Women of Fort Vancouver

Modern-day Fort Vancouver, a National Historic Site.

NPS photo.

Women were a vital part of life at Fort Vancouver and the communities that grew up around it. At Fort Vancouver, women made up almost half the total population of people living in and around the fort. Together with their children, they comprised more than two-thirds of its population.

Most of the women at Fort Vancouver were American Indian or Métis wives of Company employees. These women were responsible for maintaining their homes and caring for children, and they also engaged in labor for the Company, including working as translators, guides, and preparing furs for trade.

Learn more about the women who were so vital to the culture and economy of this fur trade fort.

Explore more women’s stories of developing the American economy here.

Women's Stories at Fort Vancouver

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  Marguerite McLoughlin

  Discover the story of Marguerite McLoughlin, a Métis woman who served as the "first lady" of Fort Vancouver, from 1825 to 1845.

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  Marguerite's Sewing Tools

  Marguerite was also a skilled seamstress and sewed for family and friends. Explore the items she kept in this ornamental sewing cabinet.

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  Eloisa McLoughlin Rae Harvey

  Eloisa McLoughlin Rae Harvey grew up at Fort Vancouver and later lived at the McLoughlin House in Oregon City.

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  Maria Barclay

  Explore the story of Maria Barclay, a Métis woman who lived at Fort Vancouver in the 1840s.

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  Native Women and HBC Employees

  Native American women and their children made up the majority at Fort Vancouver. Learn more about their influence on the trading post.

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  Adrienne LaChapelle

  Adrienne LaChapelle was born at Fort Vancouver in 1824 and visited the fort often. She and her husband became farmers in Champoeg, Oregon.

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  Kilakotah Labonté

  Kilakotah Labonté was a Clatsop woman who lived at Fort Vancouver and the Willamette Valley.

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  Jane and Sarah Work

  Learn the story of two Métis girls who were victims of abuse by their teacher at the Fort Vancouver school.

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  Mary Kaai

  Though many Hawaiian men lived and worked at Fort Vancouver, Mary Kaai was one of the only Hawaiian women to live here.

Establishments of Fort Vancouver

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  The Fort Vancouver Village

  Learn about the establishment of the fort and the people who lived in it.

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  The Fort Vancouver Community

  Discover how the Hudson Bay Company established a fur trading post and its impact on Native American communities.

Discover More Women's History