Fort William was a fur trading outpost built by American Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth in 1834. It was located on the Columbia River on Wappatoo Island in what is now part of Portland, Oregon. Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth (January 29, 1802–August 31, 1856) was an American inventor, ice harvester, and explorer and trader in the far west. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river situated in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. ... Map of Sauvie Island, drawn in 1937, showing Multnomah Channel, Columbia River, Willamette River, Portland, Vancouver, and Columbia River Highway. ... Nickname: City of Roses, Stumptown, Bridgetown, PDX Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Mayor Tom Potter Area    - City 376. ...

Background

The fort was built as part of the Pacific Trading Company, a joint-stock company formed by Wyeth to exploit the fur trade in Oregon Country.^[1] The island chosen was previously visited by the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and was previously inhabited by natives. However, by the time Wyeth established his outpost the island was void of any human habitation due to diseases that had swept through the lower Columbia wiping out nearly 90% of the native inhabitants.^[2][1] Lewis and Clark The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804−1806) was the first United States overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark of the United States Army. ... Inca-era terraces on Taquile are used to grow traditional Andean staples, such as quinua and potatoes, alongside wheat, a European import. ...

Location

Wappatoo Island, now Sauvie Island, lies just north of the main confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, with the north end of the island being the location of the confluence with the Multnomah Channel. The post was built on the north end of the island, but was moved the next year towards the center of the island due to flooding.^[3] Fort William was west of and on the opposite side of the river from the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fort Vancouver that was established in 1822 on the north side of the Columbia. It was about 90 miles upriver from Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia. The Willamette River (pronounced wil-LAM-met) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 240 mi (386 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. ... Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudsons Bay Company in the Oregon Country. ... Fort Astoria was the Pacific Fur Companys primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific coast. ...

Operation

Wyeth and crew attempted various commercial interests from their outpost in the Pacific Northwest. They cut lumber and exported it to the Hawaiian Islands, built boats and canoes, and built a 60 foot long building to use in processing fish.^[2] Wyeth and his employees also attempted to trap animals in the Deschutes River watershed of central Oregon.^[1] However, this proved unsuccessful and they young company was unable to overcome the competition of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the American Fur Company.^[1] The post also had difficulties with its own operations when the first supply ship sent to the Northwest Coast wrecked,^[4] and the second ship was late.^[1] This first ship then only shipped out salmon.^[1] These problems led Wyeth to abandon the fort in 1836, but subsequently leased the installation to the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1837.^[1][3] The Sandwich Islands was the name given to Hawaii by Captain James Cook on his discovery of the islands on January 18, 1778. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. ...

Murder

Fort William also served as the backdrop to the first public trial by Europeans in Oregon.^[4] This situation occurred when the post’s gunsmith attacked and killed the fort’s tailor in an argument over a young native girl. ^[4] The case was overseen by Wyeth’s friend and naturalist John Kirk Townsend who was appointed magistrate.^[4] The gunsmith was acquitted by a jury when they ruled the death was justifiable homicide.^[4] This verdict was likely the result of evidence about the tailor's alcohol induced rages.^[4] Native Americans are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska down to their descendants in modern times. ... John Kirk Townsend (October 10, 1809 – February 6, 1851) was an American naturalist, ornithologist and collector. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Oregon History: Land-based Fur Trade and Exploration. Oregon Blue Book. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
2. ^ ^{a b} Wappatoo Island Ap 3d 1835. Selected Letters of Nathaniel J. Wyeth. Library of Western Fur Trade Historical Source Documents. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
3. ^ ^{a b} Payette, Phil; Pete Payette (2006). Oregon Forts. American Forts West. American Forts Network. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Narrative of a Journey. New and Recent OSU Press Books. OSU Press. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.