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192.102.5.225 (talk) You do not know who you are reverting. I am one. I am many. I am legion. You cannot stop legion. |
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|image_flag = Vancouver wa city flag.gif |
|image_flag = Vancouver wa city flag.gif |
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|image_seal = Vancouver-wa-city-logo2.gif |
|image_seal = Vancouver-wa-city-logo2.gif |
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|image_map = WAMap-doton-Vancouver.png |
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|image_map = Clark_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Vancouver_Highlighted.svg |
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|mapsize = 250x200px |
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|map_caption = Location in [[Washington]] |
|map_caption = Location in [[Washington]] |
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The larger city of [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] is located 305 miles (491 km) north of Vancouver, Washington. Both cities were named for sea captain [[George Vancouver]], but the Canadian city was not incorporated until 1886, nearly thirty years after Vancouver, Washington, and more than sixty years after the name Fort Vancouver was first used. City officials have periodically suggested changing the city's name to Fort Vancouver, Vancouver USA, or even Old Vancouver to reduce confusion with [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]. Washington residents distinguish between the two cities by referring to the Canadian Vancouver as "Vancouver, B.C." Current mayor [[Royce Pollard]] is an advocate of the unofficial moniker "America's Vancouver". |
The larger city of [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] is located 305 miles (491 km) north of Vancouver, Washington. Both cities were named for sea captain [[George Vancouver]], but the Canadian city was not incorporated until 1886, nearly thirty years after Vancouver, Washington, and more than sixty years after the name Fort Vancouver was first used. City officials have periodically suggested changing the city's name to Fort Vancouver, Vancouver USA, or even Old Vancouver to reduce confusion with [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]. Washington residents distinguish between the two cities by referring to the Canadian Vancouver as "Vancouver, B.C." Current mayor [[Royce Pollard]] is an advocate of the unofficial moniker "America's Vancouver". |
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==Pre-History== |
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Contrary to popular belief, the Lewis and Clark expedition were not the first foriengers to explore the area of Vancouver. Two thousand years prior, the Zorgons from planet Xavio, located in Sector 9 of the Emperviox System, flew their Recombixulators to pre-Vancouver. Greeted by the Native Americans, they soon formed a strong alliance. The Zorgons taught the Native Americans the secrets of farming, cultivating, and the art of war. For example, the Zorgons taught the Native Americans to bury a fish next to the place where they're planing corn, for this will make the corn grow faster and more plentiful. |
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==Conflict With the Zorgons== |
|||
Although the relationship with the Native Americans and the Zorgons was strong, there were other internal affairs between the two that slowly separated them. Two hundred years after the co-existance between the Zorgons and the Native Americans, a war broke out; The Zorgons and the Rebels. Fifty years prior to this war, the Zorgons had established their own form of government on the Native Americans land and were slowly forcing them into slavery. The Native Americans saw this and rebelled. Using laser guns and phaser beams, the Native Americans and the Zorgons battled for 300 years. In the end, the Native Americans were victorious, however, before the Zorgons were defeated, their emperor, Lord Pozixithucud, released an energy force in whiped the Native American's knowledge of Alien technology. This marks the end of the first age of Vancouver. |
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==Post-Zorgon Conflicts== |
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Besides the foreign Zorgons, there were three other minor intrusions of foreign “species” to inhabit Pre-Vancouver. Approximately 200 years before the appearances of the Zorgons, the magical Native American tribe, the Phoenix Sorcerers, migrated from the Eastern Wastelands to Vancouver in order to escape the oppression from the Demon Clan that, like the Zorgons, established their own system impeding the rights of the Phoenix people. The rebellion of the Native Vancouverites can be greatly attributed to the oppression of the Phoenix clan, and some sources say even the Pheonix Clan helped dispel the Zorgons by using their magical powers, such as Fireball: Rank 11. However the peaceful coinciding between the Natives and the Phoenix lasted well after the abolishment of the Zorgons, there was always the issue of Magic vs. Super Laser Guns. Although the Zorgons destroyed the secrets of Alien technology in their last effort of victory, few Alien apparatuses remained in the hands of the natives. The ever going debate of Magic vs. Super Laser Guns eventually lead of a war of its own, referred to “The War of Magic and Super Laser Guns I.” It was in this war that the other two foreign populace, the Superdians and the Awesome Wizard Clan, allied with the Natives or the Phoenix Clan. Naturally, the Superdians allied with the Natives, called the “Super Native Allies”, and the Awesome Wizard Clan with the Phoenix Clan, called the “Wizard Magic Axis”. This battle, unlike the drawn out war with the Zorgons, only last 3 years, However, in their campaign to disassemble the “Wizard Magic Axis,” the Superdians were nearly destroyed. Viewed by the Natives as a honorable and worthy act, the Superdians were granted “Native Access,” and were no longer considered “Superdians.” Eventually the Natives won, and the Phoenix and Awesome Wizard Clan fled across the Pacific Ocean to Asia. It is believed that the Japanese are decedents of the Magical Clans of North America. |
