The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-31
WALLA WALLA To
FETE VESTS
WINNING
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho
to Produce Historic Pageant
of EVentfuI History.
By HOMER "A. POST.
International News Service.

WALLA WALLA, Wash, May
31.-Seventy years of the most vital
history of the Pacific Northwest
will be portrayed here on June 6
and when the citizens Of Oregon,
Washington and Idaho will CO.
operate to produce the historical
pageant, How the West Was
Won" History of the three States
from the time of Lewis and Clark,
it's explorers, through the Indian
wars of the seventies, will be de-
picted.
Planned since last January, the
production has developed into one
OF the most stupendous attempts Of
the kind ever tried in the Pacific
Northwest The purpose is to
bring home to the present genera
ton the great lesson of American
ism exemplified in the sacrifice and
devotion Of the hardy pioneers who
saved this territory to the nation.
Descendants of those who made the
history around which the pageant
drama is written in all of the sur
rounding towns and cities are daily
spending their spare time rehears-
ing for the big spectacle
In Historic Setting.
Walla Walla has been chosen as
the most fitting place to stage the
production because of it's impor-
lance as the center of events which
have made great part Of the his
tory Of this section. The establish.
ment of the first fur-trading sta.
ton at the mouth of the Walla
Walla river in 1918 by Donald
Mackenzie, of the Hudson Bay Com
pany, the coming of Marcus Whit
man to the Walla Walla Valley and
the establishment of his mission at
Waiilatpu, six miles west of here,
in 1887; the coming of the wagon
train of 1843 to this section, the
Whitman massacre of 1847 the IN
dian wars which were fought IN
or near the Walla Walla Valley,
the great council Of the Indians
and whites called at Walla Walla
in 1855 by Isaac I. Stevens, first
governor of Washington Territory,
and the subsequent establishment
eral Government in the center Of
the business district of Walla Walla.
make the city the logical place to
produce the pageant.
Through the commemoration last
November at Whitman College here
If the seventy-fifth anniversary of
the Whitman massacre. President
:. B. L. Penrose. of Whitman Col
iege. received the inspiration which
resulted in the writing OF the
drama which is being used for the
pageant.
Mountains on Stage.
Mountain foothills, fifty feet
iol1 irfn he
scenery Of the Blue mountains to
he East. have been built. A river
flows down these to the level of the
stage from where it ripples onward
to the Columbia river. The water
from this stream comes from a
tributary of the Walla Walla river,
the stream it represents, and near
which Captains Lewis and Clark
pitched their camp on the day in
1905 they first Saw the Oregon
country from the elevations in the
hinterland to the east and south.
Other scenes which will be shown
include the early log forts Of this
section, the Whitman mission, three
blocks of the city of Walla Walla rs
known in 1859, an exact reproduc-
ton of the old Baker railroa1,
which ran between here and Wallu-
la on the Columbia river-the first
TO be built in the Pacific Northwest,
the defeat Of Colonel Steptoe by the
Indians and the victory over them
by Colonel Wright and his Federal
caValrymen.
Nearly 2,400 people from Walla
Walla and the surrounding terri
tory have been assembled to pa
ticipate in the. pageant. OF these
900 have acting parts and 800 are
dancers. A choir Of 500 adults, a
juvenile chorus Of 400 voices. a
band of IS pieces and an orchestra
of 60 pieces will furnish specially
arranged music. Cattle. horses.
mules and cayuses totaling 500 will
be used.
Four dramatic movements make
up the pageant. These are divided
into episodes, scenes, interludes and
visions. The first three move
ments are historical and the fourth
is prophetic and educational.