Photo by Michel Gascon, Vancouver, Canada
Want to attend a meeting ?
Hey, did you know that the bylaws of the Frenchtown Historical Foundation require that we publically advertise our meeting dates? Me neither!
However, this seems like a great idea. Interested parties are invited to join us at the Fort Walla Walla conference room on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 1:30 pm.
William McBean was a French Canadian, Scots, métis fur trade man, and one of the earliest settlers at Frenchtown. In his 150th year of retirement, he’ll be dropping by with his collection of fur trade artifacts and ENTIRELY TRUTHFUL STORIES. This is a great opportunity to touch and manipulate items you might only ever see in a museum case.
Have you ever peered through the windows of the Prince’s Cabin, wishing you could go inside? Now’s your chance! Frenchtown board members will be on hand to talk about the cabin restoration process and the history of trade and technology in the region.
July is hot in Walla Walla — bring a hat and water, or borrow one of our shade parasols to walk up to the cemetery after!
UP NEXT: SAM PAMBRUN
JUNE 18 at 10 am
Reading Between the Ruts: Historic Trails of the Walla Walla Valley.
Image: Telescope view of Oregon Trail ruts on the foothills. Photo credit Sam Pambrun.
Sometimes old maps don’t tell the truth, but the ruts never lie. Sam Pambrun knows–he’s walked them.
Many of our modern roads follow existing Indigenous trails. Their pattern is still visible in Walla Walla’s main street, whose bend follows the historic Nez Perce trail. The Oregon Trail also left deep ruts on the topography of the Walla Walla valley. You can still see their shadows when the light is right.
Join us June 18 at the Frenchtown site at 10 am for this hands-on presentation. We’ll have pictures and historic maps to share, and Sam’s inexhaustible well of knowledge of local history and the land. Come learn about the Mullan Road, the Celilo road, the Koleki maps, and how Thomas and Ruckel pulled a fast one.
Have you ever peered through the windows of the Prince’s Cabin, wishing you could go inside? Now’s your chance! Frenchtown board members will be on hand to talk about the cabin restoration process and the history of trade and technology in the region.
William McBean was a French Canadian, Scots, métis fur trade man, and one of the earliest settlers at Frenchtown. In his 150th year of retirement, he’ll be dropping by with his collection of fur trade artifacts and ENTIRELY TRUTHFUL STORIES. This is a great opportunity to touch and manipulate items you might only ever see in a museum case.
Despite cold and rain, we had flowers in bloom and a great turnout for Memorial Day. Frenchtown board members shared tips about the life cycles of native flowers and information about the history of the site. We saw some old friends and met some new members. Watch out for a seed gathering event in the fall!
Sometimes old maps don’t tell the truth, but the ruts never lie. Sam Pambrun knows–he’s walked them.
Many of our modern roads follow existing Indigenous trails. Their pattern is still visible in Walla Walla’s main street, whose bend follows the historic Nez Perce trail. The Oregon Trail also left deep ruts on the topography of the Walla Walla valley. You can still see their shadows when the light is right.
Join us June 18 at the Frenchtown site at 10 am for this hands-on presentation. We’ll have pictures and historic maps to share, and Sam’s inexhaustible well of knowledge of local history and the land. Come learn about the Mullan Road, the Celilo road, the Kolecki maps, and how Thomas and Ruckel pulled a fast one.
Save the date! Join us on Monday, May 30 for Flowers+History!
Frenchtown Memorial Day Flower tour
Monday, May 30 from 9 to 11 am
Why so early, you say? Well, it’s because of the blue flax. This time of year, the most magnificent show in the cemetery is the blue flax (see image above). Blue flax is an early riser, however. It blooms a single flower to each stem every morning, and drops its petals by noon. If you want to see the full show, drifts and waves of blue, you have to arrive while it’s still relatively cool. Come too late, and you’ll see nothing but a blue dusting of dried petals on the ground.
It turns out humans prefer it to be relatively cool as well.
Members of the Frenchtown Historical Foundation will be on hand to give informal presentations of the Frenchtown cemetery and the native plant restoration project. We’ll talk about the history of the site and the cemetery, and be happy to answer any questions you have too.
If you haven’t visited the site, or if you are interested in plant restoration projects, or if you’d like to take a pleasant walk near town, this is the event for you. Dogs are welcome on leash, as there will be other people and dogs around.
When is it? Monday, May 30, from 9-11 am.
What’s in bloom? Blue flax, lacy phacelia, blanket flower, Rocky Mountain penstemon, and yellow lupine The site has been planted to Great Basin Rye grass, with patches of Snake river wheat grass, Indian rice grass, and other Columbia plateau natives. Large patches of mustard are also in bloom now, quite pretty in their own invasive, frustrating way.
