Date: October 8, 2009
Contact: Kimm Fox-Middleton, 360-816-6243
Don't Miss "Tales of the Engagé": a National Park Urban Campfire Program at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
WHAT: The Tales of the Engagé, a campfire program of stories and tall tales, gives visitors an opportunity to hear of the colorful life of the Engagés, the Canadian "engaged" or contract workers of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Representing a sizeable part of the work force of this British fur company, these men (and women) were trappers, blacksmiths, carpenters, herders, dairymen, and laborers. Their lives of adventure and hardship so different from the clerks and gentlemen, created a rich story-telling tradition.
Staff, who portray the Engagés, will share their adventurous tales and harrowing stories of fur trade survival. An evening of storytelling by the campfire brings the past to life in our modern day metropolitan area.
WHERE: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 1001 E. 5th Street, Vancouver, WA, Just outside the reconstructed stockade walls
WHEN: Saturdays, October 10 & 24, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
COST: Free
INFO: Call the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center at 360-816-6230 or online at www.nps.gov/fova
BACKGROUND: Vancouver National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service and the only National Park in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area, is the heart of the Vancouver National Historic
Reserve. The Vancouver National Historic Reserve brings together a national park, a premier archaeological site, the region's first military post, an international fur trade emporium, one of the oldest operating airfields, the first national historic site west of the Mississippi River, and a waterfront trail and environmental center on the banks of the Columbia River. The partners of the Reserve teach visitors about the fur trade, early military life, natural history, and pioneers in aviation, all within the context of Vancouver’s role in regional and national development. The
Reserve's vast array of public programs -- including living history events, festivals, cultural demonstrations, exhibits, active archaeology, and other special activities -- create a dynamic, fun, and unique tourist destination for people of all ages.