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==Golden Age of pre-Vancouver== |
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The minor conflicts within pre-Vancouver had come to and end, but only for a short 250 years. One-hundred years after the “War of Magic and Super Laser Guns I,” the unified nation of Vancouver went through a golden age. A movement of art, science, and literature quickly spread across the land. Many works of art were created in this era, such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper (Many of these paintings were believed to be painted in the Renaissance era, however these historians are wrong). The most prevalent artist in this time was a native Vancouverite by the name of Crazy Horse. Although Crazy Horse was believed to have been a respected member of the Oglala Sioux Native American tribe around the mid 1800s, these people were incorrect; he has been in existence for thousands of years. He is renowned for being one of the very few Vancouverites to drink from The Well of Eternity, granting him eternal immortality. To this day he continues to make great works of art for which he receives no credit (I.E. The Lord of the Rings, Pulp Fiction, and Sleepy Hollow.) |
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==Origins of the word Vancouver== |
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Modern day historians and ancient rune specialists believe that the actual word “Vancouver” has been lost in time and translation, however recent discoveries by Sir Haudings of Old Hampshire, a camp director of the Tea and Crumpet Institute for the Gifted, findings point that the word comes from an Alien world, most likely the home of the Zorgons. There is also speculation within the Alienologist groups that the word Vancouver was most likely chosen by putting letters in a hat and pulling them at random due to the fact that when translated into Zorgon the word “Vancouver” roughly comes out as “The Republic of Martha Stewart and her Zorgon Minions.” This also has created the argument that Martha Stewart herself is a Zorgon herself. Conspiracy theorists believe that she might even be Lord Pozixithucud, old emperor of the Republic of Zorgonites. If this is true, it is possible that Martha Stewart may be planning an attack in Vancouver to regain her lost territory and once again enslave the Native Americans. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Vancouver is located at 45°38'1" North, 122°36'11" West (45.633743, -122.603011){{GR|1}} just north of the [[Columbia River]], just west of where the [[Columbia River Gorge]] bisects the [[volcano|volcanic]] [[Cascade Range]] and just east of where the [[Willamette River]] enters the Columbia. When clouds do not blanket the Puget-Willamette trough formed by the Cascade and [[Pacific Coast Ranges|Coast Range]], [[Mount Hood]], [[Mount Saint Helens]] and [[Mount Adams]] are all visible from somewhere in Vancouver. |
Vancouver is located at 45°38'1" North, 122°36'11" West (45.633743, -122.603011){{GR|1}} just north of the [[Columbia River]], just west of where the [[Columbia River Gorge]] bisects the [[volcano|volcanic]] [[Cascade Range]] and just east of where the [[Willamette River]] enters the Columbia. When clouds do not blanket the Puget-Willamette trough formed by the Cascade and [[Pacific Coast Ranges|Coast Range]], [[Mount Hood]], [[Mount Saint Helens]] and [[Mount Adams]] are all visible from somewhere in Vancouver. |
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According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 119.5 [[square |
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 119.5 [[square kilometre|km²]] (46.1 [[square mile|mi²]]). 110.8 km² (42.8 mi²) of it is land and 8.7 km² (3.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.14% water. |
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Vancouver lies just north of [[Portland, Oregon]] and shares a similar climate, with certain key exceptions. High pressures east of the [[Cascade Range]] create something of a [[venturi effect]], leading to cold east winds down the [[Columbia River Gorge]]. Unsheltered by the [[Willamette Valley]], Vancouver has historically seen colder temperatures, including "silver thaw" storms where freezing rain cakes limbs and power lines. Such storms can paralyze Vancouver, frequently froze the river and in 1914 cut electric power in the city for almost two weeks. Close proximity to the river was also a concern for flooding, before dams constricted the river, destroying features such as [[Celilo Falls]]. Periodic floods have been a nuisance, with two of the most destructive in June of 1894 and May, 1948. The 1948 [[Memorial Day]] flood almost topped the Interstate Bridge's support [[pier]]s and completely destroyed nearby [[Vanport, Oregon]]. Other unusual storms include the [[Columbus Day]] windstorm of 1962 and [[1972 Portland-Vancouver Tornado|an April 6, 1972 tornado]] which rated F3 on the [[Fujita scale]], striking two local schools. The warmer counter-part to these cold gorge winds is the [[Pineapple Express]], a [[subtropical]] [[jet stream]] that brings warm moist air from the southern [[Pacific Ocean]]. |
