Established in 1847 by the Jesuit fathers. During the Indian Wars of 1855–56, soldiers under Major G. J. Rains, finding the mission deserted and a keg of powder buried in the mission garden, burned the building to the ground, believing that the missionaries were in sympathy with the Indians. The mission was rebuilt in 1872 and stands today in a fair state of preservation, an interesting example of mortise and tenon work of the period. The mission served as a center for settlers coming into the country, and today the Reclamation Service is carrying on soil conservation projects in the vicinity. Currently Ahtanum Mission Park.
Saint Joseph’s Mission
Download the Revisting Washington App
Visit this website on your mobile device or learn more.