Fort Walla Walla Hosts "Escape from the Territorial Prison"

WALLA WALLA - On Sunday, July 13, Fort Walla Walla Museum will become the hiding spot for a seasoned criminal, Orvy Whipstitch Horvathan, an escapee from the Washington Territorial Prison. He is a member of the Turkey Creek Gang, known for their horse-thieving, cow tipping, and audacious robberies.

Fort Walla Walla welcomes visitors to hunt down clues detailing this dastardly escapee's run from justice. Bring your wits and gumption to follow Orvy's trail and help the territorial sheriff find him and his gang of scoundrels.

The all-day game promises to be fun for all ages, taking you through the Museum's grounds in search of clues as you follow the story of this criminal, ultimately revealing his hiding spot. The game is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 13.

That same Sunday, the Fort will present a Living History enactment of Lettice Millican. As a widow, she came to Walla Walla in 1859 and completed building the cabin that is now part of the Fort's campus.

Lattice was born in 1830, the oldest of 12 children. In 1843, her family headed west on the Whitman wagon train, which carried 1,000 settlers. After her family settled in the Willamette Valley, she married Ransom Clark, who in 1855 obtained a 640-acre donation claim along Yellowhawk Creek.

She and Clark came to Walla Walla in 1855 to prove their claim; however, they were driven out of the area by the Battle of Walla Walla in Frenchtown, part of the larger Yakima War of that year. 

The couple moved to Portland, Oregon, where Ransom died in 1859. Millican returned to Walla Walla that year to complete their claim, and a cabin which is now located in the Museum's Pioneer Village.  She was the first white woman to reside in the Walla Walla Valley after the Whitman tragedy.

In 1861, she married Amos H. Reynolds, a local banker and mill owner. Lettice Reynolds was known for her interest in public welfare, with numerous liberal benefactions in Walla Walla, including the YMCA building and the girls' dormitory at Whitman College, which was named in her honor.

Lettice J. Reynolds died of illness at the age of 81 on June 10, 1911.

Pam Myers will portray Lettice Millican Clark Reynolds.

The Living History performances at Fort Walla Walla Museum bring history to life through a company of reenactors who portray real people from the past. The company was formed in 1998 by Barbara and Dan Clark. Starting with a dozen post-1800s characters, the portfolio has grown to over 50 historical Walla Walla stories.