Today we had saturated day, filled with many events. First, in the morning the older kids had to go to Hillsboro High School, where their dance studio was hosting a free concert. And also Pavlik’s teacher asked the class if the students could visit Fort Vancouver – it is located not far from the Oregon and Washington border. Sadly, because of the dance concert, we were not able to make it on time, so we decided to go after the concert.
When we got there, it was lightly raining, and there weren’t many people there.
We a going towards the entrance
Inside
The fort was built in 1842, and on its territory protected by walls, were a few buildings. This is the main building, which is a Hospital, Main Tower, Prison, and the Fur Stock. We walked around the fort, looking into buildings and their windows, and standing next to old cannons.
Near the main building
Cannon was made in 1804
Hospital
Inside the main building
Large dining room
We are looking through the window
Dad told the kids how the Well Crane works. We looked down into the well pit, which was very very deep. It was clear that this fort isn’t just a museum, but people actually lived here, and they made nearly everything inside with their own hands.
Oven in the Forge
the Forge (Panoramic image)
Part of the Hospital building, where doctor and his wife and seven kids were lived
Pharmacy
Inside the Hospital
In the carpentry building we found a newly built cupboard. On the work table was a bench that the people work on during work days.
Carpenter shop
Floor in the carpentry building
Inside the tower
Kate in prison 🙂
But the most interesting thing was in the fur stockroom. It is a really big building, where on the walls, and hanging from the ceiling were furs from many different animals. When we came inside, we saw several High School students that were dressed up in the stylized clothes of 19th century. Looks like that they had an assignment, but it was close to the end. We took a picture with them, and then they told us about the Fort.
Fur traders came and brought their merchandise, which was usually furs from red foxes, beavers, wolves, and bears. In the fur stockroom they got weighed – and the counterweight weigh 90 pounds, and then were flattened out, packed and sewed out inside the dear skin (with fur inside out) forming the pack ready to ship.
On the side of the pack there was a marking stated the year and what was inside the pack. When the cargo ship that transported the furs came, they were loaded up and sent to England. There, they were sold to rich people who used them to look fancier. Delivery took several months, because ships first sailed south, around the South America and then all the way up to the north, to the Great Britain, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Despite all attempts to clean fur and skin, sometimes some bugs and moths were missed and by the time ship came to England, all furs in the pack were eaten or damaged. As as solution tobacco leaves were used that were placed in between furs. Or sometimes furs were packed inside the barrels were the alcohol had been prior stored.
Stockroom
The Fort for a very long time was in Native American territory. When the Americans were able to buy the fort, nothing from the original buildings was left. That is why everything that we saw today, was built not long ago, in attempt to copy the buildings and other things. The furs in the stockroom were bought from a trader who decided to stop selling his goods.