Dear Editors.
In the Fall, 2023 edition of British Columbia History both the Front Words article entitled “James McMillan Expedition: 200th anniversary” and the article “Missionary Letters from 1845-1847 Reveal New Historical Insights” state that Fort Vancouver is located at the mouth of the Columbia River. This is incorrect and it is important for BC History to note its true location.
In May 1792 the American merchant sea captain Robert Gray was the first recorded non-Indigenous person to explore the mouth of this large western river. He named the river after his American ship, the Columbia. Soon after he encountered George Vancouver at sea and told him about the Columbia River, Captain Vancouver must have realized that he had missed something of importance.
To make up for this oversight, Vancouver dispatched…
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British Columbia History (Digital) - 1 Issue, 56.4 Winter 2023