Walla Walla Commercial Club Protests Fort Abandonment
Military brass eyes closure for the historic post, sparking a civic campaign from the Commercial Club to keep the soldiers in town.
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In a recent copy of the Army and Navy Register it is announced that the army and navy board has recommended to the secretary of war the abandonment of Fort Walla Walla as a military post. The recommendation is made in conformity with the report of General Frederick Funston, commanding the department of the Columbia, which was filed with the board some time ago. The matter is now in the hands of the secretary of the war who will probably make his recommendations to congress. Copies of the Walla Walla Commercial Club's resolution protesting against the abandonment of the post have been sent to the secretary of war and the congressional delegations from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and a strong effort will be made to secure favorable action by congress.
“Copies of the Walla Walla Commercial Club's resolution protesting against the abandonment of the post have been sent to the secretary of war.”
While the fort's closure was a major economic and civic threat in 1903, the site eventually evolved into a public park and museum. Today, Walla Walla residents still grapple with shifting economic bases and the influence of federal land usage on local identity.
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