Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Vancouver, Clark County, Washington
and
McLoughlin House
Oregon City, Clackamas County, Oregon
Overview
Fort Vancouver served as headquarters for the London-based Hudson’s Bay Company’s western fur trade operations extending from Russian Alaska to Mexican California, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1825, the fort and its village was a major center of settlement in
the Pacific Northwest. In the 1840s, Dr. John McLaughlin, chief factor of the fort, ensured the survival of many hungry and destitute overland emigrants arriving over the Oregon Trail by offering aid and supplies. After leaving the company, McLaughlin settled in 1846 with his family in a house in Oregon City, Oregon.
Location
Vancouver, Washington
From I-5, take the Mill Plain Boulevard exit (Exit 1-C) and head east. Turn south onto Fort Vancouver Way. At the traffic circle, go east on Evergreen Boulevard and follow signs to the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center. The reconstructed fort site is south of the visitor center – follow the park road that connects the visitor center parking lot to the fort parking lot.
From I-205, go west on Highway 14 about six miles, then take I-5 north. From I-5, take the Mill Plain Boulevard exit (Exit 1-C) and head east. Turn south onto Fort Vancouver Way.
At the traffic circle, go east on Evergreen Boulevard and follow signs to the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center (1501 E. Evergreen Blvd.).
Oregon City, Oregon
The McLoughlin House is located at 713 Center Street, between 7th and 8th streets, in Oregon City, Oregon. It is less than four blocks east of OR 99E and about nine blocks from I-205 (exit 9).
Fort Vancouver and the McLoughlin House are approximately 25 miles apart.
Both sites are open to the public and administered by the National Park Service.
Learn more about Fort Vancouver
Learn more about the McLoughlin House