People in the HBC Era 1824-1860

The Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver was home to hundreds. Founded in 1824, it became the population center of the West until it was surpassed by San Francisco in the gold rush years of the late 1840s.

Inside the fort walls, dozens of clerks, Hudson's Bay Company managers, and their families made their homes. Outside the walls, the Fort Vancouver Village was inhabited by fur trappers and traders, craftsmen, farmers, and laborers - all employed by the Hudson's Bay Company - and their families.

Below, learn about some of people who visited, lived, and worked at the fort.
 
An illustration of a diverse group of people in front of Fort Vancouver in the 1840s.

The Fort Vancouver Community

Fort Vancouver was home to a diverse community that included individuals from many different American Indian tribes.

A black and white portrait of a woman wearing a high-collared dress.

Women at Fort Vancouver

Learn more about the women who lived at Fort Vancouver.

Costumed volunteers re-enact Hawaiian crafts at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Hawaiians at Fort Vancouver

Explore the history of the Hawaiian employees of the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver

A black and white drawing of George Washington Bush, an African American man.

Black History at Fort Vancouver

Discover the stories of George Washington Créol and George Bush, who worked at Fort Vancouver.

Black and white photographs of John and Marguerite McLoughlin.

The McLoughlin Family

Learn about the McLoughlin Family, including Dr. John McLoughlin, who served as Fort Vancouver's Chief Factor.

Purple camas flowers blooming in the prairie west of Fort Vancouver on a sunny day.

Naturalists at Fort Vancouver

Learn about the naturalists who visited Fort Vancouver and the Indigenous people who shared their ecological knowledge with them.

A man in 1840s clothing playing a violin.

Stories from Fort Vancouver

Discover stories from the history of the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver.

A photo of a pink flower blossoming in the Fort Vancouver Garden.

The Garden

Learn about Dr. McLoughlin's Garden at Fort Vancouver.

Historic drawing of the Fort Vancouver Village

The Village

Discover the Fort Vancouver Village, where employees of the Hudson's Bay Company lived.

Last updated: February 8, 2022

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