"Oregon Trail at Walla Walla, WA"

The Oregon Trail cut across the west and passed through Walla Walla.  It was a major transportation corridor to Portland, Oregon and the Willamette Valley in particular.  The wagons had to find good crossing of the Columbia River to get further into Washington Territory.  Some settlers went north from here toward Spokane.  Other intrepid souls tried to go over the Cascade range at Snoqualmie Pass.  Outside Walla Walla there is a national historical park which tells the story of these settlers.  The native population here finally got fed up and attacked and burned the fort.