Marcus and Narcissa Whitman – 1802–1847; 1808–1847

On September 1, 1836, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, together with another Methodist missionary, H. H. Spaulding, and their families, founded the first American settlement in the Oregon Territory. This was the prelude to a torrent of farwestern settlement dubbed “Oregon fever” however, on November 29, 1847, the Whitmans and 12 others were killed by Indians (who blamed them for spreading a deadly measles epidemic). The “Whitman Massacre” drew federal attention and military forces to Oregon, which further hastened its settlement.