HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2000-4755, by Representatives Carlson, Ogden, Mielke, Boldt, Pennington, Dunn, Wensman and Thomas

       WHEREAS, Fort Vancouver was established by the Hudson's Bay Company on March 19, 1825, becoming the first permanent nonnative settlement in what is today the State of Washington; and

       WHEREAS, In the fields, forests, and rivers at Fort Vancouver, the Hudson's Bay Company began many of the Pacific Northwest's first industries:  Agriculture, lumber, and fisheries; and

       WHEREAS, Fort Vancouver was home to an incredibly diverse group of people from around the world including English, Chinook, Scottish, Klickitat, Iroquois, French-Canadian, Hawaiian, and Metis; and

       WHEREAS, Fort Vancouver, despite being a British fort, aided American missionaries and Oregon Trail settlers who arrived in the 1830's and 1840's; and

       WHEREAS, Fort Vancouver was the social, economic, and political center of the Pacific Northwest in the 1820's, 1830's, and 1840's; and

       WHEREAS, The site of Fort Vancouver, its waterfront, portions of its agricultural fields, and employees' village are preserved and shared with the public by the National Park Service for both present and future generations; and

       WHEREAS, The year 2000 is the 175th Anniversary of the establishment of Fort Vancouver; and

       WHEREAS, The National Park Service has planned several events to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the establishment of Fort Vancouver, including a living history reenactment of the 1825 opening of the fort;

       NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize the 175th Anniversary of the establishment of Fort Vancouver and its importance to our state's history; and

       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be immediately transmitted by the Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives to the Fort Vancouver Historical Site.

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

       Resolution 4755 adopted by the House of Representatives

                         February 18, 2000.

________________________________       _____________________________

Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerk    Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerk