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Whitman Mission National Historic Site
Walla Walla County, Washington

Contributed by Rella Gleaton Mar 12, 2001 [rella@ultraplix.com]. Total records = 36.

Whitman Mission "Great Grave" and Pioneer Cemetery. This famous historical site is located in Walla Walla County about 5 miles West of Walla Walla just South of Highway 12. It is well marked by the National Park Service signs.

Recorded burials in this cemetery go back to 1836 when Marcus and Narcissa Whitman first established the mission at Waiilatpu. The Whitman killings on Nov 29 and 30, 1847 was the most noted event here. The victims of the Whitman Killings are buried in what is now called "The Great Grave". The tomb that is seen today was placed there in 1897 on the 50th anniversary of the Whitman killings. It is not clear if all the names listed on the Great Grave stone are actually buried in the grave. In the Pioneer Cemetery many of the headstones were destroyed by time and vandalism and never replaced. These are not the only people buried in the Pioneer Cemetery. Some on the list are not actually in the cemetery but thought to be buried near it.

Of course, the mystery for years has been the actual burial site of the Whitman's baby daughter, Alice Clarissa. She was originally buried somewhere to the North of the main mission house, her tombstone within sight of the house.

For more information on the Whitman Mission and the Whitman Killings visit the National Park Service web site. Information was provided by the Whitman Mission National Historic Site at Walla Walla, Wa in May of 1999.

- Rella Gleaton

Key: s/o, d. son of
d/o, d. daughter of
w/o, d. wife of w/, d. with

The Great Grave

GRAY, Mary Augusta Dix, b. Jan 01, 1810, d. 1881 Dec 08 (Died Clatsop County, Oregon), buried next to Great Grave, was reinterred at Whitman Mission in 1916
GRAY, William Henry, b. Sep 10, 1810, d. 1889 Nov 14 (Died, d. Portland,Ore) buried next to Great Grave, reinterred at Whitman Mission in 1916

Unknown Burial Site

WHITMAN, Alice Clarissa, b. Mar 14,1837, d. 1839 Jun 23 2yrs 3mos 9dys, (Drowning)

Whitman Mission Pioneer Cemetery

BROWN, Female, d. 1841, (Possible suicide, aka Brown's woman?)
CAYUSE INDIAN, Elizabeth, d. 1905 Apr 10, d/o Lat-a-chee, (She & her father wrapped & buried bodies of the Whitmans & other massacre victims)
FIN(D)LAY, Joseph S., d. 1845 (6) Mar, Emigrant
HALL, Sara, d. 1838 Aug 11 Indian (2nd Burial here)
HASTINGS, Judy, b. Nov 20,1862, d. 1866 Jan 11 d/o Jacob & Martha Graham Hastings
HAVIRD, Grant, b. Apr 1869, d. 1869 Aug 13
HAVIRD, Irene Ann, b. Jul 17,1844, d. 1869 Dec 08, d/o John & Mary Ann Riley Havird
HAVIRD, d. 1858
HAYS, Rapoleon, d. 1847 Dec 09, Infant
HINES, a Negro, d. 1836 Sep 01, (Came West w/Whitman)
HODGIS,Henry Morton, b. Nov 23,1866, d. 1867 May 25
MAHI, Joseph, d. 1840 Aug, Hawaiian, worked for Marcus Whitman
McELHANEY, Ethel, b. Aug 10,1855, d. 1865 Oct 12
McELHANEY, Julia A., b. Oct 31,1853, d. 1862 Nov 08
MEEK, Helen Mar, d. 1847 Dec 08(9), 11 yrs (Measles), (d/o mountain man Joe Meek)
OSBORNE, Baby Girl, d. 1847 Nov 14, (Measles), s/o Josiah & Margaret Courtney Osborne
OSBORNE, Salivijane, d. 1847 Nov 24, 6yrs (Measles), d/o Josiah & Margaret Courtney Osborne
SAGER, Hannah Louise, d. 1847 Dec 05, 6 yrs (Measles)
STONE, Alta, b. 1868, d. 1870, d/o Dr. John Stone
STONE, Dr. John, b. May 07,1821, d. 1870 Mar 09, Pioneer Physician

Notes

There were many Indian graves here prior to Whitman's coming to the area, probably buried at the bottom of Shaft Hill. There are many more graves here that are unknown and unmarked.

* Peter D. Hall,who was mistakenly listed as Jacob D. Hall, escaped Waiilatpu and is thought to have died of drowning in the Columbia River. He definitely is not buried in the Great Grave.