HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 98-4697, by Representatives Carlson, Ogden, Pennington, Mielke, Boldt, Alexander, DeBolt and Dunn

      WHEREAS, In December 1824 construction began on Fort Vancouver and was dedicated in March of 1825 to serve as the headquarters of the Columbia Department for the Hudson's Bay Company and served as both a depot for imported goods for trade with the Northwest Native Americans and the fur returns from roughly two-dozen posts in the Northwest; and

      WHEREAS, Fort Vancouver with its expansive three thousand acres of crops and orchards, dairies, grist mills, logging and sawmill operations, salmon fisheries, crafts, and trades was one of the first birthplaces of industries in Washington State; and

      WHEREAS, Fort Vancouver was the economic and cultural center of the Northwest region and served as an important destination for explorers, missionaries, and settlers of many nations; and

      WHEREAS, The head of the Hudson's Bay Company on the Columbia River, offered assistance and aid to the American immigrants and is credited with saving many lives through his assistance, and the increasing number of immigrants in the Northwest region was a leading reason the United States of America received the land south of the forty-ninth parallel in the Treaty of Oregon in 1846; and

      WHEREAS, In order to protect and preserve for future generations this rich history and resource, Fort Vancouver National Historic Monument was dedicated by the National Park Service on June 19, 1948; and

      WHEREAS, The park was upgraded to the status of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site on June 30, 1961; and

      WHEREAS, For fifty years the National Park Service has hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors as Clark County's largest year-around tourist attraction and has told the compelling and important story of two empires:  The British mercantile tradition and the American expansion across the Oregon Trail; and

      WHEREAS, The National Park Service has continuously and steadily reconstructed major elements of the stockade, buildings, and landscape associated with the original fort; and

      WHEREAS, This tradition of bringing history to life is continuing with the dedication of the reconstructed carpenter shop; and

      WHEREAS, The National Park Service has partnered with the City of Vancouver, State of Washington, and the United States Army within the Vancouver National Historic Reserve; and

      WHEREAS, This year, 1998, is the fiftieth anniversary of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, and the National Park Service has scheduled several special events throughout the year to commemorate this achievement;

      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives commend the National Park Service and the volunteers of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site for the last fifty years of public service to the State of Washington sharing this rich heritage with the public; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Director of the National Park Service, the Superintendent of Fort Vancouver, the Governor of the State of Washington, the Secretary of the Army, the Mayor of Vancouver, and each of the volunteers at Fort Vancouver.

          I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

         Resolution 4697 adopted by the House of Representatives

                            February 6, 1998.

                     ________________________________

                      Timothy A. Martin, Chief Clerk