Vancouver lies just north of [[Portland, Oregon]] and shares a similar climate, with certain key exceptions. High pressures east of the [[Cascade Range]] create something of a [[venturi effect]], leading to cold east winds down the [[Columbia River Gorge]]. Unsheltered by the [[Willamette Valley]], Vancouver has historically seen colder temperatures, including "silver thaw" storms where freezing rain cakes limbs and power lines. Such storms can paralyze Vancouver, frequently froze the river and in 1914 cut electric power in the city for almost two weeks. Close proximity to the river was also a concern for flooding, before dams constricted the river, destroying features such as [[Celilo Falls]]. Periodic floods have been a nuisance, with two of the most destructive in June of 1894 and May, 1948. The 1948 [[Memorial Day]] flood almost topped the Interstate Bridge's support [[pier]]s and completely destroyed nearby [[Vanport, Oregon]]. Other unusual storms include the [[Columbus Day]] windstorm of 1962 and [[1972 Portland-Vancouver Tornado|an April 6, 1972 tornado]] which rated F3 on the [[Fujita scale]], striking two local schools. The warmer counter-part to these cold gorge winds is the [[Pineapple Express]], a [[subtropical]] [[jet stream]] that brings warm moist air from the southern [[Pacific Ocean]]. |
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Vancouver has two school districts: |
Vancouver has two school districts: |
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The [http://www.vansd.org/ Vancouver School District] covers most of west Vancouver and has six high schools: [[Hudson's Bay High School]], [[Columbia River High School]], [[Fort Vancouver High School]], Lewis and Clark High School, [[Skyview High School (Vancouver, Washington)|Skyview High School]], and the [[Vancouver School of Arts and Academics]] (grades 6-12). It also has six middle schools: Alki Middle School, Discovery Middle School,[http://gaiser.vansd.org/index.htm Gaiser Middle School], [[Jason Lee Middle School]], |
The [http://www.vansd.org/ Vancouver School District] covers most of west Vancouver and has six high schools: [[Hudson's Bay High School]], [[Columbia River High School]], [[Fort Vancouver High School]], Lewis and Clark High School, [[Skyview High School (Vancouver, Washington)|Skyview High School]], and the [[Vancouver School of Arts and Academics]] (grades 6-12). It also has six middle schools: Alki Middle School, Discovery Middle School,[http://gaiser.vansd.org/index.htm Gaiser Middle School], [[Jason Lee Middle School]], Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and McLoughlin Middle School. |
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The [http://www.egreen.wednet.edu/ Evergreen School District] covers most of east Vancouver and has four high schools: [[Evergreen High School (Vancouver, Washington)|Evergreen High School]], [[Mountain View High School (Washington)|Mountain View High School]], Heritage High School, and Union High School. |
The [http://www.egreen.wednet.edu/ Evergreen School District] covers most of east Vancouver and has four high schools: [[Evergreen High School (Vancouver, Washington)|Evergreen High School]], [[Mountain View High School (Washington)|Mountain View High School]], Heritage High School, and Union High School. |
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=== Colleges and universities === |
=== Colleges and universities === |
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* [[Clark College (Washington)|Clark College]] (two year) |
* [[Clark College (Washington)|Clark College]] (two year) |
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* [[Washington State University, Vancouver]] |
* [[Washington State University|Washington State University, Vancouver]] |
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== Architecture and Notable Buildings == |
== Architecture and Notable Buildings == |
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* [http://www.nps.gov/fova/ Fort Vancouver National Historic Site] |
* [http://www.nps.gov/fova/ Fort Vancouver National Historic Site] |
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* [http://www.vancwa.com/ Vancouver Washington Businesses & Community] |
* [http://www.vancwa.com/ Vancouver Washington Businesses & Community] |
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{{Mapit-US-cityscale|45.633743|-122.603011}} |
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** Nearby hiking trails on [http://www.hikipedia.com/search/near/Vancouver/WA Hikipedia] |
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{{Washington}} |
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[[Category:Cities in Washington]] |
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[[Category:Clark County, Washington]] |
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[[Category:Vancouver, Washington|*]] |
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[[Category:County seats in Washington]] |
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[[Category:Settlements established in 1825]] |
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[[bg:Ванкувър (Вашингтон)]] |
[[bg:Ванкувър (Вашингтон)]] |
Revision as of 18:51, 20 November 2007
- For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation).
Vancouver | |
---|---|
Flag of Vancouver Official seal of Vancouver | |
Nickname(s): Vancouver USA, "The 'Couve" | |
Motto(s): A colorful past, a bright future | |
Location in Washington | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Clark |
Founded | 1825 |
Incorporated | 1857 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Royce Pollard |
Area | |
• Total | 46.1 sq mi (119.5 km2) |
• Land | 42.8 sq mi (110.8 km2) |
• Water | 3.3 sq mi (8.7 km2) |
Elevation | 171 ft (52 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 157,493 |
• Density | 3,659/sq mi (1,413.8/km2) |
www.ofm.wa.gov | |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Area code | 360 |
FIPS code | 53-74060Template:GR |
GNIS feature ID | 1531916Template:GR |
Website | www.cityofvancouver.us |
Vancouver, Washington is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River, in the state of Washington, USA. It is the county seat of Clark County. As of July 1, 2005 it had a population of 157,493 making it the fourth largest city in Washington state. It is part of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.
