At one time slated to be the state capital, Walla Walla was the territory's largest community during the gold rush. In 1805,  Lewis and Clark discovered a river that Native Americans called the "Wallah Wallah" river, and later, a fur-trading post was established at Fort Walla Walla. In 1836, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman built the first European-American settlement on the river where Whitman Mission stands today. As more settlers discovered this fertile valley, agriculture boomed. Today, the valley is known as one of the most productive agricultural areas in the nation and the home of the renowned Walla Walla sweet onion and celebrated vineyards.