Vancouver Barracks
By Curt Cunningham

The Pacific Northwest was mostly unknown to the Americans in the early 19th century and the only American presence in the area was the Pacific Fur Company's Fort Astoria and Fort Okanogan that were founded in 1811. The War of 1812 forced the Americans to abandon Fort Astoria in 1813, as word came in that the British were going to seize the Fort. The Pacific Fur Company then decided to sell their posts to the North West Fur Company, which was owned by French-Canadians.

After the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in December of 1814, The United States and Great Britain agreed to a joint occupation of the Oregon Territory for the next 10 years. This 10 years ended up being 32 years.

In 1817, under the joint possession clause in the treaty, the United States began to take steps to reassert their claim to Fort Astoria. The British minister quickly brought up the fact that the fort was not captured during the war, but that it had been abandoned by the Americans who voluntarily sold the property. Because of this move by the Americans, the British minister said that no claim for restitution could not be founded on the treaty of 1814.

The American government insisted however on its right to Astoria, and after some discussion, at both Washington DC and in London, the English ended up yielding the point and admitted to the American's right to the post. John Bartow Prevost was then selected to represent the American interests. The American government then had Prevost board a British ship in Boston as a guest, which then sailed "around the horn" to Astoria.

On October 6, 1818, the ship arrived at Fort Astoria near the mouth of the Columbia river. After disembarking the ship an informal ceremony was held where the Union Jack was taken down and the United States flag was officially raised. This signaled that the Pacific Northwest belonged solely to America. After the raising of the flag, Prevost was handed an official letter sent by the English Government protesting the United States claim to the entire Pacific Northwest. After the ceremony ended, Prevost re-boarded the British ship and sailed back to Boston. Just as soon as the ship had sailed out to the open sea, the French-Canadians who were the only Europeans remaining at the fort, took down the U.S. flag and raised up the Union Jack. The Americans would not return to Astoria in any official capacity until 1844.

In 1821, the North West Company was absorbed by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and they took Fort Astoria and renamed it Fort George. This small outpost at the mouth of the Columbia soon became the center of operations for the HBC. The fort though, was not well suited as a regional trading center as it was located too far from the field of operations. So in 1824, the HBC established a new post about 85 miles upriver from Astoria and they called it Fort Vancouver.

The area around the fort had grassy plains with large tracts of fertile land for farming, and the riverbank offered a deeper harbor for the ships. The fort soon became the center of the fur trade and also the grocery market for the locals. By the late 1830's, much of the meat and produce grown on the large tracts of cultivated land and pastures was sold to the Russian-American Fur Company that was based at Sitka, Alaska and to the Hawaiians in Hawaii.

There were numerous Indian trails that led to the fort. The first wagon roads in Washington originated in Vancouver. Mill Plain Road for example was probably the first road constructed in Washington State. This wagon road led to the sawmill and the farms. Fourth Plain Road, which was originally the ancient Klickitat Trail, was yet another wagon road built in the late 1820’s and it ran to the company farms on the prairies in the northeast. From there, the road became a trail that led to Yacolt and Chelatchie and then continued eastward over the mountains to the Yakima valley.

The HBC wanted the Columbia River to be the boundary line between Great Britain and the United States. To accomplish this the British would need to divert all the incoming American settlers southward toward the Willamette valley in Oregon. This was easy to do, because the Willamette valley was much easier to reach and is a great agricultural area with excellent soil for farming. Plus it was a less expensive and safer way to go than by traveling north of the river. 

HBC Governors; John McLoughlln, Peter Ogden and Sir James Douglas were all at one time, the Chief Factors of the fort. All of the famous Pacific Northwest fur trappers had at one time or another, visited the fort. U.S. Army Captain Benjamin Bonneville during his exploration of the Oregon territory in 1832, was going to visit Fort Vancouver, but after Governor McLoughlin heard of the Americans coming his way, ordered his employees not to do any business with them. Captain Bonneville soon found out about this order when he arrived at Fort Walla Walla and the HBC clerks refused to sell him supplies. Bonneville figured he would get the same treatment at Vancouver and decided to turn back home.