The larger city of Vancouver, British Columbia is located 305 miles (491 km) north of Vancouver, Washington. Both cities were named for sea captain George Vancouver, but the Canadian city was not incorporated until 1886, nearly thirty years after Vancouver, Washington, and more than sixty years after the name Fort Vancouver was first used. City officials have periodically suggested changing the city's name to Fort Vancouver, Vancouver USA, or even Old Vancouver to reduce confusion with Vancouver, British Columbia. Washington residents distinguish between the two cities by referring to the Canadian Vancouver as "Vancouver, B.C." Current mayor Royce Pollard is an advocate of the unofficial moniker "America's Vancouver".
Pre-History
Contrary to popular belief, the Lewis and Clark expedition were not the first foriengers to explore the area of Vancouver. Two thousand years prior, the Zorgons from planet Xavio, located in Sector 9 of the Emperviox System, flew their Recombixulators to pre-Vancouver. Greeted by the Native Americans, they soon formed a strong alliance. The Zorgons taught the Native Americans the secrets of farming, cultivating, and the art of war. For example, the Zorgons taught the Native Americans to bury a fish next to the place where they're planing corn, for this will make the corn grow faster and more plentiful.
Conflict With the Zorgons
Although the relationship with the Native Americans and the Zorgons was strong, there were other internal affairs between the two that slowly separated them. Two hundred years after the co-existance between the Zorgons and the Native Americans, a war broke out; The Zorgons and the Rebels. Fifty years prior to this war, the Zorgons had established their own form of government on the Native Americans land and were slowly forcing them into slavery. The Native Americans saw this and rebelled. Using laser guns and phaser beams, the Native Americans and the Zorgons battled for 300 years. In the end, the Native Americans were victorious, however, before the Zorgons were defeated, their emperor, Lord Pozixithucud, released an energy force in whiped the Native American's knowledge of Alien technology. This marks the end of the first age of Vancouver.
Post-Zorgon Conflicts
Besides the foreign Zorgons, there were three other minor intrusions of foreign “species” to inhabit Pre-Vancouver. Approximately 200 years before the appearances of the Zorgons, the magical Native American tribe, the Phoenix Sorcerers, migrated from the Eastern Wastelands to Vancouver in order to escape the oppression from the Demon Clan that, like the Zorgons, established their own system impeding the rights of the Phoenix people. The rebellion of the Native Vancouverites can be greatly attributed to the oppression of the Phoenix clan, and some sources say even the Pheonix Clan helped dispel the Zorgons by using their magical powers, such as Fireball: Rank 11. However the peaceful coinciding between the Natives and the Phoenix lasted well after the abolishment of the Zorgons, there was always the issue of Magic vs. Super Laser Guns. Although the Zorgons destroyed the secrets of Alien technology in their last effort of victory, few Alien apparatuses remained in the hands of the natives. The ever going debate of Magic vs. Super Laser Guns eventually lead of a war of its own, referred to “The War of Magic and Super Laser Guns I.” It was in this war that the other two foreign populace, the Superdians and the Awesome Wizard Clan, allied with the Natives or the Phoenix Clan. Naturally, the Superdians allied with the Natives, called the “Super Native Allies”, and the Awesome Wizard Clan with the Phoenix Clan, called the “Wizard Magic Axis”. This battle, unlike the drawn out war with the Zorgons, only last 3 years, However, in their campaign to disassemble the “Wizard Magic Axis,” the Superdians were nearly destroyed. Viewed by the Natives as a honorable and worthy act, the Superdians were granted “Native Access,” and were no longer considered “Superdians.” Eventually the Natives won, and the Phoenix and Awesome Wizard Clan fled across the Pacific Ocean to Asia. It is believed that the Japanese are decedents of the Magical Clans of North America.
Golden Age of pre-Vancouver
The minor conflicts within pre-Vancouver had come to and end, but only for a short 250 years. One-hundred years after the “War of Magic and Super Laser Guns I,” the unified nation of Vancouver went through a golden age. A movement of art, science, and literature quickly spread across the land. Many works of art were created in this era, such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper (Many of these paintings were believed to be painted in the Renaissance era, however these historians are wrong). The most prevalent artist in this time was a native Vancouverite by the name of Crazy Horse. Although Crazy Horse was believed to have been a respected member of the Oglala Sioux Native American tribe around the mid 1800s, these people were incorrect; he has been in existence for thousands of years. He is renowned for being one of the very few Vancouverites to drink from The Well of Eternity, granting him eternal immortality. To this day he continues to make great works of art for which he receives no credit (I.E. The Lord of the Rings, Pulp Fiction, and Sleepy Hollow.)
