Fort Astoria (also named Fort George) was the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first American-owned settlement on the Pacific coast. It was owned and operated by the British for 33 years after a short two-year period of initial United States ownership. Control of Fort Astoria was a factor in the British and the Americans' resolving their disputed claims to the Oregon Country.
The Fort Astoria Site was a...
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Fort Astoria (also named Fort George) was the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first American-owned settlement on the Pacific coast. It was owned and operated by the British for 33 years after a short two-year period of initial United States ownership. Control of Fort Astoria was a factor in the British and the Americans' resolving their disputed claims to the Oregon Country.
The Fort Astoria Site was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks on November 5, 1961. It is marked by a reconstructed block house.
The fort was founded in March 1811 when officers and employees of John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company, controlled by Americans, arrived via Captain Jonathan Thorn's ship,Tonquin. By the end of May they had completed a fort built with bark-covered logs enclosing a stockade, with guns mounted for defense. In 1811 the Tonquin carried 12 Native Hawaiian laborers from the islands, including Naukane (also known as John Coxe). In 1812...
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