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Fort Walla Walla Museum

Introduction

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Fort Walla Walla Museum is a large outdoor living history museum dedicated to preserving the local, cultural and military history of the town and surrounding region. It opened in 1968 and is named after the military base located here between 1856-1910 (and for a brief time it was reoccupied during WWI). It features many exhibits that cover the World Wars, Native American history and culture, agricultural development, textiles and transportation. There is also a pioneer village that includes several original structures brought to the museum over years. Staff dress up in period clothing and show visitors what life was like in the 1800s. Other interesting items on display are vintage carriages and buggies as well as a large Native American collection gathered by the Lloyd family that lived in Walla Walla.


Images

  • Fort Walla Walla Museum
  • The Doctor's cabin in the pioneer village
  • Interior view of one of the structures in the village

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Lloyd family collection started to grow in the 1850s. Albert Lloyd negotiated the treaty between the Palouse people, who ceded ownership of the property in exchange for the continued use of a traditional campsite on the property. From that point forward, the family and the Palouse continued to have a good relationship and exchanged gifts over the years. It is these gifts that constitute the Lloyd family collection at the museum. 

Sources

http://www.fwwm.org/mission/

Additional Information