3 minutes read
Discover the story of the fur trade and the cultural diversity at Fort Vancouver, Washington. Experience 19th-century life at this historic trading post with a virtual tour. Learn about the people and the British Hudson’s Bay Company that shaped this place and its role in the Pacific Northwest.
Fort Vancouver, the Hudson’s Bay Company’s trading post from 1825 to 1860
Fort Vancouver was established in 1825 by the Hudson’s Bay Company, a powerful British trading corporation. The company wanted to strengthen its commercial position and territorial claims in the Pacific Northwest. They relocated their Pacific Northwest headquarters from Fort George in Astoria to Vancouver in Washington, a strategic location near the Columbia River. At this time, the fur trade business extended from Alaska to Mexico, and from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains.
Destroyed by fire in 1866, the current national historic site is a reconstitution.
According to French naturalist and explorer Eugene Duflot de Mofras: “This powerful organization controls throughout its vast territories in North America 200 forts or posts, 12,000 white inhabitants, nineteen-twentieths of whom are French-Canadians, and 200,000 Indians.” Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/fortvancouvercommunity.htm
A multicultural community
A cultural melting pot, Fort Vancouver welcomed people from different origins from Native Americans to Hawaiians. The Hudson’s Bay Company hired workers from various places and backgrounds. The population included more than 30 different Native American tribes, Hawaiian, French-Canadian, English, Scottish, and Irish. They communicated using the Chinook Jargon or “Chinuk Wawa’” a language that mixed Chinook, French, and English words.
Did you know?
Fort Vancouver was home to the largest number of Native Hawaiians outside of their homeland in the 1840s.(*)
Only Hudson’s Bay Company Managers and Clerks lived inside the fort with their families. Farmers, traders, and travelers lived in Fort Vancouver Village located outside the Palisades. At its pinnacle, it welcomed more than 600 people, one of the largest settlements in the West.
The Stories behind the buildings
Fort Vancouver was reconstructed based on archaeological excavations. The Hudson’s Bay Company headquarters housed a bastion, the Chief Factor’s House, a carpenter and blacksmith shops, a fur store, a trade shop and hospital, a counting house, a kitchen, a bakehouse, and a jail.
Step inside one of these buildings to listen to costumed volunteers and learn about the life and work of people who lived there. Also, watch daily carpentry, blacksmithing, cooking, and gardening demonstrations.
The Indian Trade Shop and Hospital
Dr. Forbes Barclay, a Scottish surgeon, worked at Fort Vancouver from 1840 to 1850. He had many responsibilities during this time. He ran the two hospitals, supplied medicine to other forts, traded fur for imported goods at the Indian Trade shop, distributed food rations, and even managed the library.
The Bake House
The bakehouse employed up to four bakers who made bread and daily rations for all the employees and villagers. They also baked sea biscuits, also known as hardtack, which were made of water and flour. The reconstitution below shows how these biscuits looked like. They may not seem appetizing, but they were probably nutritious.
The Big House: Chief Factor’s House
The Chief Factor’s House is a grand residence that reflects the economic, political, and social influence of the Hudson’s Bay Company. It was the place where the highest-ranking guests were received, and where festive occasions, weddings, and entertainments were held.
Based on my visit on July 2023
Are you ready to explore Fort Vancouver?
Pin/Save/Share if you take a day trip to Fort Vancouver!
Plan your visit:
- Location: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 612 E Reserve St, Vancouver, WA 98661
- Hours: 09:00 am-4:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday, closed on Sunday – Monday and Public Holidays.
- Admission: $10 per adult.
- Duration: I spent 1 hour discovering it.
- Parking: free street parking
- More information is available at https://www.nps.gov/fova/index.htm
Thank you for reading this post. I hope you found it useful and interesting. If you did, please let me know by leaving a comment below 😉
DayDream Under the Stars 