Park Statistics

On June 29, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation, Public Law 840, H.R. 7736, that established the site of Whitman Mission as a national monument and unit of the National Park Service. On May 31, 1962, the national monument became a national historic site. The change in designation emphasized the site’s historic significance and the need to present a more holistic perspective of the mission site, memorials, and historic setting.


Inspired by the religious zeal of the time, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman left their home in New York state to open a Christian mission among the Weyíiletpuu (Cayuse) in 1836. Marcus, a physician and preacher, attempted to bring Christian beliefs and European medical practices to the Weyíiletpuu. In 1847, the mission came to an end when a measles epidemic came into the area. After half of the Weyíiletpuu population fell victim to the disease, the Whitmans and eleven others were attacked and killed. This conflict was a catalyst for the establishment of the Oregon territory and the creation of Indian reservations in the Pacific Northwest. Whitman Mission National Historic Site, a distinct unit of the National Park Service, is administered by Nez Perce National Historical Park.