On Grandparents Day, Sunday, September 13, the Museum offers free admission to all children under 12 who arrive with one or more grandparent. Day in/day out, the Museum offers a senior discount at $6 for those 62 and above and charges kids 6-12 just $3; kids under 6 get in free.

It's important for kids to know that many things they take for granted requires a lot of hands-on labor. Food doesn't magically arrive at the store, nor do their toys and clothes. Being able to equate their labor with productivity is a good way to ensure that things keep rollin' along the way they ought to.

Don't wait for a special occasion. We all know that parents are frightfully busy these days, so if you have an afternoon, grab your young ones and bring 'em out to the Museum. It's educational, it's fun, and it's a wonderful way to show those special kids how much you care about them.

Living, Breathing History

2009-03-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

At Fort Walla Walla Museum, saying 'history comes alive' has some meaning. Each weekend (every Sunday, plus Saturdays June through August) during the season, you can experience more than 40 Living History performances. Some involve just one person, often telling of the past through an ancestor's eyes. Others are accomplished with two or three performers, and a some involve quite a few folks.

Most, but not all, of the characters portrayed lived in the 19th century. The 'rules' are that none of the performers has yet passed on, and are somewhat mystified as to how they 'travel through time' to be with the audience. Using 'talking sticks' to amplify their voices is technology beyond their ken.

Keeping in character is also one of the rules. Opinions on modern topics are not possible from those who lived 100 years or more in the past. It does, however, make you wonder what a real time traveler might think of modern ways of doing things or, better yet, how similar problems today were solved in the past.

All programs begin at 2:00 pm in the Museum's pioneer settlement. On the first and thrid Sundays of each month in the April through October visitation season, patrons can enjoy popular 19th century music with the Museum's own 'Oregon Trail Band.' The program has been described as a '40-course class in regional history.' I don't know about that, but the characters are always genuine, engaging, and ready to answer your questions. Oh, yes ... they're a lot of fun, too. A full schedule of programs can be found at www.fortwallawallamuseum.org/living_history.htm Come on out ... this ain't your high school history class!

Changing Face of Agriculture

2009-03-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

The logo of Fort Walla Walla Museum includes these words: "Horse-Era Agriculture." That relates to the pre-mechanized way of doing farming and ranching in this part of the world, but as anyone who has ever traveled through this lovely corner of creation knows, this is still farm country.

Wheat still predominates, but vineyards are increasing in acreage every year. Onions still take up lots of room, but asparagus is no longer a major commodity. Orchards, too, are not as widely found as in previous years. Times change and crops changes, too, as do the animals involved in farming. At one time sheep were incredibly plentiful in the area, but no longer. Among the more interesting animals gaining a hoof-hold in the area are goats. One can see herds large and small in many different places, leading one to wonder what is done with all those animals.

The answer partly lies to the west of Dayton, where Montelleit Fromagerie does wonderful things with goat milk. I haven't seen any Angora goats, but that doesn't mean there aren't any in the neighborhood. Some go into meat production, something new for the palate in these parts.

The goat kids pictured here are from the Dalan Family Farm just west of Walla Walla. the kids were newborn last Tuesday, February 24. Enjoy!

Thinking Small

2009-02-27T09:40:00.000-08:00

Small stuff ... everyone tells you "don't sweat the small stuff." And yet, we seem to be eternally fascinated with things of a minor note. Chidlren's toys are often miniatures of the real thing, be it a train set or doll house. Beyond that, folks who painstakingly reproduce things in tiny scale leave us in awe.

Why is that? We can all appreciate the significance of new life being smaller than the adult versions. One can see how much effort goes into something like building a ship in a bottle. You can hardly expect your granddaughter to move the livingroom furniture around, so we provide her with a doll house and pint-size funishings. Dolls, too, be they fashionistas or 'army men.'

Whatever the reason, a new exhibit in the Headquarters at Fort Walla Walla Museum can supply you with that awe and the opportunity to contemplate smallness. THINK small features scores of items made in miniature. There's a world of possibility waiting for you.

Women's History

2009-02-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

The Washington State Historical Society and Museum is about to kick-off the centennial commemoration of Washington State's women’s suffrage with the opening of "Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices" starting at 11 a.m this Saturday.