Where is it? 8364 Old Highway 12, Walla Walla, WA
How much does it cost? It’s free! (But donations are always welcome — COVID was hard on nonprofit organizations)
| Save the date! Join us on Monday, May 30 for Flowers+History! |
 |
| Frenchtown Memorial Day Flower tour Monday, May 30 from 9 to 11 am Why so early, you say? Well, it’s because of the blue flax. This time of year, the most magnificent show in the cemetery is the blue flax (see image above). Blue flax is an early riser, however. It blooms a single flower to each stem every morning, and drops its petals by noon. If you want to see the full show, drifts and waves of blue, you have to arrive while it’s still relatively cool. Come too late, and you’ll see nothing but a blue dusting of dried petals on the ground. It turns out humans prefer it to be relatively cool as well. Members of the Frenchtown Historical Foundation will be on hand to give informal presentations of the Frenchtown cemetery and the native plant restoration project. We’ll talk about the history of the site and the cemetery, and be happy to answer any questions you have too. If you haven’t visited the site, or if you are interested in plant restoration projects, or if you’d like to take a pleasant walk near town, this is the event for you. Dogs are welcome on leash, as there will be other people and dogs around. When is it? Monday, May 30, from 9-11 am. What’s in bloom? Blue flax, lacy phacelia, blanket flower, Rocky Mountain penstemon, and yellow lupine The site has been planted to Great Basin Rye grass, with patches of Snake river wheat grass, Indian rice grass, and other Columbia plateau natives. Large patches of mustard are also in bloom now, quite pretty in their own invasive, frustrating way. Where is it? 8364 Old Highway 12, Walla Walla, WA How much does it cost? It’s free! (But donations are always welcome — COVID was hard on nonprofit organizations). How much does it cost? It’s free! (But donations are always welcome — COVID was hard on nonprofit organizations). RSVP or questions to frenchtownhistoricfoundation@gmail.com |
Food traditions are an important part of Christmas in my family. My most recent adventures involved French Canadian Butter tarts (watch the video of Sam and me at the end if you want to see the tasting!).
Funny thing, though — when I read the French Canadian recipes, I couldn’t help but notice how similar they were to my mom’s “secret” recipe for chess pie, the one we’re not supposed to share with ANYONE because it’s a special family secret.
If your family version of chess pie (cough, cough, Fannie Farmer) is so sweet it makes your teeth ache, you might try out Malvina Riel’s French Canadian Butter Tarts recipe below. It’s made with a pastry dough that’s more like a sweet biscuit than a traditional pie crust, and the filling is gently sweet without overwhelming the other flavors. It’s the sort of dessert that makes a lovely breakfast, or maybe afternoon tea. If there’s any left, of course.
Or, if you like your sugar straight up with a side of nuts, I’ve included my mom’s “secret” recipe at the end. Promise you won’t tell!
Filling
Pastry Dough
Preheat oven to 400º F for tarts, or 350ºF for filled cookies.
Soak raisins in hot tap water for 30 minutes; drain.
Cream together the soft butter, brown sugar, salt, maple syrup, and cinnamon until sugar is dissolved. Add eggs, raisins, and vanilla and mix well.
For open tarts, roll dough and cut ~5-1/2 inch circles; fit dough circles into muffin cups and refrigerate until ready to fill.
Fill the tart shells almost to the brim and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes (gooey filling) to 20-25 minutes (firm filling). Let your tarts cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then finish on racks.
For filled cookies (like in the second photo), roll dough as thinly as you can and cut in circles. Place half the circles on a cookie sheet and brush with milk to wet the edges (this will make the two sides stick together). Add filling and cover with another circle; press edges together and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake filled cookies at 350º for 20 minutes.
Source: Adapted from Malvina Riel’s recipe box.
Filling
Pastry Shells
Blend flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut chilled shortening into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining. Sprinkle water over flour mixture and mix GENTLY with a fork, add more water if necessary, until dough holds together. Make two balls, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut circles of dough to fit your baking pan. Use toothpick to poke a few holes in the bottom of each pie shell. Bake at 450 10-12 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 450º F.
Cream butter and sugar. Lightly beat 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks and mix in. Add raisins and nuts. Cook mixture in a double boiler until it begins to thicken. Fill pastry shells. Cover with meringue (optional: here’s a simple recipe that calls for 3 egg whites) and bake until lightly browned.
Source: Toni’s Recipe Box, Old Family Favorite and Christmastime Must
In which Sam and Toni share some Pambrun family history and do a little detective work. Click to watch the recording on Youtube!
Sam even says he’ll do more of these… if he finds out that people like them. So let us know what you think!
This newsletter brought to you by…
Sarah Hurlburt, Professor of French, Whitman College, hurlbuse@whitman.edu, 509-540-4398
Toni Jones, Frenchtown Descendant, Pambrun/Dauphin, tmjgr1888@gmail.com, 541-786-3967
Scroll down for a link to the video.
Note: No historians were harmed in the creation of this video. Watch to the end for a taste test of Malvina Riel’s butter tarts.
The Valley Giving Guide Frenchtown campaign has raised $1,160! That’s a small slice of the $1.5 million that the campaign has raised for the Walla Walla Valley, but a great start towards our goal of $5,000.
Why $5,000? Well, that’s about how much money we raise for the Frenchtown site at our annual events, canceled by COVID. We use this money to pay insurance, pump the toilet, print the posters, and rent the goats.
How much time is left? Just two weeks until the end of the year… and the end of the campaign. Valley Giving Guide contributions are eligible for bonus funds and incur no fees thanks to BCMF and event sponsors. Now is the time to contribute!
In which Sam and Toni share some Pambrun family history and do a little detective work. Click to watch the recording on Youtube!
Sam even says he’ll do more of these… if he finds out that people like them. So let us know what you think!
Tuesday, November 30 at 11 am
Are you a fan of the series Finding Your Roots? Toni Jones discovered her Frenchtown roots less than a year ago. Turns out she and Sam Pambrun are cousins. Sam is an expert when it comes to Frenchtown family history. He’s descended from Pierre Chrysologue Pambrun, the only French Canadian to ever be named Chief Trader in the Columbia District.
Tune in Tuesday morning November 30 at 11 am as Sam takes her through stories and pictures of métis history and culture, like this picture of Lum Pambrun and Felicite Dauphin
Log in early for fun informal chat! Toni might even organize a tasting — she’s been working on a recipe for French Canadian butter tarts. We’ll also have time for questions.
Stay tuned after the presentation for the launch of our annual fundraiser in partnership with the Blue Mountain Community Foundation. Every donation through the Valley Giving Guide earns a match, AND your donation can help your favorite nonprofits earn prizes!