Vancouver National Historic Reserve is Vast Cultural Treasure
arts, culture, elson strahan, fort vancouver, pearson air museum, reserve trust, vancouver national historic reserve,
The fertile grounds of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve beckon to many audiences‚ whether American history buffs‚ U.S. military veterans‚ archaeology lovers‚ aviation enthusiasts or cultural tourists.
Stretching from the shores of the Columbia River to encompass 366 acres‚ the site is one of the most historically significant regions of the Pacific Northwest and in 1996‚ became a congressionally chartered historic reserve.
“There are so many major historical linkages here‚ it’s astounding‚” says Elson Strahan‚ president of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust‚ a nonprofit organization supporting the reserve partnership of the city‚ state‚ National Park Service and U.S. Army.
“What excites me most about it‚” Strahan says‚ “is its untapped potential.”
Through continuing restoration projects and cultural programs‚ the reserve’s partners hope to make it a premier historic property with national recognition on par with places like Colonial Williamsburg‚ says Ed Lynch‚ chairman of the Reserve Trust.
“You can see the seed sprouting‚” Lynch says. “We’re starting to get recognition‚ but we’re still quite a ways from having a complete product.”
As the reserve develops‚ so will the marketing to promote it‚ Lynch says. “Hopefully‚ Canadians headed south and Californians headed north will stop here and see what it has to offer‚” he says.
The offerings already are vast.
The reserve’s historical nerve center is Fort Vancouver‚ a fur-trading post established in 1825 by the British Hudson’s Bay Company. The fort played a central role in American settlement in the Northwest‚ became a significant agricultural center and brought together the diverse cultures of 36 Native American tribes‚ as well as French-Canadians‚ Scots‚ Irish Americans and Hawaiians.
The reconstructed fort and surrounding area is a world-class archaeological site that has produced more than 2 million artifacts‚ including the world’s largest recovered collection of Spode china – fine English ceramics made since the 1770s.
The reserve also is home to Vancouver Barracks‚ the American military’s first Pacific Northwest outpost and headquarters of the Army’s Department of the Columbia‚ as well as Officers Row‚ a picturesque string of restored Victorian homes that once housed some of the Army’s top brass‚ including Ulysses S. Grant‚ O.O. Howard‚ Omar Bradley and George C. Marshall.
Three of the houses are open to the public‚ including a restaurant in the Grant House‚ and the rest of them are residences and office buildings.
At Pearson Air Museum at Pearson Field‚ the oldest continuously operating airfield in the country‚ visitors can learn about the landing of the first transpolar flight and other aviation feats.
The reserve’s lush grounds also are the setting for the Water Resources Education Center‚ which teaches water-resource conservation‚ as well as several parks‚ trails‚ monuments and tower overlooking the spot where Henry Kaiser built more than 140 ships for World War II.
As an integral part of the community‚ the reserve hosts annual events and educational programs‚ including the Marshall Lecture‚ a Fourth of July celebration‚ Veterans Day parade and hangar dances at Pearson Field. The estimated annual visitation exceeds 600‚000.
“The exciting part is bringing the public here and sharing in their amazement in the potential of what this place is going to become‚” Strahan says‚ “and knowing every time they visit here‚ there will be something new and different to see.”
For a listing of entertainment attractions click here.
Story by Stacey Hartmann
Photo by Stephen Cherry
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