Fort Nisqually was established by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), a London-based fur trading company, on Puget Sound in present-day Washington state in 1833. Fort Nisqually was intended to trade with the Southern Coast Salish Indians. By 1839, the fur trade had declined and the Puget Sound Agricultural Company (PSCAC) was established at Fort Nisqually to raise cattle, sheep, and horses along with crops such as wheat, oats, barley, and peas on the 160,000 acres of land claimed by the company. In 1855, HBC sold its holdings to the United States government.
According to the Museum:
“Established in 1833, Fort Nisqually was a commercial outpost of the sprawling Hudson’s Bay Company, the British fur trading enterprise that had spread across British North America (Canada) and areas of the northern United States. Although the fort’s original purpose was to trade imported goods for furs, by the 1840s it had become a thriving agricultural center.”
The Fort Nisqually Living History Museum is a reconstruction of the fort which was started in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Two of the fort’s original structures—the Factor’s House and the Granary—were moved from the original site of the fort to the museum. The museum gives visitors a glimpse of life in the fort in 1855.
The Men’s Dwelling House was a row house which was divided into three apartments, each with a separate fireplace. Working men were housed in each apartment. Today the building houses the Visitor Center while the exterior of the 50-foot-long building shows how it would have looked in the 1850s.
Shown above are some trade beads which were important trade items for Native Americans. Some of the finest beads came from the Murano glassworks in Italy.
Shown above is an 1840s pack saddle.
Shown above is an 1840s moosehide bag.
According to the display:
“Decorated bags with trade beads were typical personal possessions among the Native and European employees of the Hudson’s Bay Company, serving the same purpose as a modern purse or pocket.”
Shown above is a Britannia metal spoon from the 1820s.
According to the display:
“Made from a pewter-like alloy, this small spoon was brought to the Fort Nisqually area by Red River Settlers in 1842. It became a treasured family heirloom.”
Shown above is a woven cedar hat from the late 19th century.
According to the display:
“Made of twined cedar, this Coast Salish hat was designed to repel water and provide shade. Woven hats were worn by Native Americans even after the arrival of European-style clothing.”
Shown above is a man’s formal vest from the 1860s. This was a common piece of clothing about HBC employees.
Shown above is a clay pipe. Pipes like this were imported by HBC.
Historic Images
A binder carries many images of Fort Nisqually.
Shown above is a sketch of Fort Nisqually in 1833 taken from the field journal of Lt. Charles Wilkes.
Shown above is Fort Nisqually in the 1840s.
Shown above is Fort Nisqually in the 1850s. This is a time when tensions are rising between American Indians in the area and the increasing numbers of American settlers.
Shown above is Fort Nisqually in the 1860s. American pressure to remove the British-owned HBC were growing and in 1869 the fort was closed and sold to the United States government.
Shown above is Fort Nisqually in 1870-1906. After Fort Nisqually closed, the fort’s last clerk, Edward Huggins, became an American citizen and filed a homestead that included the fort’s site. In 1906, the DuPont Company purchased the lands from Huggins and used the site for an explosives factory.
Shown above is Fort Nisqually in the 1930s. At this time, the only original buildings left on the grounds of DuPont’s explosives factory were the Granary and the Factor’s House. They were moved to the Port Defiance Park for preservation and exhibition. This led to the effort to reconstruct Fort Nisqually’s missing structures to show the fort as it existing in the 1850s.
More museums
Fort Nisqually: The Granary (photo diary)
Fort Nisqually: The Kitchen area (photo diary)
Museums 101: The Big House at Fort Vancouver (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Vancouver Surgeon's Quarters (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Blacksmith Shop at Fort Vancouver (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Historic Archaeology at Fort Vancouver (Photo Diary)
Fort Missoula: Homestead cabin (photo diary)
Fort Missoula: Noncommissioned Officer's Quarters (photo diary)