Vancouver Barracks was established by the US Army in 1849
VANCOUVER — Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park System, has debuted a new self-guided tour of Vancouver Barracks, the first US Army post established in the Pacific Northwest. The tour can be accessed through the NPS App, downloadable on the Apple Store or Google Play.
Vancouver Barracks was established by the US Army in 1849. In the following decades, it served as a center of the Army’s operations in the Pacific Northwest, and of the local community in the City of Vancouver. This self-guided tour leads visitors along the post’s Officers’ Row and around the Parade Ground, where they will discover stories spanning from the earliest days of the post through World War I.
“The history of Vancouver Barracks is nationally, regionally, and locally significant,” said Fort Vancouver NHS Curator Meagan Huff. “Understanding the history of this place is so important to understanding our community’s past and the role Vancouver has played in Northwest history. The self-guided format of this tour allows visitors to take the time to absorb these impactful stories.”
The tour highlights iconic landmarks like the Vancouver Barracks flagstaff, bandstand, and barracks buildings, as well as the stories of people who lived and worked here. Among these, visitors will learn about Irish laundresses like Hannah Hartney, Chinese cook Mick Lai, and the Buffalo Soldiers who served at Vancouver Barracks at the turn of the last century.
The tour was developed over the course of several months by American Conservation Experience Intern Marie Hashimoto, working with National Park Service staff. “Vancouver Barracks has such a rich, diverse history,” she said. “Throughout my research process, I was constantly uncovering new layers and new perspectives, and I’m excited to be able to share some of those stories in this tour.”
“Recognizing our annual visitation of one million visitors, we are looking for a full range of opportunities to connect with them,” noted Fort Vancouver NHS Superintendent Tracy Fortmann. “This self-guided tour is user friendly and allows visitors to learn about this historic military post on their own schedule.”
The NPS App launched in April 2021 and gives the public up-to-date information about every national park from one easy-to-use app. The NPS App helps visitors learn about trails, visitor centers, directions, fees and passes, weather alerts, passport stamp locations, and more. Self-guided tours help visitors learn more about park history. Search “National Park Service” in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, or go to The NPS App – Digital (U.S. National Park Service to download the app.
Also read:
- High school girls basketball: Union Titans give Brooklynn Haywood a homecoming in Alaska
Union traveled to Anchorage for two games that allowed Brooklynn Haywood to play in front of her hometown crowd while the Titans bonded through travel, cold weather, and on-court adversity. - WATCH – Detransitioner to providers: ‘Please just stop’ gender surgeries on minors
Detransitioner Soren Aldaco shared her experience and urged providers to stop encouraging gender surgeries on minors as HHS moves to restrict federal funding for such procedures. - Without pennies, should retailers round up or down?
As the penny disappears from circulation, states and retailers are grappling with how cash purchases should be rounded and who should benefit from those decisions. - Opinion: IBR promotes ‘giving away’ historic interstate bridges while withholding cost estimate for replacement
Neighbors for a Better Crossing argues the IBR program is promoting demolition of the historic Interstate Bridges without releasing updated cost estimates or current seismic data to justify replacement. - Opinion: Solving Washington’s deficit without tax increases
Ryan Frost argues Washington’s budget shortfall is driven by rapid spending growth rather than insufficient tax revenue, calling for slower spending and program reductions instead of new taxes. - Washington State Patrol loses 34th trooper in the line of duty
Washington State Patrol Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting was killed while investigating a crash on State Route 509 in Tacoma, marking the 34th line-of-duty death in the agency’s history. - Opinion: Bikes in crosswalks
Doug Dahl explains how Washington law treats bicycles as both vehicles and pedestrians, depending on where and how they are being ridden.
