You know how people so seldom visit the sites close to home? Today I set out to partially remedy that. I drove north today and visited Fort Vancouver in Washington and then circled around to McLoughlin House in Oregon City. Both sites are part of the Fort Vancouver National Historical Site and they tell an important part of Oregon's history; the time when Britain claimed what is now Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, as well as all of Canada, placed it under control of the Hudson Bay Company with the goal of harvesting as many furs as possible.
British fashion dictated that the most fashionable, and richest, wear firs. Beavers were highly prized for making gentleman's' hats. Hats that cost more than the average working man could make in a single year! Dr. John McLoughlin began his career with HBC as a trapper. He worked his way up in the company and retired as the Chief Factor of the Fort Vancouver unit. As chief factor he was responsible for the well being of not only realizing a profit, but also the well-being of more than 2000 employees and their families spread across the Columbia District.
Dr. McLoughlin was very well known. The HBC had issued a directive that no trading with the Americans was to take place. McLoughlin disobeyed and carried non-repayable debt for many of the pioneers. I think the case could be made that without Dr. McLoughlin, Oregon might still be part of the British Commonwealth.
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