In 1841, American Naval Officer and explorer Charles Wilkes visited Fort Vancouver while on an expedition to survey the land in the Pacific Northwest. This time the Hudson's Bay Company was very accommodating and assisted Wilkes in his adventures throughout Washington.

The ratification of the Oregon Treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain on June 15, 1846 brought a great change to the Pacific Northwest. The British agreed to give up their claim to the lands below the 49th parallel and the Americans in-turn, allowed the HBC and it's subsidiary the Puget Sound Agricultural Company (PSAC) to continue their operations at their posts on U.S. soil, although their acreage was greatly reduced after the signing.  

On May 15, 1849, Major Hathaway arrived at Fort Vancouver with a company of troops and formally took possession of the post for the Americans. At first, they called the fort the Columbia Barracks, and then in 1853, it became known as Fort Vancouver, and in 1879, the name changed again to Vancouver Barracks and this name has lasted to the present time.

The Vancouver Barracks was the first American Army post in the Pacific Northwest and for many years, it served as a major supply depot and was the center of activities for the greater Pacific Northwest region. The Barracks were considered at the time to be the most beautifully located military post in the United States. From its magnificent parade grounds can be enjoyed the finest view of the great Columbia river and the majestic volcanic mountains of Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens, and the snow crowned peaks of the Cascade mountain range.

The Vancouver Barracks was once the military headquarters for the Columbia River and Alaska Districts and had one full regiment of infantry and two squadrons of artillery that were continually stationed there. Many famous military heroes and generals have been stationed at the Vancouver Barracks or were associated with the place since it became a U. S. Military Post. Some of the most notable were, Generals; George Pickett, Ulysses S. Grant, George McClellan and Philip H. Sheridan, and Captains; Benjamin Bonneville and William Selby Harney.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, the Vancouver Barracks served as a recruitment, mobilization and training facility for the Spanish-American War, the Philippine War, and other foreign engagements over 100 years of service.

In 1917, the Vancouver Barracks became home to the U.S. Army Signal Corps' Spruce Production Division and nearly 30,000 soldiers were assigned to to operate it. The Allies needed airplanes to counter the German dominated skies. The Army built the worlds largest lumber mill along the river south of the Barracks and part of this mill was built over the old Hudson's Bay Fort that had mysteriously burned to the ground in 1866 and was forgotten.

That same year, the U.S. Army took over the logging industry in the northwest and the Spruce Division managed it. Both U.S. soldiers and civilians worked side by side in the logging and in the mill. The sawmill operated 24 hours a day, and employed around 5,000 men, who lived in wooden cabins and in canvas tents near the mill. The mill ran 3 shifts each day, and so did its kitchens, bakeries, mess halls, recreation rooms, and other facilities.

In 1923, Pearson Field became home to the U.S. Army Air Service, and in 1925, was officially named after Lt. Alexander Pearson. Today, Pearson Field is the oldest continuously operating airport in the Pacific Northwest and is now also a museum that is open to the public.

In the 1930's Vancouver Barracks was the district headquarters for the 9th Corps of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) under the command of General George C. Marshall. General Marshall played an important role in the enrollment, training, and supply of the Pacific Northwest's network of CCC camps. 

In 1944 and 1945 during World War II, Vancouver Barracks was a training and staging area for the soldiers who were to be shipped off to war.

After the war, the Army began to reduce its presence at Vancouver Barracks and in 1948, transferred part of the property to the National Park Service for the creation of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

In 1949, the post was the headquarters of the 6th Army's Northern Military District and also served as home of the 104th Reserve Division.

In 2010, the Army discontinued operations at the Vancouver Barracks and gave the National Park Service the remaining land. The Park Service is today (2020) in the process of restoring the buildings and opening them up to the public.

The old Hudson's Bay fort has also been rebuilt on its original site and is now open to the public.