Fort Okanogan
Encyclopedia
Fort Okanogan was founded as a fur trade
outpost by John Jacob Astor
’s Pacific Fur Company
in 1811. It was built at the confluence of the Okanogan
and Columbia River
s, in what is now Okanogan County, Washington. The fort was the first American
-owned settlement in what is now Washington, although its ownership soon passed to the North West Company
when the Pacific Fur Company sold out its assets and posts to its rival.
Originally built for the Pacific Fur Company
, the North West Company
purchased the fort, along with the rest of the Pacific Fur Company, in 1813. In 1821 the North West Company was merged into Hudson's Bay Company
, which took over operation of Fort Okanogan as part of its Columbia District
. The fort was an important stop on the York Factory Express
trade route to London
via Hudson Bay
.
HBC Governor Sir George Simpson
commented about Fort Okanagan during his 1841 visit to the Columbia District
:
In 1846, the Oregon Treaty
was ratified, ending the Oregon boundary dispute
and the joint-occupation of Oregon Country
, though the Hudson's Bay Company was allowed to continue use of the fort. However, due to the decline of the transport business in the area, the HBC abandoned the fort in 1860.
The site of the fort was flooded in 1967 by the reservoir Lake Pateros
due to the construction of Wells Dam
.
. Comprising 45 acres (182,108.7 m²), the park is for day use and features the Fort Okanogan Interpretive Center, a museum with exhibits about the fort, area pioneers and the fur trapping industry.
The park is located five miles (8 km) north of Brewster, Washington
. It is closed during the winter. Admission is free.
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
outpost by John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
’s Pacific Fur Company
Pacific Fur Company
The Pacific Fur Company was founded June 23, 1810, in New York City. Half of the stock of the company was held by the American Fur Company, owned exclusively by John Jacob Astor, and Astor provided all of the capital for the enterprise. The other half of the stock was ascribed to working partners...
in 1811. It was built at the confluence of the Okanogan
Okanogan River
The Okanogan River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington...
and Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
s, in what is now Okanogan County, Washington. The fort was the first American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-owned settlement in what is now Washington, although its ownership soon passed to the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
when the Pacific Fur Company sold out its assets and posts to its rival.
Originally built for the Pacific Fur Company
Pacific Fur Company
The Pacific Fur Company was founded June 23, 1810, in New York City. Half of the stock of the company was held by the American Fur Company, owned exclusively by John Jacob Astor, and Astor provided all of the capital for the enterprise. The other half of the stock was ascribed to working partners...
, the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
purchased the fort, along with the rest of the Pacific Fur Company, in 1813. In 1821 the North West Company was merged into Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, which took over operation of Fort Okanogan as part of its Columbia District
Columbia District
The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century. It was explored by the North West Company between 1793 and 1811, and established as an operating fur district around 1810...
. The fort was an important stop on the York Factory Express
York Factory Express
The York Factory Express, usually called "the Express" and also called the Columbia Express and the Communication, was a brigade operated by Hudson's Bay Company in the early 19th century connecting York Factory and Fort Vancouver. It was named "express" because it was not used only to transport...
trade route to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
via Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
.
HBC Governor Sir George Simpson
George Simpson (administrator)
Sir George Simpson was a Scots-Quebecer and employee of the Hudson's Bay Company . His title was Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land and administrator over the Northwest Territories and Columbia Department in British North America from 1821 to 1860.-Early years:George Simpson was born in Dingwall,...
commented about Fort Okanagan during his 1841 visit to the Columbia District
Columbia District
The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century. It was explored by the North West Company between 1793 and 1811, and established as an operating fur district around 1810...
:
...is an outpost from the establishment of Thompson's River [Fort Thompson/Fort Shuswap], maintained more for the purpose of facilitating the transport business of that post and New CaledoniaNew Caledonia (Canada)New Caledonia was the name given to a district of the Hudson's Bay Company that comprised the territory largely coterminous with the present-day province of British Columbia, Canada. Though not a British colony, New Caledonia was part of the British claim to North America. Its administrative...
than for trade as there are few or no Fur bearing animals in the surrounding country.
In 1846, the Oregon Treaty
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to the Oregon Country, which had been jointly occupied by...
was ratified, ending the Oregon boundary dispute
Oregon boundary dispute
The Oregon boundary dispute, or the Oregon Question, arose as a result of competing British and American claims to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the first half of the 19th century. Both the United Kingdom and the United States had territorial and commercial aspirations in the region...
and the joint-occupation of Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
, though the Hudson's Bay Company was allowed to continue use of the fort. However, due to the decline of the transport business in the area, the HBC abandoned the fort in 1860.
The site of the fort was flooded in 1967 by the reservoir Lake Pateros
Lake Pateros
Lake Pateros is a reservoir on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. It was created in 1967 with the construction of Wells Dam. The reservoir lies almost entirely in Douglas and Okanogan counties, although the dam itself lies partially in the easternmost portion of Chelan County. The...
due to the construction of Wells Dam
Wells Dam
Wells Dam is a hydroelectric dam located on the Columbia River, downstream from the confluence of the Okanogan River, Methow River, and the Columbia River in Washington State. The dam, associated structures, and machinery make up the Wells Hydroelectric Project. It is owned and operated by...
.
Fort Okanogan State Park
Today, Fort Okanogan State Park 48°05′53"N 119°40′42"W overlooks the fort site and the Columbia RiverColumbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. Comprising 45 acres (182,108.7 m²), the park is for day use and features the Fort Okanogan Interpretive Center, a museum with exhibits about the fort, area pioneers and the fur trapping industry.
The park is located five miles (8 km) north of Brewster, Washington
Brewster, Washington
Brewster is a city in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,370 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1811, John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company established Fort Okanogan just north of the present site of Brewster, which was the first American post in Washington...
. It is closed during the winter. Admission is free.
External links
- Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History
- Fort Okanogan - official site
- Washington State Parks