The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1936-07-16

It bs,ilding q house. A suitable
place for The Spaldings had beeA
found On LapWai Greek. about tWo
and q hall miles from where +
flowed into the Clearwater. LAP
wal" = corruption of Nez Perce
words meaning Butterfly Valley"
according to Dr.. Drury In his book
On Spalding.
Heavy rains made the ten days
trip up the Columbia to Fort Wa1la
Walla an uncomfortable one for the
women. When they arrived On No
vember Is, Mrs. Whitman found
that her husband was still at Wall
latpu. Whitman and Gray had been
working hard to make a ivable
house. There was not time to finish
one thirty by thirty-six feet. as they
first planned, so they built large
lean-to Of cottonwood logs. Bed
rooms partitioned off at either end.
and the center room was kitchen,
with pantry.
It was November Is when Mar.
cissa and Marcus were again re-
united, on his return to the Fort
The five missionaries spent their
last Sabbath together on November
20. The Spaldings and Gray left on
Tuesday, the 22nd, for Lapwai. ac-
companied by about one hundred
and twenty-five enthusiastic Nez
Perces.
Mrs. Whitman spent a few days
more at the Fort, while DR.. Whit
man went back to put more work
ON the house. It was on December
10, 1896. that the bride and groom
at last ended their long wedding
journey, moving into their own
home, the first American white
home in the Northwest. The Spald-
ings were living in lodge Of buff
falo hides at Lapwai. They moved
into their house December g, est
ablishing the first American home
in what Is now the state Of Idaho.
The first winter and spring had
many pleasures and many problems.
Furniture was still to be made. the
house to be finished. The native
language had to be learned. Pecu.
liar conflicts were discovered with
Indian customs. Treating the sick
was found to be rather dangerous
for unsuccessful Medicine Men were
killed. Fortunately none died TO
WA1O30 VIC 0OCSO3 &0VS NACO4(AAAC SA4eSS
spring. He was not 20 fortunate
later. and this factor must be taken
into consideration In any discussion
Of the various causes for the Whit
man Massacre in November, 1847.
The Indians were anxious to learn
but unwilling to work steadily.
From time immemorial, Waiilatpa
had been their camping ground.
II
pleased. Mrs.. Whitman. cooking q
the fireplace q her kitchen. was
seldom given moments privacy.
The missionary work, however
seemed to be starting web. Mem
bers Of the Hudson's Bay Company
had taught the Indians little. and
religious worship was held each
morning. night, and on the Sabbath
in the lodge Of the chief Of the
| Cayuses, among whom the Whit
mans were situated. The Cayuse
tribe numbered only about 800
members, but was wealthy and in.
fluential.
On Mrs. Whitman's twenty-ninth
birthday, March II, 1887. was born
Alice Clarissa, first American white
child In the Northwest.
| William II. Gray, who had been
| sent out as q mechanic. helped the
Whitmans and Spaldings build their
houses. Then his tendency to "do
good on his own hook" showed it
self. He left Lapwai for Fort WallA
Walla about December Is. 1885. al-
ready planning a trip East for rein
forcements and establishing q Sta
ton OF his own among the Flat
| heads. With a trader, he went
Eamong the Spokanes and found
them asking for missionaries. When
crop-planting time came that diff
cult first spring. Gray was OF FOR
the East, taking with him the Nez
Perces and band Of horses. Too
| impatient to wait for the American
Fur Company caravan, he pushed
alone beyond the rendezvous. His
companions were killed, the horses
stolen, and he narrowly escaped.
I Meanwhile Spalding and Whit.
man had to do their farm work az
best they could, getting along with
out potatoes because the few they
had must be used for seed. eating
horse meat because their cattle were
too precious.
(Next: To the Spaldings: Jason
Lee Pays a Call; Charles Compo,
First Church of Oregon; Four Mis-
sion Brides; Maternal Associations
First American White Boy; Trouble
Begins; Letters to the Board; In
dependent Missionaries; Settler
Begin to Come; Drastic Orders IRON
the Board; Whitman Starts East0