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Women of Fort Vancouver

Modern-day photo of garden and Fort on a sunny day.
Modern-day Fort Vancouver, a National Historic Site.

NPS photo.

Women were a vital part of life at Fort Vancouver and the communities that grew up around it. At Fort Vancouver, women made up almost half the total population of people living in and around the fort. Together with their children, they comprised more than two-thirds of its population.

Most of the women at Fort Vancouver were American Indian or Métis wives of Company employees. These women were responsible for maintaining their homes and caring for children, and they also engaged in labor for the Company, including working as translators, guides, and preparing furs for trade.


Learn more about the women who were so vital to the culture and economy of this fur trade fort.

Explore more women’s stories of developing the American economy here.

Women's Stories at Fort Vancouver

  • Daguerreotype of Marguerite McLoughlin was taken in her later years. NPS photo.
    Marguerite McLoughlin

    Discover the story of Marguerite McLoughlin, a Métis woman who served as the "first lady" of Fort Vancouver, from 1825 to 1845.

  • Ornate sewing cabinent with doors open. NPS photo.
    Marguerite's Sewing Tools

    Marguerite was also a skilled seamstress and sewed for family and friends. Explore the items she kept in this ornamental sewing cabinet.

  • Photograph of Eloisa McLoughlin standing.
    Eloisa McLoughlin Rae Harvey

    Eloisa McLoughlin Rae Harvey grew up at Fort Vancouver and later lived at the McLoughlin House in Oregon City.

  • A woman with dark hair and dark colored dress with a lace collar.
    Maria Barclay

    Explore the story of Maria Barclay, a Métis woman who lived at Fort Vancouver in the 1840s.

  • Women dressed in 1840s style clothing do handwork at an event. NPS photo.
    Native Women and HBC Employees

    Native American women and their children made up the majority at Fort Vancouver. Learn more about their influence on the trading post.

  • Black and white photo of a seated elderly woman.
    Adrienne LaChapelle

    Adrienne LaChapelle was born at Fort Vancouver in 1824 and visited the fort often. She and her husband became farmers in Champoeg, Oregon.

  • An 1850s lithograph of Fort Vancouver, the Columbia River and Mount Hood.
    Kilakotah Labonté

    Kilakotah Labonté was a Clatsop woman who lived at Fort Vancouver and the Willamette Valley.

  • Red, green, and blue girls' 19th century-style bonnets hanging on pegs.
    Jane and Sarah Work

    Learn the story of two Métis girls who were victims of abuse by their teacher at the Fort Vancouver school.

  • A black and white photograph of a Hawaiian woman wearing a dark dress with a white collar.
    Mary Kaai

    Though many Hawaiian men lived and worked at Fort Vancouver, Mary Kaai was one of the only Hawaiian women to live here.

  • An illustration of a Native American woman wearing a dress and many beaded necklaces.
    Celiast Smith

    Celiast Smith was a Clatsop woman who lived at Fort Vancouver. Discover her story of survival, courage, and return.

Establishments of Fort Vancouver


Tags

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Last updated: May 13, 2024