In 1835, the first white women made their West to a rendezvous. They were the wives of two missionaries, going to set up in the Columbia River country.
Narcissa Whitman and Mrs. Spalding were the first white women the Indians had seen, and the first in a long time for many of the Mountaineers.

From Osborne Russell:
On the 1st of July Mr. Wyeth arrived from the
mouth of the Columbia on his way to the U S with a small party of men 3d The outfit arrived
from St. Louis consisting of 40 men having 20 horse carts drawn by mules and loaded with
supplies for the ensueing year They were accompanied by Dr Marcus Whitman and lady Mr H H
Spaulding and lady and Mr. W H Gray Presbyterian missionaries on their way to the Columbia to
establish a mission among the Indians in that quarter. The two ladies were gazed upon with
wonder and astonishment by the rude Savages they being the first white women ever seen by
these Indians and the first that had ever penetrated into these wild and rocky regions.

From Joe Meek:
But it was towards the two missionary ladies, Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spalding, that the chief
interest was directed; an interest that was founded in the Indian mind upon wonder, admiration,
and awe; and in the minds of the trappers upon the powerful recollections awakened by seeing in
their midst two refined Christian women, with the complexion and dress of their own mothers
and sisters. United to this startling effect of memory, was respect for the religious devotion which
had inspired them to undertake the long and dangerous journey to the Rocky Mountains, and
also a sentiment of pity for what they knew only too well yet remained to be encountered by those
delicate women in the prosecution of their duty.
Mrs. Whitman, who was in fine health, rode the greater part of the journey on horseback. She
was a large, stately, fair-skinned woman, with blue eyes and light auburn, almost golden hair.
Her manners were at once dignified and gracious. She was, both by nature and education a lady;
and had a lady’s appreciation of all that was courteous and refined; yet not without an element of
romance and heroism in her disposition strong enough to have impelled her to undertake a missionary’s
life in the wilderness.
Mrs. Spalding was a different type of woman. Talented and refined in her nature, she was less
pleasing in exterior, and less attached to that which was superficially pleasing in others. But an
indifference to outside appearances was in her case only a sign of her absorption in the work she
had taken in hand. She possessed the true missionary spirit, and the talent to make it useful in
an eminent degree; never thinking of herself, or the impression she made upon others; yet withal
very firm and capable of command. Her health, which was always rather delicate, had suffered
much from the fatigue of the journey, and the constant diet of fresh meat, and meat only, so that
she was compelled at last to abandon horseback exercise, and to keep almost entirely to the light
wagon of the missionaries.
As might be expected, the trappers turned from the contemplation of the pale, dark-haired
occupant of the wagon, with all her humility and gentleness, to observe and admire the more
striking figure, and more affably attractive manners of Mrs. Whitman. Meek, who never lost an
opportunity to see and be seen, was seen riding alongside Mrs. Whitman, answering her curious
inquiries, and entertaining her with stories of Blackfeet battles, and encounters with grizzly bears.
Poor lady! could she have looked into the future about which she was then so curious, she would
have turned back appalled, and have fled with frantic fear to the home of her grieving parents.
How could she then behold in the gay and boastful mountaineer, whose peculiarities of dress and
speech so much diverted her, the very messenger who was to bear to the home of her girlhood the
sickening tale of her bloody sacrifice to savage superstition and revenge? Yet so had fate decreed
it.

Also from Meek:
On the contrary, the leaders of the American Fur Company, Captain Wyeth and Captain Stuart,
paid Mrs. Whitman the most marked and courteous attentions. She shone the bright particular
star of that Rocky Mountain encampment, softening the hearts and the manners of all who
came within her womanly influence. Not a gentleman among them but felt her silent command
upon him to be his better self while she remained in his vicinity; not a trapper or camp-keeper
but respected the presence of womanhood and piety. But while the leaders paid court to her, the
bashful trappers contented themselves with promenading before her tent. Should they succeed in
catching her eye, they never failed to touch their beaver skin caps in their most studiously graceful
manner, though that should prove so dubious as to bring a mischievous smile to the blue eyes
of the observant lady.
But our friend Joe Meek did not belong by nature to the bashful brigade. He was not content with
disporting himself in his best trapper’s toggery in front of a lady’s tent. He became a not infrequent
visitor, and amused Mrs. Whitman with the best of his mountain adventures, related in his
soft, slow, yet smooth and firm utterance, and with many a merry twinkle of his mirthful dark
eyes. In more serious moments he spoke to her of the future, and of his determination, sometime,
to “settle down.” When she inquired if he had fixed upon any spot which in his imagination he
could regard as “home “ he replied that he could not content himself to return to civilized life, but
thought that when he gave up “bar fighting and Injun fighting” he should go down to the Walla
met valley and see what sort of life he could make of it there. How he lived up to this determination
will be seen hereafter.

Indian Women, by Alfred Jacob Miller