The Whitman legend : the intertwining of history and memorial in the narrative of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman

The history of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman as known by modern historians is not the same history known and deeply held as true by the community built around their place of work. While modern historians usually see the work of the missionaries and their ultimate death as a rather small event on the grander historical plane -- two failed missionaries who were killed by the people they were trying to save -- the local community of Walla Walla has kept the story deeply ingrained in the hearts and public histories of the area. This project seeks to tell the history of how the Whitmans have been commemorated, and how their story has been told by historians, retold by public officials, and memorialized by the Walla Walla community since the 1847 Tragedy. The way this narrative has been shaped and changed has had a significant impact on the Walla Walla community, and as such the narrative itself needs to have its history told.