Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Encyclopedia
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a United States
National Historic Site
located in the states of Washington and Oregon
. The National Historic Site consists of two units, one located on the site of Fort Vancouver
in modern-day Vancouver, Washington
; the other being the former residence of John McLoughlin in Oregon City, Oregon
. The two sites were separately given national historic designation in the 1940s. The Fort Vancouver unit was designated a National Historic Site in 1961, and was combined with the McLoughlin House into a unit in 2003.
, just north of Portland, Oregon
. Fort Vancouver was originally an important 19th century fur trading outpost that was established in 1824 by the British Hudson's Bay Company
(HBC), under the command of chief factor John McLoughlin
. It was the center of activity on the Pacific coast and its influence stretched from the Rocky mountains in the east, to Alaska in the north, Mexico in the south, and to Hawaii in the Pacific. Then in 1843, the Hudson's Bay Company, in the face of increasing US settlement, moved their base of operations in the region to Fort Camuson, now known as Fort Victoria
in what is now Victoria, British Columbia
. In 1846 the Treaty of Oregon was ratified, and Fort Vancouver became part of the Oregon Territory
of the United States
. The Treaty permitted HBC to continue to operate the Fort Vancouver site even after the boundary dispute was settled, but they eventually abandoned the post in 1860.
In 1849, the United States Army
constructed a barracks adjacent to the British trading post; and took over the Hudson's Bay facility when it was abandoned. A fire destroyed the fort itself in 1866, but the Army facility has continued in operation in various forms down to the present.
Fort Vancouver was separated from the Army's barracks and became a national monument
in 1948. Congress
expanded the protected area
in 1966 and re-designated the site as a National Historic Site. For some years after its addition to the National Park System, the National Park Service
was reluctant to begin reconstruction of the fort walls or buildings, preferring to manage it as an archaeological
site as provided by its standing policies. However, in 1965, with the urging of the local community, Congress directed reconstruction to begin. All fort structures seen today are modern replicas, albeit carefully placed on the original locations.
In response to concerns about the designation of reconstructed structures, the Park Service designated the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Historic District
to encompass reconstructed buildings as well as historic Army and Mission 66
era Park Service structures.
in Oregon City, Oregon
, on a plot of land set aside for public use by McLoughlin in the 1840s.
In 1846, McLoughlin left the employ of Hudson's Bay Company, and purchased from the company a land claim located on the Willamette River in Oregon City. McLoughlin constructed the house there, and lived there until his death in 1857. The house, a two-style colonial mansion, is typical of East Coast residences from the time.
After McLoughlin's death in 1857, his widow lived there until she died three years later; their heirs sold the house in 1867. The home soon became a bordello known as the Phoenix Hotel. In 1908, the paper mill that owned the property wished to expand and the house was threatened with demolition, but preservationists
saved it the next year. The house was moved from the riverfront to its current location on a bluff overlooking downtown Oregon City in 1910. It sat there for twenty-five years, until restored in 1935-1936 under the auspices of the Civil Works Administration
, and opened as a museum
.
The Barclay House was built in 1849 by Portland carpenter and pioneer John L. Morrison
, and occupied by Dr. Barclay and his family. Barclay died in 1874; the house remained in the family's possession until 1930 when it was moved from the waterfront to its present location, next to the McLoughlin House. Today, the Barclay House contains museum offices and a gift shop.
The McLoughlin House became a National Historic Site in 1941, and both homes were added to the National Park System in 2003, becoming part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The McLoughlin House unit lies on the Oregon National Historic Trail, a part of the National Trails System
. The graves of McLoughlin and his wife are on the premises. The house contains both original and period furnishings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Historic Site
National Historic Sites (United States)
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
located in the states of Washington and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The National Historic Site consists of two units, one located on the site of Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
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 company's Columbia District...
in modern-day Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
; the other being the former residence of John McLoughlin in Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
. The two sites were separately given national historic designation in the 1940s. The Fort Vancouver unit was designated a National Historic Site in 1961, and was combined with the McLoughlin House into a unit in 2003.
Fort Vancouver site
The main unit of the site, containing Fort Vancouver, is located in Vancouver, WashingtonVancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, just north of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Fort Vancouver was originally an important 19th century fur trading outpost that was established in 1824 by the British Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
(HBC), under the command of chief factor John McLoughlin
John McLoughlin
Dr. John McLoughlin, baptized Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin, was the Chief Factor of the Columbia Fur District of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver. He was later known as the "Father of Oregon" for his role in assisting the American cause in the Oregon Country in the Pacific Northwest...
. It was the center of activity on the Pacific coast and its influence stretched from the Rocky mountains in the east, to Alaska in the north, Mexico in the south, and to Hawaii in the Pacific. Then in 1843, the Hudson's Bay Company, in the face of increasing US settlement, moved their base of operations in the region to Fort Camuson, now known as Fort Victoria
Fort Victoria (British Columbia)
Fort Victoria was a fur trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the headquarters of HBC operations in British Columbia. The fort was the beginnings of a settlement that eventually grew into the modern Victoria, British Columbia, the capital city of British Columbia.The headquarters of HBC...
in what is now Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. In 1846 the Treaty of Oregon was ratified, and Fort Vancouver became part of the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Treaty permitted HBC to continue to operate the Fort Vancouver site even after the boundary dispute was settled, but they eventually abandoned the post in 1860.