Origins of the word Vancouver
Modern day historians and ancient rune specialists believe that the actual word “Vancouver” has been lost in time and translation, however recent discoveries by Sir Haudings of Old Hampshire, a camp director of the Tea and Crumpet Institute for the Gifted, findings point that the word comes from an Alien world, most likely the home of the Zorgons. There is also speculation within the Alienologist groups that the word Vancouver was most likely chosen by putting letters in a hat and pulling them at random due to the fact that when translated into Zorgon the word “Vancouver” roughly comes out as “The Republic of Martha Stewart and her Zorgon Minions.” This also has created the argument that Martha Stewart herself is a Zorgon herself. Conspiracy theorists believe that she might even be Lord Pozixithucud, old emperor of the Republic of Zorgonites. If this is true, it is possible that Martha Stewart may be planning an attack in Vancouver to regain her lost territory and once again enslave the Native Americans.
History
The Vancouver area was inhabited by a variety of Native American tribes, most recently the Chinook and Klickitat nations, with permanent settlements of timber longhouses.[1] The Chinookan and Klickitat names for the area were reportedly Skit-so-to-ho and Ala-si-kas, respectively, meaning "land of the mud-turtles".[1] First European contact was in 1775, with approximately half of the indigenous population dead from small pox before the Lewis and Clark expedition camped in the area in 1806.[1] Within another fifty years, other actions and diseases such as measles, malaria and influenza had reduced the Chinookan population from an estimated 80,000 to "to a few dozen refugees, landless, slaveless and swindled out of a treaty."[1]
Meriwether Lewis wrote that the Vancouver area was "the only desired situation for settlement west of the Rocky Mountains." The first permanent European settlement did not occur until 1824, when Fort Vancouver was established as a fur trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company. From that time on, the area was settled by both the US and Britain under a "joint occupation" agreement. Joint occupation ended on June 15 1846, with the signing of the Oregon Treaty, which gave the United States full control of the area. The City of Vancouver was incorporated on January 23 1857 and in 2007 marks its sesquicentennial.[2]
Based on an act in the 1859-1860 legislature, Vancouver was briefly the capital of the Washington Territory, before being returned to Olympia, Washington by a 2-1 ruling of the territory's supreme court, in accordance with Isaac Stevens' preference and concern that proximity to Oregon might give its southern neighbor undue influence.[3][4][5]
U.S. Army Captain (and future President) Ulysses S. Grant was quartermaster at what was then known as Columbia Barracks for 15 months beginning in September 1852. Soon after leaving Vancouver, he resigned from the army and did not serve again until the outbreak of the American Civil War. Other notable generals to have served in Vancouver include George B. McClellan, Philip Sheridan, Oliver O. Howard and 1953 Nobel Peace Prize recipient George Marshall.[6]
Army presence in Vancouver was very strong, as the Department of the Columbia built and moved to Vancouver Barracks, the military reservation for which stretched from the river to what is currently Fourth Plain Boulevard and was the largest Army base in the region until surpassed by Fort Lewis, 120 miles (190 km) to the north. Built on the old company gardens and skirmish range, Pearson Army Field (later Pearson Field Airport) was a key facility, and at one point the US Army Signal Corps operated the largest spruce cut-up plant in the world to provide much-needed wood for airplanes. Vancouver became the end point for two ultra-long flights from Moscow, USSR over the North Pole. The first of these flights was performed by Valery Chkalov in 1937 . Chkalov was originally scheduled to land at an airstrip in nearby Portland, OR, but redirected at the last minute to Vancouver's Pearson Airfield. Today there is a street named for him in Vancouver.
Separated from Oregon until 1917, when the Interstate Bridge began to replace ferries, Vancouver had three shipyards just downstream which produced ships for World War I before World War II brought an enormous economic boom. An Alcoa aluminum plant opened on September 2, 1940, using inexpensive power from the nearby New Deal hydropower turbines at Bonneville Dam. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Henry Kaiser opened a shipyard next to the U.S. Army reserve, which by 1944 employed as many as 36,000 people in a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week production of liberty ships, LST's, and "baby flat tops". This influx of shipyard workers boosted the population from 18,000 to over 80,000 in just a few months, leading to the creation of the Vancouver Housing Authority and six new residential developments: Fruit Valley, Fourth Plain Village, Bagley Downs, Ogden Meadows, Burton Homes and McLoughlin Heights. Each of these was later incorporated into the city, and are well-known neighborhoods, while the neighboring "shipyard city" of Vanport, Oregon, would be destroyed by the Memorial Day flood of 1948.
