NARCISSA WHITMAN 1808 1847 MISSIONARY WHITMAN NARCISSA 1808 1847 RELIGION WEST AMERICAN CULTURE BORN IN PRATTSBURG NEW YORK NARCISSA PRENTISS ATTENDED PRATTSBURG'S FRANKLIN ACADEMY SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE FIRST CLASS OF FEMALE STUDENTS EVER ADMITTED PRENTISS TAUGHT SCHOOL IN PRATTSBURG UNTIL SHE MOVED WITH HER FAMILY TO AMITY NEW YORK IN 1834 AFTER MEETING REVEREND SAMUEL PARKER SHE DECIDED TO BECOME A MISSIONARY HOWEVER THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS PARKER'S SPONSORS DID NOT ALLOW UNMARRIED FEMALE MISSIONARIES NARCISSA MARRIED DR MARCUS WHITMAN A FRIEND OF PARKER IN 1836 THE WHITMANS MISSION WAS TO HEAD WEST TO OREGON WITH HENRY SPALDING AND HIS WIFE THE WHITMANS SETTLED AMONG THE CAYUSE INDIANS IN THE WALLA WALLA VALLEY AT A PLACE CALLED WAIILATPU OR THE PLACE OF THE RYE GRASS WHILE MARCUS PREACHED AND PRACTICED MEDICINE NARCISSA TAUGHT AT A MISSIONARY SCHOOL IN 1842 THE BOARD UPSET BY SLOW PROGRESS WITH THE CAYUSE THREATENED TO CLOSE DOWN THE WHITMANS MISSION THEN A MEASLES EPIDEMIC KILLED MANY CAYUSE INDIAN CHILDREN BLAMING THE WHITE MISSIONARIES FOR THE DEATHS THE CAYUSE CAPTURED 47 MISSIONARIES AND KILLED 12 INCLUDING MARCUS AND NARCISSA WHITMAN
