Erfurth

Frank Erfurth Collection, 1886-1965
1 folder
Location: 0143
Accession #: 1971.006

Introduction

Frank Erfurth’s small collection of postcards depicts the historic and tragic events of the Whitman Mission Massacre of 1847 in Oregon Territory.

Biography

There is no information on file about Frank Erfurth. He gave these books, photographs, and postcards to the Museum in 1971. They contribute to the collective history of the Western states.

Whitman Mission Massacre
“For 11 years the Whitmans had worked among the Cayuse. Although at times some Indians threatened the missionaries and destroyed mission property, not all the Cayuse showed an unfriendly attitude. Despite setbacks and occasional hostility, the Whitmans refused to abandon Waiilatpu. Their best efforts, however, failed to prevent an increase in jealousy, distrust, and unrest, which ended in an outbreak of violence in late November 1847.

Several causes led to the rising Indian resentment. Increasing numbers of emigrants and stories of settlers taking Indian land elsewhere, convinced the Cayuse that their way of life was in danger. Their fears grew as measles, brought in 1847 by white newcomers, spread rapidly among the Indians. The Cayuse had no resistance to the new disease, and within a short time half the tribe died. When Whitman’s medicine helped white children but not theirs, many Cayuse believed that they were being poisoned to make way for the whites.

In a tragic and bloody attack, born of deep misunderstandings and grievances, a small group of suspicious Cayuse attacked the mission on November 29 and killed Marcus Whiman, his wife Narcissa, and 11 others. The mission buildings were destroyed. Of the survivors a few escaped, but 49, mostly women and children, were taken captive. Except for two young girls who died, this group was ransomed a month later by Peter Skene Ogden of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The massacre ended Protestant missionary work among the Oregon Indians. It also led to a war against the Cayuse, waged by settlers from the Willamette and Lower Columbia Valleys.

In 1848 Joseph Meek, carrying news of the tragedy and petitions from the settlers, reached Washington, D.C. The massacre spurred Congress to create the Territory of Oregon in August of that year, thus forming the first formal territorial government west of the Rockies.”

The above quoted text is an excerpt from a 1970 pamphlet of the Whitman Mission National Historic Site, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. This pamphlet is in the Marcus Whitman Western Subjects Vertical File.

Sources:
Whitman, Marcus. Western Subjects Vertical File, Dickinson Research Center.
Whitman, Narcissa. Western Subjects Vertical File, Dickinson Research Center.

References:
“Whitman Massacre.” Wikipedia.Org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitman_massacre
“The Whitman Killings, November 29, 1847.” Whitman Mission NHS, History & Culture.http://www.nps.gov/archive/whmi/history/nov29.htm
“The Whitman Massacre Trial: A Clash of Cultures.” Oregon State Archives. Exhibit. http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/50th/whitman/whitmanintro.html 
“Missionaries and Early Settlers.” Trailtribes.Org: Traditional & Contemporary Native Culture. http://www.trailtribes.org/umatilla/missionaries-and-early-settlers.htm