Vancouver Firsts Memorial
Vancouver, Clark County, Washington
Marker Inscription
Under the influence of Dr. John McLaughlin, manager of the the Hudson Bay Co. civilization of Washington started at Vancouver A.D. 1825 The first school in Washington was taught by John Ball at Vancouver A.D. 1833 The first Gospel sermon in Washington was delivered by Jason Lee at Vancouver Sept. 28, A.D. 1834 The first marriage of American citizens in Washington was Daniel Lee to Maria T. Ware at Vancouver June 11, A.D. 1840 The first United States military post established in Washington was at Vancouver A.D. 1849 This memorial erected by the Washington State Historical Society at Vancouver A.D. 1925
Erected by Washington State Historical Society
The Story
Erected in 1925 by the Washington State Historical Society, this marker at Vancouver records a string of "firsts" that trace the beginnings of American settlement in what became Washington. It centers on Dr. John McLoughlin, the Hudson's Bay Company chief factor whose Fort Vancouver became the commercial and social hub of the Pacific Northwest in the 1820s and 1830s. From this outpost came the region's first school (taught by John Ball in 1833), its first Protestant sermon (Jason Lee, 1834), an early American marriage, and, in 1849, the first U.S. military post — milestones marking the transition from fur-trade frontier to organized American territory.
Why it matters
Fort Vancouver was the linchpin of the Oregon Country during the era when Britain and the United States jointly occupied the Pacific Northwest, and these "firsts" chart how missionary and settler institutions took root ahead of formal American governance.
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Related people
- · John McLoughlin
- · John Ball
- · Jason Lee
- · Daniel Lee
- · Maria T. Ware
Related events
- · Founding of Fort Vancouver
- · First school in Washington
- · First U.S. military post in Washington
Themes & tags
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