Marcus Whitman statue comes to Walla Walla following removal from U.S. Capitol

WALLA WALLA – The Marcus Whitman statue that previously stood in National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to arrive in Walla Walla on Wednesday.

The return to the state of the statue depicting the 19th-century physician and missionary follows a 2021 decision by the Washington Legislature to swap Whitman’s likeness for a monument honoring Billy Frank Jr., the late Nisqually tribal leader. Washington lawmakers approved the removal after a 92-5 vote in the House of Representatives and a 44-5 passage in the Senate. Before final passage, Rep. Skyler Rude, R-Walla Walla, added an amendment directing the statue to Walla Walla, where Whitman established a mission in 1836. Gov. Jay Inslee signed the legislation in April 2021.

County officials are currently coordinating logistics for the arrival. During an Oct. 5 Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners’ meeting, Fairgrounds Manager Greg Tompkins raised operational questions regarding the transition. Walla Walla County Commissioner Gunner Fulmer told Elkhorn Media Group that the Walla Walla Foundry, a prominent contemporary art fabricator, will help transport and secure the artwork.

“It also sounds like the statue is going to need some additional safety work in securing once we place it,” Fulmer said. “I believe the foundry will be looking at that and helping us get that squared away as well.”

The statue will temporarily reside in the Walla Walla Fairgrounds and Event Center Pavilion while county officials await input from Tompkins. Fulmer stated the long-term plan is to house the statue inside a future wagon museum at the fairgrounds.

Photo: Marcus Whitman statue by Avard Fairbanks, National Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol.

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Elkhorn Media Group