A gold rush followed by a growing agricultural industry will help Walla Walla become the largest city in Washington Territory by 1880. The town will be incorporated and become the county seat in 1862.
Walla Walla's earliest businesses are raising cattle and supplying the fort. The town begins with a rich history, which includes Native North Americans, fur traders, missionaries, soldiers, and pioneers. On November 17, 1859, Walla Walla County commissioners name the town that has grown up around the U.S.
