Peter Skene Ogden reports on the California gold rush
Peter Skene Ogden, Chief Factor at Fort Vancouver in 1848, was definitely a character, and his private letters prove that. However, the hard part of reading Ogden’s letters is his…
Read moreAlexander Caulfield Anderson at Fort Nisqually
This is a talk I gave in front of the Anderson Island Historical Society, in Puget Sound. Alexander Caulfield Anderson had history here — he spent almost two years in…
Read moreThe wreck of the Hojunmaru, 1833-34
In 2002 I was introduced to a story in Alexander Caulfield Anderson’s life that I had not heard before. This introduction came in the form of an email sent to…
Read moreJames Birnie, 1826-1827
James Birnie traveled out with the 1826 York Factory Express, and he crossed the mountains with the incoming Columbia Express. He is mentioned in Aemilius Simpson’s 1826 York Factory Express…
Read moreYork Factory Express: Ft. Vancouver to Fort Nez Perces
As always, the main party of the York Factory Express began its journey at Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia River, shortly after March 20th every year. It was a tradition…
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