"Enter the Museum and transport back in time to a suffrage rally; join a women’s march, put on your women’s suffrage pin, and interact with costumed greeters and special guests. Enjoy performances from Living Voices, “Hear My Voice: Win the Vote,” and Linda Allen. Light refreshments will be served."

Schedule for exhibit opening celebration: 11 a.m. – Welcome, introductions, and exhibit acknowledgements 11:30 – Exhibit doors open after ribbon cutting 11:30 – 1 p.m. – Family art-making activity NOON – Refreshments served on the Mezzanine 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. “Women’s Voices” program in the Auditorium, featuring storyteller and actress Eva Abram, Living Voices, and singer/song writer Linda Allen.

FREE admission all day, special programming 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Visit WashingtonHistory.org for more information, hours and directions.

For the past few years, Fort Walla Walla Museum has been conducting its own "Women's History Celebration" in August, as we move within a decade of universal suffrage for American women. The women of the Living History Company explain the problems and successes, heartaches and joys of womanhood in their eras. http://www.fortwallawallamuseum.org/livinghistory/womenshistory.htm

To help honor the day, the Museum admits all girls age 12 & under for free and charges adult women 77% of the usual rate, to mark the fact that American women, on average, still earn only 77% of an average man's salary.

You might also wish to follow the saga of Narcissa Whitman in serial form as it appears in the Blue Mountain edition of Tidbits. Whitman Mission National Historic Site's Renee Rusler is spinning out the incredible story week by week.

Carrying the Past into the Future

2009-02-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

"Carrying the Past into the Future" has been the byword of the Capital Campaign for our Services and Facilities Enhhancement Project, but this week it's been more like introducing the past to the future. The newness of this blog is testimony to that, but we've also instituted an acount with YouTube. Our "Community at a Crossroads" video can be seen by going to www.fortwallawallamuseum.org/support_us.htm and scrolling down to the bullet points near the bottom of the page. There's another of our volunteer, Emily, using American Sign Language to present 'The Pledge of Allegiance." That one's pretty funny, at least at the end ... and you can see that I need some work in the editing department. For 'Em,' click www.fortwallawallamuseum.org/volunteer.htm, again scroll down to the bullet points, looking for the word "Watch" as a link to 'Watch 'Em sign the Pledge."

That's a picture of Emily ... she may have set the all time record for carmel corn sales at Fall Harvest Festival that day.

We're also gearing up to a season enhanced by our many volunteers. We have a meeting scheduled for 10 am on March 25, so if you're interested, stop in and see where your talents can match our needs. The coffee pot will be on and someone is likely to bring donuts, too. Here's a chance to be productive and useful (we couldn't operate without all our volunteers), meet like-minded people, meet people from all across the country and around the world (we get visitors from all 50 states and at least 30 countries every year!), and a chance to share your accumulated wisdom, strengths, and skills with those of us who very nearly get 'paid to play.' You know, we are never so useful as when we serve others. Volunteering is good for the spirit and actually helps keep you healthier. Call a pal and see what you can do to "help carry the past into the future!"

Heritage Day

2009-02-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

We still have nearly five weeks before our visitation season officially begins, but the staff is working hard to get ready for the season. One of the things we're most looking forward to is a change in the schedule for September. We moved our annual Fall Harvest Festival back a week, so that this year it will happen on Sep. 26-27. We saw an unusually cold and rainy event last year, so we'll keep our fingers crossed for fair weather in 2009.

What makes things exciting thins year is the hopeful realization of a dream. We recognize the amazing diversity in our community and are also aware of that diversity over time.

We have long thought to portray a 'heritage day,' wherein all the various components that make up the patchwork quilt of our home can come together to share that which each group feels is its own distinguishing characteristics. Whether language, faith, music, dance, or food, those things that identify us as unique are also characteristics that identify as all belonging to humanity. What a wonderful thing to share our separate perspectives with our neighbors so that our understanding and appreciation of all that makes this a great area to live, work and play can flourish and grow!

Does your group have something to offer?

Call us at 509.525.7703!

