The main setting for the Frontier Towns section is Schwabacher's General Store, the first in Walla Walla. This section features a recreated covered wagon full of Oregon Trail artifacts, a railroad car depicting a Norwegian immigrant family enroute to Tacoma, and an exciting historic film featuring railroads across Washington - from Stampede Pass to the history of Chinese railroad workers.
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Chat with customers Jasper and his friends as they describe how and why they came to Walla Walla, and what the area was like when they arrived. Consider the viewpoints of a businesswoman, a miner, and a farmer as they discuss how to transport crops to the river, the character of Walla Walla society, and their own prospects for financial gain.
The wagons that crossed the country along the 2,000 mile Oregon Trail were typically so packed with things that little room remained for people. Many travelers walked beside their "prairie schooners," both for lack of space and to spare oxen from hauling extra weight. Visitors to the museum enjoy sitting in the driver's seat of the replica covered wagon stocked with real Oregon Trail artifacts.
In an effort to populate the region, the trancontinental railroad brought an avalanche of newcomers to the Northwest. The Northern Pacific railway recruited many workers from Scandinavia, and many of these families remained in the area. When foreigners disembarked in New York, railroad representatives escorted them to the trains that would take them on their westward journey.
The railroad's impact on Washington goes beyond its effects on the natural environment, the establishment of industries, the importing of populations, and the founding of cities. Much of the work that enabled the rails to cross the continent was done by Chinese men hired through a contractor in Washington.