Overview

Walla Walla has a rich history that traces its roots back to the Cayuse and Walla Walla Native American tribes. Its name meaning “many waters,” Walla Walla became a major fur trading area during the 1800s. Even Lewis & Clark passed through on their expedition. In 1836, Marcus Whitman founded a mission among the Cayuse tribe, marking the area as a major trading post and a stop along the Oregon Trail. Unfortunately, the Cayuse mission ended in a violent uprising and the Whitmans’ deaths in 1847.

Less than 20 years later, Walla Walla had become the largest city in the Washington Territory. The Gold Rush established Walla Walla as a major commercial, banking, and manufacturing region. Since then, agriculture has sustained Walla Walla’s economy, a trend that continues today in Washington’s Wine Country.