The South Sound is rich in military history, and to better understand how that happened, to prepare for the coming 100th anniversary of Joint Base Lewis-McChord (2017), and to partake in an upcoming August event in DuPont, getting a grip on how our military got here and why is both educational and enlightening.  Besides, the kids are going to need to know this stuff for Pacific Northwest history class.

In short, after Lewis and Clark made their historic journey to the Pacific, the British arrived in Vancouver, planted their flag, and began trapping animals to make hats.  When the United States decided to get in on the action, too, the Brits sent troops here to protect their interests. Once the border was established north, the Brits moved out to Canada, and the U.S. military moved in to protect settlers from the Native Americans.  These troops stayed until the Civil War, then basically bugged out.  The National Guard filled that hole, demonstrating how great the South Sound was for military training, then World War I brought back the active force, and they've been here since.

It's more complicated than all of that, so here are five places to visit to get the whole story.

Fort Vancouver

This is where it all began, in what is now Vancouver, Washington, on the north shore of the Columbia River within spitting distance of Portland, Oregon.  After Lewis and Clark proved you wouldn't get eaten by Bigfoot if you went west, the Hudson Bay Company moved in to establish a trading fort to collect furs that were made into fashionable hats all the dandies wore on the east coast.  This was the epicenter for trade, and later, the first footing for British military to protect the interests of businessmen in the NW.  Today you can see a mock-up of the fort, including a few original structures.  In addition, you can tour the Vancouver Barracks, the outpost the U.S. built in the wake of the Brits moving to Canada, where both Ulysses S. Grant and George C. Marshall served.  For info on both forts, prices and directions, go to nps.gov/fova/index.htm.

A replica of Fort Nisqually stands inside Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. Photo credit: MetroParks

Fort Nisqually

Once the Hudson Bay Company proved it could turn a profit, they started building franchise operations, including posting their flag in present day DuPont and building Fort Nisqually.  Today, only a small part of the foundation of the second fort they built is visible, and some of the fruit trees planted during that time still exist, but a replica stands in all its glory inside Point Defiance Park in North Tacoma.  There are activities and hands-on opportunities throughout the year at the fort.  For a complete rundown, visit metroparkstacoma.org/fort-nisqually-living-history-museum.

Fort Steilacoom

As the rush for gold, and more and more American settlers crossed the Oregon Trail, there was felt a need to have a strong military presence in this area.  So U.S. troops set up a fort in now Lakewood called Fort Steilacoom.  Some of those buildings still stand across the street from Fort Steilacoom Park, and they are available for tours and other activities throughout the year.  This fort played a big role in quelling a Native American uprising at the time, and helped pave the way for the Defense Department to value the land in the South Sound for its troops.  For more information on Fort Steilacoom and its events, visit historicfortsteilacoom.org.

The DuPont Museum

Understanding the Hudson Bay Company and the development of the entire area is easy with a quick visit to the DuPont Museum across I-5 from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  Not only are the early days explored, but also the role the DuPont Corporation played, the dynamite factory they ran here, their interface with then Fort Lewis, and more.  And, now is a really good time to intereact with DuPont because the Hudson Bay Day and Salmon Barbecue is August 16th in DuPont.  For information, visit dupontmuseum.com.

The Fort Lewis Military Museum

In 2017, the festivities will begin to celebrate the 100th anniversary of what was then Camp Lewis, then became Fort Lewis, only to merge more recently with McChord Air Force Base and become Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  As the predominate military base in the Pacific Northwest, to understand how and why this base was developed provides an excellent insight into the military, the United States and most importantly, the West.  And there is no better and easier way to get this lesson than to visit the museum on JBLM.  In easy to understand, graphic detail, you'll discover why the people of the area donated the land in January 1917, how the base was built quickly by September 1917, and how it has stood the test of time.  The Museum requires a pass at the Liberty Gate Visitor Center, for hours, etc, visit fortlewismuseum.com.

BONUS Visit

One additional stop to completely understand the development of US troops in the area is to include the Puget Sound Navy Museum and the Naval Undersea Museum both on the Kitsap Peninsula.  The Navy has played as much an important role in the NW as anyone, especially considering it was Capt. Vancouver's visit here before Lewis and Clark that touched it all off.  For more information on these two museums, visit pugetsoundnavymuseum.org and navalunderseamuseum.org.