In 1956, Willie Nelson moved to Vancouver to begin his musical career, recording "Lumberjack". The single sold fairly well, but did not establish a career. Nelson continued to work as a radio announcer in Vancouver and sing in clubs. He sold a song called "Family Bible" for $50; the song was a hit for Claude Gray in 1960, has been covered widely and is often considered a gospel music classic.
Vancouver has recently experienced conflicts with other Clark County communities because of rapid growth in the area. As a result of urban growth and annexation, Vancouver is often thought of as split between two areas, East and West Vancouver, divided by NE Andresen Road. West Vancouver is home to downtown Vancouver and some of the more historical parts of the city, as well as recent high-density mixed-use development.
More than one-third of the Vancouver urban area's population has spilled into an unincorporated urban area north of its city limits, including the communities of Hazel Dell, Felida, Orchards and Salmon Creek. If county leaders had approved a major annexation plan in 2006, Vancouver would have passed Tacoma and Spokane to become the state's second-largest city.[7]
Downtown revitalization
In 1997 the city of Vancouver decided to dedicate the next 15-20 years to redevelop and revitalize a huge portion of the downtown core. The first projects started in the early 2000s with the construction of many tall condominium structures around Esther Short park and in the Uptown Village neighborhood. The most lauded outside investment was the construction of a Hilton hotel directly across from the park. Currently the city is building a new shopping complex, including a Fred Meyer, just outside of the downtown core. The Columbian newspaper is in the final stages of building a new seven-story building adjacent to the Hilton. There are plans in the future for a new development along C Street in downtown that would include a new library, a new Marriott hotel and roughly 250 new condominiums, along with other projects remain processing to start:
- Riverwest - Mixed use project which includes a condominiums building, hotel/condominiums building, offices building, and a new main library.
- The Luxe - 6 story offices and condominiums building.
- Waterfront Redevelopment - Which include 10K Residents Envision, Retails, Offices, Parks, and more.
- Prestige Plaza - 6 story building which includes condominiums and offices.
Geography and Climate
Vancouver is located at 45°38'1" North, 122°36'11" West (45.633743, -122.603011)Template:GR just north of the Columbia River, just west of where the Columbia River Gorge bisects the volcanic Cascade Range and just east of where the Willamette River enters the Columbia. When clouds do not blanket the Puget-Willamette trough formed by the Cascade and Coast Range, Mount Hood, Mount Saint Helens and Mount Adams are all visible from somewhere in Vancouver.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 119.5 km² (46.1 mi²). 110.8 km² (42.8 mi²) of it is land and 8.7 km² (3.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.14% water.
Vancouver lies just north of Portland, Oregon and shares a similar climate, with certain key exceptions. High pressures east of the Cascade Range create something of a venturi effect, leading to cold east winds down the Columbia River Gorge. Unsheltered by the Willamette Valley, Vancouver has historically seen colder temperatures, including "silver thaw" storms where freezing rain cakes limbs and power lines. Such storms can paralyze Vancouver, frequently froze the river and in 1914 cut electric power in the city for almost two weeks. Close proximity to the river was also a concern for flooding, before dams constricted the river, destroying features such as Celilo Falls. Periodic floods have been a nuisance, with two of the most destructive in June of 1894 and May, 1948. The 1948 Memorial Day flood almost topped the Interstate Bridge's support piers and completely destroyed nearby Vanport, Oregon. Other unusual storms include the Columbus Day windstorm of 1962 and an April 6, 1972 tornado which rated F3 on the Fujita scale, striking two local schools. The warmer counter-part to these cold gorge winds is the Pineapple Express, a subtropical jet stream that brings warm moist air from the southern Pacific Ocean.
Because of its proximity to Portland, many people who live in Vancouver work in Portland. In 2003, 70% of workers in Vancouver worked in Clark County. Those who live in Clark County and work in Oregon have to pay Oregon's relatively high income tax. (Washington State does not have such a tax.) Additionally, they may choose to shop in Portland to take advantage of a wider variety of shopping choices, and the fact that Oregon has no sales tax. However, there is a risk in such avoidance because Washington does have a use tax that is due on all purchases made in Oregon that are then returned to Washington. Vancouver residents "shop at their own risk" when attempting to avoid the sales tax in Oregon although the rule is rarely, if ever, enforced and currently there are no checkpoints when crossing back into Washington from Portland.
