“Breaking a bottle of rum on a flag-staff, and repeating the following words in a loud voice, in behalf of the Honorable Hudson’s Bay Company, I hereby name this establishment Fort Vancouver,’ Governor George Simpson of the Hudson’s Bay company founded Vancouver …” March 19, 1825. from The Columbian, March 19,1928 “There was nothing very unique or original in the process….Trees from which to make the flagstaffs were plentiful. ..And as for rum, the Hudson’s Bay people seemed to have a monopoly on this phase of the exploration business.” from The Columbian, May 29, 1928
“The object of this christening ceremony was what was afterwards to become Vancouver, the oldest permanent settlement in the state of Washington.”…from The Columbian, May 29, 1928 “For two score years after Simpson founded Fort Vancouver, this outpost was the headquarters of the Hudson’s Bay company for the Pacific Northwest. It was ruled by Dr. John McLoughlin, chief factor for the company in this area, who was with Simpson when the site was chosen. But it was more than an outpost. It was the oasis of civilization in all this vast wild land; it was the hub of empire.” from The Columbian, March 19, 1947 “Vancouver, the cradle of Northwest civilization’ observes its 100th birthday today as an incorporated city. It was a century ago, on Jan. 23, 1857, when an act by the Washington Territorial Legislature was enacted to incorporate the litle village on the north shore of the Columbia River.” from The Columbian, January 23, 1957
Growing from around 250 persons in 1857, today’s Vancouver count is 67,450 with projections by the year 2000 of 99,500, ranking as the seventh largest city in Washington state. compiled from The Columbian, 1996
“Vancouver’s population could triple in size….to 200,000 residents if the proposed annexations pass and residents to the north chose annexation over incorporation…Vancouver soon could become the state’s second-largest city…” from The Columbian,February 21, 1996