The oldest town in Washington State, Walla Walla was founded as a mission by Marcus Whitman in 1836. It later became a Hudson’s Bay Company outpost, a territorial fort, and the capitol of Washington Territory. After Washington became a state, Walla Walla was offered a choice between a state prison and a state university; the town picked the prison, as it offered more opportunity for jobs. From a visit in November 2000.