Because many Vancouver residents work in Portland, Oregon there is typically significant rush hour traffic congestion on two bridges that cross the Columbia River, the Interstate Bridge and the Glenn Jackson Bridge. In 2006 there were 278,043 weekday vehicle crossings on the two bridges.[8]
Demographics
At censusTemplate:GR of 2000 , there were 143,560 people, 56,628 households, and 36,298 families living in the city. The population density is 1,295.4/km² (3,354.7/mi²). There were 60,039 housing units at an average density of 541.7/km² (1,403.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.81% White, 2.50% African American, 0.97% Native American, 4.51% Asian, 0.54% Pacific Islander, 2.86% from other races, and 3.80% from two or more races. 6.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 56,628 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,618, and the median income for a family was $47,696. Males had a median income of $37,306 versus $26,940 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,192. 12.2% of the population and 9.4% of families were below the poverty line. Of the total population, 16.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Economy
The economy of Vancouver has paralleled that of the region generally. Moving from a salmon and trade-based indigenous economy by the Chinook people, the Hudson's Bay Company pioneered extractive industries such as the fur trade and timber. Subsistence agricultural gave way to market and export crops such as apples, strawberries and prunes. Largely bypassed by the railroad in the 1880's, when the Oregon Steam Navigation company would ferry trains across the river downstream from St. Helens, Oregon to Kalama, Washington, early downtown development was focused around Washington Street (where ferries arrived), lumber and Vancouver Barracks activities such as a large spruce mill for manufacturing airplanes. A 1908 railroad swing bridge across the Columbia allowed greater industrial developments such as the Standifer Shipyard during the first world war. With the Interstate Bridge and Bonneville Dam Vancouver saw an industrial boom in the 1940's, including the Kaiser shipyard and Alcoa, as well as a Boise Cascade paper mill, just west of the Interstate Bridge.[9]
As the old growth forests were depleted and heavy industry left the United States, Vancouver's economy has largely changed to high tech and service industry jobs, with many residents commuting to Portland, Oregon. As of 2007, the largest employers in Clark County are government agencies (including school districts) and Kroger corporation's Fred Meyer grocery stores. Rouding out the list are "high tech" manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard, WaferTech, SEH America and labor subcontractors such as Volt Services Group. Vancouver also contains the corporate headquarters for Nautilus, Inc. and The Holland (parent company of the Burgerville, USA restaurant chain).[10]
Downtown is home to a variety of independently-owned small businesses, while outer areas are dominated by clone town strip malls and franchise stores.
Vancouver is also increasingly popular with retirees, partially because of its proximity to Portland and Washington's lack of a state income tax.
Education
Public schools
Vancouver has two school districts:
The Vancouver School District covers most of west Vancouver and has six high schools: Hudson's Bay High School, Columbia River High School, Fort Vancouver High School, Lewis and Clark High School, Skyview High School, and the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics (grades 6-12). It also has six middle schools: Alki Middle School, Discovery Middle School,Gaiser Middle School, Jason Lee Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and McLoughlin Middle School.
The Evergreen School District covers most of east Vancouver and has four high schools: Evergreen High School, Mountain View High School, Heritage High School, and Union High School.
Vancouver is also home to the Washington School for the Deaf and Washington State School for the Blind.
Private schools
- Cascadia Montessori School - Montessori school offering 1st through 8th grade
- Clark County Christian School - Pre-School through 12th grade
- Columbia Adventist Academy - 9th through 12th grade
- Columbia Ridge Baptist Academy- 1st through 12th grade
- Cornerstone Christian School - NS through 8th grade
- Firm Foundation Christian School - Pre-K through 9th grade
- The Gardner School - Pre-K through 8th Grade
- Kings Way Christian School - Pre-School through 11th grade
- Our Lady of Lourdes - Private Catholic school offering kindergarten through 8th grade
- Vancouver Christian High School - Private Christian High School 9th through 12th grade
- Vancouver Community Christian - Kindergarten through 12th grade
- St. Joseph Catholic Grade School - Kindergarten through 8th grade
Colleges and universities
Architecture and Notable Buildings
Mother Joseph was one of the first architects in the region, and because of its relatively long history, Vancouver contains a variety of buildings. Homes vary from Victorians and craftsman bungalows downtown, to small wartime tract housing and ranch-styles mid-town, with rural styles and "McMansions" in the outer ring. In addition to the reconstructed Fort Vancouver at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, the city was named one of the National Register of Historic Places' "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" for 2003.[11]
Other notable buildings in Vancouver include:
- The Covington House at 4201 Main Street, a log cabin and boarding school built in approximately 1848
- Officers Row, including The Grant House (first house on the Columbia Barracks) and the Queen Anne-style 1866 Marshall House
- Mother Joseph's Providence Academy, constructed in 1874, where Evergreen Boulevard crosses Interstate 5
- Saint James Church (originally part of the Quebec diocese), saw its first Roman Catholic mass celebrated August 16, 1885
- The Carnegie Library at Sixteenth and Main, which opened on New Year's Eve, 1909, to showcase its unusual electric lights
- The 1914 Chicago-style U.S. National Bank (now the Heritage Building) at Fifth and Main
- The 1916 U.S. Post Office at 1211 Daniels Street
- The vertical-lift Interstate Bridge, which opened on Valentine's Day, 1917, Oregon's 58th anniversary
- The 1935 art deco telephone exchange building at Eleventh and Washington
- The 1941 Clark County courthouse, designed by prolific local architect Day Hillborn
- Smith Tower, a round downtown apartment building for the elderly, built in 1965
Many of these buildings have been re-purposed. The 1867 Slocum House, an Italianate villa style residence originally built one block south of its current location in Esther Short Park. It was moved to its present location at Esther Short Park in 1966 and now houses a community theatre company.[12] The Carnegie Library was expanded in the 1940's, becoming the Clark County historical museum after a new library was built in 1963.[2] Other buildings have been torn down for urban renewal or renovated to house professional offices such as lawyers and accountants.
