Category:Fort Vancouver

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Fort Vancouver (1824-1860) - Fort Vancouver was established in 1824 by the Hudson Bay Company during a period of time when Great Britian and the United States were still vying for control over the areas west of the Rocky Mountains. The company was first located at Fort George on the south bank of the Columbia River which was clearly an American outpost. Dr. John McLoughlin arrived as the new Chief Factor of the Hudson Bay Company charged with selecting a new location that would put the headquarters in British claimed territory. The new site was on the north bank of the Columbia, slightly upstream from the mouth of the Willamette River on the opposite side. The fort itself, after an initial, arduous four years on a nearby bluff, would be built on a plain with easy access to the water, but just beyond the flood plain. The surrounding environment was broad areas of prairie and trees, sloping upward to dense fir forests; it was known as Jolie Prairie or Belle Vue Point because of its intense natural beauty.

In 1860 the Company, which had transferred its headquarters to Fort Victoria in 1849, decided to abandon Fort Vancouver and the Hudson's Bay Company presence moved north.