Fort Vancouver National Historic SiteFort Vancouver was a gateway to the Pacific Northwest, serving as a commerce and provisionary center for the lucrative fur trade between 1825 and 1849. Using Fort Vancouver as its regional headquarters, the Hudson’s Bay Company controlled 34 forts and posts across territory consisting of present-day British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and the Hawaiian Islands. When settlers arrived in what was then known as Oregon Country in the 1830s and 1840s, they picked up the supplies needed to start their settlements at Fort Vancouver. The fort, an influential economic and cultural center, was home to the region’s first hospital, school, library, dairy and orchard. Reconstructed buildings include the chief factor's house, a bakery, blacksmith shop, central stores and a fur storage facility, all furnished with period pieces. The site was expanded and renamed Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in 1961. |