In 1849, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
constructed a barracks adjacent to the British trading post; and took over the Hudson's Bay facility when it was abandoned. A fire destroyed the fort itself in 1866, but the Army facility has continued in operation in various forms down to the present.
Fort Vancouver was separated from the Army's barracks and became a national monument
U.S. National Monument
A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and...
in 1948. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
expanded the protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
in 1966 and re-designated the site as a National Historic Site. For some years after its addition to the National Park System, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
was reluctant to begin reconstruction of the fort walls or buildings, preferring to manage it as an archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
site as provided by its standing policies. However, in 1965, with the urging of the local community, Congress directed reconstruction to begin. All fort structures seen today are modern replicas, albeit carefully placed on the original locations.
In response to concerns about the designation of reconstructed structures, the Park Service designated the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Historic District
Vancouver National Historic Reserve Historic District
The Vancouver National Historic Reserve Historic District includes a wide variety of buildings erected by the Hudson's Bay Company, U.S. Army and the National Park Service at Fort Vancouver, Vancouver, Washington. The district includes reconstructions of historic buildings that were excluded from...
to encompass reconstructed buildings as well as historic Army and Mission 66
Mission 66
Mission 66 was a US National Park Service ten-year program that was intended to dramatically expand Park Service visitor services by 1966, in time for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Park Service....
era Park Service structures.
McLoughlin House site
The McLoughlin House unit consists of the homes of McLoughlin, and of Dr. Forbes Barclay, an explorer and associate of McLoughlin's; the two homes are known respectively as the McLoughlin House and the Barclay House. They are located adjacent to each other on a bluff overlooking the Willamette RiverWillamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
in Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
, on a plot of land set aside for public use by McLoughlin in the 1840s.
In 1846, McLoughlin left the employ of Hudson's Bay Company, and purchased from the company a land claim located on the Willamette River in Oregon City. McLoughlin constructed the house there, and lived there until his death in 1857. The house, a two-style colonial mansion, is typical of East Coast residences from the time.
After McLoughlin's death in 1857, his widow lived there until she died three years later; their heirs sold the house in 1867. The home soon became a bordello known as the Phoenix Hotel. In 1908, the paper mill that owned the property wished to expand and the house was threatened with demolition, but preservationists
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
saved it the next year. The house was moved from the riverfront to its current location on a bluff overlooking downtown Oregon City in 1910. It sat there for twenty-five years, until restored in 1935-1936 under the auspices of the Civil Works Administration
Civil Works Administration
The Civil Works Administration was established by the New Deal during the Great Depression to create manual labor jobs for millions of unemployed. The jobs were merely temporary, for the duration of the hard winter. Harry L. Hopkins was put in charge of the organization. President Franklin D...
, and opened as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
.
The Barclay House was built in 1849 by Portland carpenter and pioneer John L. Morrison
John L. Morrison (pioneer)
John L. Morrison arrived in Oregon Country in 1842 along with other famous Oregon pioneers Medorem Crawford, Asa Lovejoy, and Sidney Moss in the same wagon train. Morrison built the home of Francis Pettygrove in early Portland, Oregon. The street on which Pettygrove's house was located was named...
, and occupied by Dr. Barclay and his family. Barclay died in 1874; the house remained in the family's possession until 1930 when it was moved from the waterfront to its present location, next to the McLoughlin House. Today, the Barclay House contains museum offices and a gift shop.
The McLoughlin House became a National Historic Site in 1941, and both homes were added to the National Park System in 2003, becoming part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The McLoughlin House unit lies on the Oregon National Historic Trail, a part of the National Trails System
National Trails System
The National Trails System was created by the National Trails System Act The Act created a series of National trails "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nation." Specifically,...
. The graves of McLoughlin and his wife are on the premises. The house contains both original and period furnishings.
See also
- Officers RowOfficers RowOfficers Row, a part of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, is a congregation of 21 of the former homes of U.S. military officers stationed at the Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, Washington. The oldest of the homes, named the Grant House Officers Row, a part of the Vancouver National Historic...
, a district of historic U.S. Army structures adjacent to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site - Pearson FieldPearson FieldPearson Field , is a city-owned public-use airport located one mile southeast of the central business district of Vancouver, a city in Clark County, Washington, United States....
, adjacent to Fort Vancouver and a component of the National Historic Reserve - Fort Langley National Historic SiteFort Langley National Historic SiteFort Langley is a former trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, now located in the village of Fort Langley, British Columbia. Commonly referred to as "the birthplace of British Columbia", it is designated a National Historic Site of Canada and administered by Parks Canada.-A new fort:After John...
, a preserved HBC fort in British Columbia