Whitman Mission National Historic Site: Landscape Study and Management Alternatives for Revegetation, Whitman Mission National Historic Site, National Park Service
Gilbert C. 1984. Whitman Mission National Historic Site: Landscape Study and Management Alternatives for Revegetation, Whitman Mission National Historic Site, National Park Service. Cultural Landscape Management Plans. NPS Pacific West Regional Office. Pacific West Regional Office
Authorized in 1936 by an Act of Congress, Whitman Mission National Historic Site memorializes the work and efforts of Dr. Marcus Whitman and Narcissa Prentis Whitman between the years 1836 and 1847 when they established an Indian mission along the Walla Walla River in the Oregon territory. Whitman Mission, and another mission at Lapwai some 110 miles to the east were the first established in the Columbia Plateau. Sent by the American Board of Commissioners to teach Christianity and educate the Indians in the ways of white culture, the Whitmans worked eleven years building their mission. Resource management in the park focuses on the combined preservation of cultural and natural resources in an effort to communicate the historic scene during the active years of Whitman Mission (1836-1847). Stressing the need for interpretation of resources as stated in the current Resource Management Plan, “Preservation and protection of cultural resources at Whitman Mission is of prime importance, but would be of little value if the public cannot benefit from it.” Directly related to the preservation and interpretation of cultural resources is the integrity and context of the natural landscape. Landscapes are inherently dynamic systems that change due to human impacts as well as normal ecological cycles. Whitman Mission National Historic Site is located in a landscape that has been highly modified, both during the Whitmans and after, by grazing domestic livestock, agriculture, and other human-related activities. Natural grassland communities could not compete. Consequently over the years, the site has lost much of its historic plant cover. The grounds are filled with exotic grasses and noxious weeds, conflicting considerably with the historic scene. The approach to this study is necessarily interdisciplinary, ensuring authenticity, workable solutions and an understanding of complex management networks. The team includes personnel from the Regional Division of Natural Sciences, Natural Resource Management, and Cultural Resources and from the staff at Whitman Mission National Historic Site.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Gilbert, Cathy
- Date of Issue
- 1984
- Publisher
- NPS Pacific West Regional Office
- Units
- PWR , WHMI
- Keywords
- cemetery, Dr. Marcus Whitman, Indian Mission, Lapwai, Millpond, Missions, Narcissa Prentis Whitman, Oregon, Oregon Trail, Owbow, pasture, Shaft Hill, Vegetation