Fort Nisqually

(Sherman, 2013)

Fort Nisqually’s Three Locations1883 and 1843 locations are both near the modern day DuPont City1930 location is near Point Defiance

History of Fort Nisqually

https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/timeline/detail.aspx?id=169

Hudson’s Bay Company

Fort Nisqually was established in 1838 by the Hudson Bay Company, a British owned company. the original Fort Nisqually was built in 1833 as a halfway point between Fort Vancouver and Fort Langley.

There are three sites that tell the story of the fort. The original fort was built in 1883 and was later relocated in 1843 in order to be closer to sources of fresh water and timber.

The Original SitesThe original Forts location was chosen for its access to ships, for its overland travel access, and the friendly relations with the local Native Americans. While the sites are still present, they have been surrounded by golf courses and DuPont city.

1843 SiteThe remnants of the 1843 site as seen from Google earth. The site is enclosed by a fence. It is open to the public once a year for a local festival.

1846 Oregon Treaty

• In 1846 a treaty between the United States government and Great Britain signaled the end to the fort. The treaty established the border between the two countries at the 49th parallel, which placed the HBC run fort in American territory. The fort officially closed in 1869 as it became less profitable and subject to American taxes.

• Mr. Huggins, one of the former employees, claimed the site as his homestead as part of American Expansion.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Oregon_Treaty_-_NARA_-_299808.pdf/page1-614px-Oregon_Treaty_-_NARA_-_299808.pdf.jpg

Fort Nisqually Living History Museum

In the 1930s, the fort was rebuilt in the Point Defiance area. The two oldest buildings were transported to the new location while the rest of the fort was rebuilt.

Fort Nisqually Life

• Fort Nisqually was established as a fur trading outpost and was the area’s first permanent, outsider settlement.

• The buildings were generally made using single log construction. Most of the workers were imported into the area from Europe.

• Housing for the workers was provided by the HBC and supplies were available for purchase from the company store at a 25% discount.

• There was a separate kitchen building that provided food for the fort.

• If the workers wanted a paid trip back home, they had to give a years notice.

The 1930 MoveIn the 1930’s a local group moved two of the original buildings in an effort to preserve Fort Nisqually

This photograph was taken in 1937, three years before the new museum was opened to the public in 1940

(McGinnis & Beard-Simpkins, 2012)

Archaeological Exploration

• In the 1980’s the area was being prepared for land development by the Weyer Real Estate Company.

• The company financed the investigation of the original Fort.

• The investigation was conducted by archaeologists Richard Daugherty and Jeanne Welch.

Profile of Richard Daugherty

• Richard Daugherty was quite an accomplished archeologist. He is most well known for his work at Lake OzetteWA, where over an 11 year period of time, he uncovered more than 55,000 Native American artifacts that were buried in a mudslide around 1560.

• He was considered a pioneer in his interactions with Native Americans and the field of Archeology.

• His work at Fort Nisqually failed to make either his obituary or his Wikipedia page.

(Maugh, 2014)

Richard Daugherty with a whale saddle that was recovered at the Makah site near Lake Ozette.

Excavation of the 1833 site

• The original fort was painstakingly excavated.

• The top left photo shows the excavation of one of the privies. The privy was an excellent source of artifacts due to the fact that they were also used to dispose of garbage as well as waste.

• The bottom photo shows the process used to preserve the exposed ends of timber that had originally been used as fort walls.

(Kirk & Daugherty, 2007)

(Kirk & Daugherty, 2007)

Excavation Videos

• Two videos maintained by the University Libraries at the University of Washington show a little about the excavation.

http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/ref/collection/filmarch/id/329

Overview of the Archaeological Dig at Fort Nisqually, Washington, ca. 1989

Artifacts from the archaeological Dig of the Privy at Fort Nisqually, Washington, ca. 1989

Cultural Outreach Today

• There are two exhibits which cover Fort Nisqually. The more commonly known exhibit is at the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and displays two of the original buildings from the 1843 site.

• The lesser known exhibit is located in the DuPont Historical Museum.

• It is a common belief that the museum at Point Defiance is the original fort.

Fort Nisqually Living History Museum

• The Living History Museum is an excellent look into how the citizens lived while the fort was originally occupied.

• The two pictures shown display the Factor’s House and the Granary as they are today.

• The buildings were built only a few years apart but are architecturally different due to the use of sawed timbers in the Factor’s house and the use of whole logs in the Granary.

DuPont Historical Museum

• The top picture is of the Granary at its original location.

• The DuPont Historical Museum displays a small exhibit on some of the artifacts recovered during the excavation.

Conclusion

• Fort Nisqually is not one of the greatest sites that has ever been discovered and it can be argued that it was never lost. But it tells a story of how people interacted and lived with each other over 160 years ago.

• We need to preserve even the smallest of sites and collect the knowledge that they hold in order to tell our story.

“Why bother with the past? Because humans seek to know their place within the span of time. In the ground, lower material clearly was deposited earlier than what lies about it (unless

disturbed, in which case the relationship may be churned). At Fort Nisqually written accounts maintained by company clerks –trade shop records and the Journal of Occurrence – accurately

date the past, and family memories and heirlooms also attach the flesh of events and personalities to the skeleton of time. Oral traditions of Nisqually Indian people add appreciation of the

years before the Hudson’s Bay Company arrived.

Together, such strands weave our human story. They give meaning to time and place.”

-A quote on display at the DuPont Historical Museum.

References

Kirk, R. & Daugherty, R. D. (2007). Archaeology in Washington. China: University of Washington Press.

Maugh, T. H. (2014). Richard Daugherty dies at 91; archaeologist studied Makah tribe site. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from

http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/02/local/la-me-richard-daugherty-20140303-1

McGinnis, M., & Beard-Simpkins, D. (2012). Images of America Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing.

Sherman, P. (Photographer). (2013). 1843 Fort Nisqually Site and Mt. Rainier. Retrieved from

https://static.panoramio.com.storage.googleapis.com/photos/original/88450529.jpg

Williams, H. (1991). Archaeology -- Dupont dig: it's revealing. The Seattle Times. Retrieved from

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910506&slug=1281564

Maugh, T. H. (2014). Richard Daugherty dies at 91; archaeologist studied Makah tribe site. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from

http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/02/local/la-me-richard-daugherty-20140303-1