Soldiers, Pioneers & Indian People

2009-02-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

Our Services and Facilities Enhancement Project awaits an archaeological review from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. From the historical view, the Museum grounds, and before that the U.S. Army's Fort Walla Walla, were part of the the homeland of the tribes, particularly the Cayuse people. As we learned during the research phase of a Lewis & Clark-related exhibit, the Cayuse spoke a language different from virtually all the other groups in the region. In the aftermath of the tragedies at Whitman Mission and the ensuing 'Cayuse War,' the Cayuse people were reduced to half their former numbers and became dispersed. When that happened, the language went into disuse until these days it is considered a 'dead language.' Sadly, not enough elders are left who can speak enough of the language to keep it alive.

The Museum conducted what is often referred to as a 'shovel survey.' That means that a grid pattern was established in the area proposed for construction and at specific points, shovel holes were dug to see what, if anything, existed near the surface. Soil layering was examined, sifiting of removed soil was accomplished, and an examination of exisiting geological data was also done. If you've not been on a 'dig' before, it is hot, dirty work. There are no short cuts to getting quality results. Four of us worked on different points of the grid over the course of two months. While many people think that finding 'something' is the point, it is the determination of what happened in an area that drives the work.

How We Got to be This Way

2009-02-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

On April 1, 2009 Fort Walla Walla Museum will open its 42nd season of visitation at the current location on Myra Road in "beautiful, historic Walla Walla." Nevertheless, the Museum traces its roots to a pioneer association of the 1880s. Through one incarnation into another to this point, the mission is to preserve and share Walla Walla regional heritage.

What is regional? When Walla Walla became a county in 1859 ... at the time Oregon went from territorial status to statehood ... the county encompassed more than 160,000 square miles in what are now Washington (east of the Cascade Mountains), Idaho, Western Montana, and Southwest Wyoming. It didn't last long, but it is historical fact. These days, the Museum considers 'region' to mean the area served by the troopers who were posted at our namesake fort. In practical, modern terms, that accounts for our trade area, too. We include the more than 300,000 people who live more or less within an hour's drive of the Museum. Beyond that, each year we welcome visitors from all 50 states and generally 30+ countries, arriving at a final count of more than 20,000 visitors.

This year marks a new take on what we do. Our five exhibit halls are approaching their life expectancy, and while their contents are engaging, the buildings are inadequate to the foremost task of our mission: preservation. Each hall is a stand-alone structure with two doorways. While three of the buildings have some climate control, the entrance and egress of visitors during the day continually alters the interior climate, as well as providing superhighways for insects and other vermin who might find dining on precious artifacts a gourmet feast. Much research (and no small expense) was devoted to upgrading and connecting the five buildings. Refitting such buildings with modern features proved prohibitively expensive.

To the rescue rode architect Jim Stenkamp, who offered -without fee- to examine the plans to see what might be done more effeciently. Voila! The result was a three-phase plan to replace all five existing buildings with new state-of-the-art, fully connected and, eventually, a completely enclosed space surrounding a quadrangle or, in fort parlance, a 'parade ground.' While the basic concept has been in development for a decade, physical changes are only recently underway. With adequate funding completed last year making a nice beginning, Collections Manager Laura Schulz led a team of volunteers in removing all the artifacts, props, and display accoutrements from Exhibit Hall I. Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Jim Klees and his volunteers began removing 2 x 4s and strandboard to be re-used/recyled into the new construction. Last Sunday, February 15, 2009, a crowd of 75 or so interpid folks braved dank, chilly weather to support our groundbreaking ceremony.

Since then, our general contractor, Opp & Seibold General Construction, Inc., has set up a perimeter around the construction site. From destruction comes construction: first to happen will be the demolition of Exhibit Hall I. We who currently work at the Museum are indebted to those who provided us this place so many years ago. In their honor, much of the concrete of the existing building will become aggregate in the concrete of the new Entrance Building and Grand Hall. In all, something like 80% of the existing structure will be re-used in this and other projects. The legacy of our forbearers will truly be the foundation of the next era at Fort Walla Walla Museum.

In the meantime, fundraising continues to help fulfill some of the unfunded goals of the project. If you're interested in helping us carry the past into the future, contact the Museum at info@fortwallawallamuseum.org or call 509.525.7703.

(The photo: that's me, Communications Manager Paul Franzmann clad in my Living History livery for a performance of John Colter at 2:00 pm Sunday, April 5. Colter was a member of the Lewis & Clark expedition that passed through -coming and going in 1805-06- what would become Walla Walla County).