Narcissa Prentiss Whitman (March 14, 1808 – November 29, 1847) was an influential American missionary who, alongside her husband Marcus, played a crucial role in the establishment of the Protestant Whitman Mission in what would later become the state of Washington. Born in Prattsburgh, New York, she was the third of nine children and experienced a religious awakening in her youth, which led her to pursue missionary work. Despite initial rejection for foreign mission due to being unmarried, she circumvented this obstacle by marrying Dr. Marcus Whitman in 1836. The couple embarked on a challenging journey westward, ultimately becoming the first white women to cross the Rocky Mountains and settle in the Oregon Country.Upon arriving, they built the Whitman Mission, which became a significant stop along the Oregon Trail. Narcissa not only engaged in missionary activities, but also played a vital role in running the household and providing education to the local Native American population. Tragically, her daughter, Alice Clarissa, born on her twenty-ninth birthday, passed away at the age of two. The Whitmans faced ongoing tensions with Native American tribes, culminating in the tragic Whitman massacre in 1847.Narcissa Prentiss Whitman's legacy as a pioneering missionary and her contributions to the early settlement of the American West continue to be remembered and studied today.