Pssst: the word is FortWallaWallaMuseum!

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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).