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Fort Vancouver was a 19th Century Fur Trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Oregon Country . Named for Captain George Vancouver , the fort was located on the northern bank of the Columbia River in present-day Vancouver, Washington , near Portland, Oregon .


HISTORY

The outpost was established in 1825 , at a time when the Oregon Country was jointly administered by the United States and Britain , a situation to which the two nations had agreed in the Anglo-American Convention Of 1818 . But it was rumored that the border may be set at the Columbia River. This prompted the establishment of Fort George (now Astoria, Oregon ), an American fort on the south bank near the mouth of the Columbia. At this time, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled most of the land that is now Canada . Wanting to protect their interests north of the Columbia, they sent Dr. John McLoughlin to set up the headquarters somewhere along the northern bank that would secure the area and act as the hub for their fur trading in the Pacific Northwest . additional housing as well as fields, gardens, fruit orchards, a shipyard, a distillery, a tannery, a sawmill, and a dairy. Fort Vancouver was by far the largest western settlement of its time. The populace of the fort and the surrounding area, known as Kanaka Village , were mostly Canadians, there were also English, Irish, French, Hawaiians and a large variety of Indians. The common language spoken at the fort was Canadian French ; however, trading was done in Chinook Jargon , a hodge-podge of Chinook, English, French, and Hawaiian.

The fort quickly became the center of activity in the Pacific Northwest. Every year ships would come from London (via the Pacific ) to drop off supplies and trade goods in exchange for the furs. It was the nexus for the fur trade on the Pacific Coast, whose influence reached from Alaska to California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Hawaiian Islands . At its pinnacle Fort Vancouver watched over 34 outposts, 24 ports, six ships, and 600 employees. Also, for many settlers the fort became the last stop on the Oregon Trail as they could get supplies and buy land before starting their homestead.

In 1845, McLoughlin left the Hudson's Bay Company for a homestead of his own, and founded Oregon City in the Willamette Valley . In 1846 the Oregon Treaty set the US / Canadian border at the 49th Parallel , the fort found itself within American territory. The treaty ensured that the Hudson's Bay Company could continue to operate and had free access to navigate the Strait Of Juan De Fuca , Puget Sound , and the Columbia.


FORT VANCOUVER/COLUMBIA

In 1849 the US Army setup Columbia Barracks (later renamed Vancouver Barracks ) on a rise 20 feet (6 m) above the trading post, fronting 1,200 yards (1100 m) on the river with buildings on a line 2,000 yards (1800 m) from the water. Political pressure from the new fort prompted the Hudson's Bay Company to move their headquarters to Fort Victoria (now Victoria, British Columbia ) over a period of time.

While the company continued to operate out of Fort Vancouver, every year saw less and less fur trade and more and more settlers and US Army movements. Through this time the fort saw the Indian Wars in the west and famous military men such as Ulysses S. Grant , Philip Henry Sheridan , George Crook , and George C. Marshall . Finally, on June 14 , 1860 , the Hudson's Bay Company abandoned Fort Vancouver and moved their operations north of the border. The US Army immediately renamed the combined location Fort Columbia, changing the name again to '''Fort Vancouver''' in 1853. They used it for quarters and storage, with its local population fluctuating seasonally, finally hitting bottom with a strength of 50 people in 1861. In 1866 most of the fort burned down in a large fire.

Fort Vancouver was rebuilt, with a layout that included two double-story barracks on opposite sides of the parade ground, each with a kitchen and mess room to the rear. Seven log and four frame buildings served as Officer's Quarters. The post remained in active service, being expanded for World War I into Vancouver Barracks . Its final use was in World War II when Vancouver Barracks was used as a Staging Area for the Seattle Port Of Embarkation. At this time, the post included 3,019 acres (12.22 km&2), and had billeting space for 250 officers, and 7,295 enlisted persons. It was finally closed in 1946. A plan was put together to preserve the location.

Because of the its significance in United States history Fort Vancouver was declared a U.S. National Monument on June 19 , 1948 and a U.S. National Historic Site on June 30 , 1961 . This was taken a step further in 1996 when a 366 acre (1.48 km&2) area around the fort, which includes Kanaka Village, the Columbia Barracks and the bank of the river, was established as the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and is maintained by the National Park Service . It is possible to tour the fort and it is also the site of a large Fireworks display, said to be the largest west of the Mississippi River , on the 4th Of July .

To visit Fort Vancouver/Columbia, travel to Vancouver, Washington . The fort is located at the intersection of 5th Street and U.S. Route 99.


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