Public Libraries
Annual events
Each Fourth of July, Vancouver hosts a fireworks display on the grounds of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site that draws many people to the city. The display, which typically runs for 45 minutes, is the largest west of the Mississippi River.
Late August features the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival in Esther Short Park, the largest jazz festival in SW Washington.
Each September sees St. Joseph Catholic School host the Vancouver Sausage Fest, drawing attendance upwards of 100,000 over three days.
Arts groups
- The Vancouver Area Theatre Alliance incorporating: The Old Slocum House Theatre Company, Magenta Theatre, Vancouver OnStage The New Blue Parrot and Clark College's theatre department.
- Vancouver Community Band
- The Felida Players Group - founded in 2006 by Will and Molly Sloan.
- Junior Symphony of Vancouver
- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra - a regional orchestra
- Arts Equity Inc. at The Main Street Theatre - Vancouver's first professional theater
- Bravo! Vancouver - a monthly orchestral/chorale concert series -
Major newspapers
- The Columbian
- The Oregonian (based in Portland, Oregon; this paper also covers some southwest Washington news)
- The Vancouver Voice southwest Washington's only alternative periodical
Nearby cities
- Portland, Oregon
- Battle Ground, Washington
- Camas, Washington
- Washougal, Washington
- Ridgefield, Washington
Transportation
Vancouver has two interstate freeways, I-5 and I-205, both of which run North–South, into Portland, Oregon. It also has two heavily travelled state highways within the city limits. SR-14 begins at I-5 in downtown Vancouver and makes its way east. It is a freeway all the way until Camas. SR-500 begins from I-5 at 39th Street in north Vancouver, travels east connecting with I-205, and continues east into the suburb of Orchards where the freeway terminates at Fourth Plain Road, and meets with the south end of north-southbound 117th Ave.,SR-503. Note that there are three traffic signals on SR-500 in Vancouver. A third state highway, SR-501, starts at I-5 and heads west through downtown and continues along a path that runs between the Columbia River and Vancouver Lake.
The Port of Vancouver operates a port on the Columbia River, which separates Oregon to the south and Washington to the north. It handles over 400 ocean-going vessels annually, as well as a number of barges which ply the river and its tributaries as far as Lewiston, Idaho.
The area's mass transit system is C-TRAN, the Clark County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority, which operates 135 buses, vanpools, and paratransit vehicles. There are also a number of express routes into Portland's downtown.
In 1994, Clark County voters defeated a ballot measure to extend Portland's MAX Light Rail system north into Vancouver [3]. Portland extended the MAX line in 2004 as far north as the Multnomah County Expo Center in north Portland, approximately 1-mile (2 km) south of downtown Vancouver.
Vancouver has always been well served by rail; current freight railroads operating in Vancouver include the BNSF, Union Pacific, and the local shortline Lewis and Clark Railway.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Vancouver. The Amtrak station is in west Vancouver. Amtrak train 11, the southbound Coast Starlight, is scheduled to depart Vancouver at 1:08pm with service to Portland, Oregon, Sacramento, California, Emeryville, California (with bus connection to San Francisco), and Los Angeles. Amtrak train 14, the northbound Coast Starlight, is scheduled to depart Vancouver at 4:36pm daily with service to Kelso-Longview, Centralia, Olympia-Lacey, Tacoma and Seattle. Amtrak train 27, the westbound Empire Builder, is scheduled to depart Vancouver at 9:18am daily with service to Portland. Amtrak train 28, the eastbound Empire Builder, is scheduled to depart Vancouver at 5:07pm daily with service to Spokane, Washington, Grand Forks, North Dakota, St Paul-Minneapolis, and Chicago. Amtrak Cascades trains, operating as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia and as far south as Eugene, Oregon, serve Vancouver several times daily in both directions.
Pearson Field Airport, located near downtown Vancouver, is the main airport serving the city. The airport is intended primarily for general aviation without any commercial air service. The nearest commercial airport is Portland International Airport (PDX).
Sister cities
Vancouver has two sister cities:
Source:[13]
See also
- People from Vancouver, Washington
- List of mayors of Vancouver, Washington
- The Vancouver Voice
- Clark County
References
- ^ a b c "History of Vancouver - Early Northwest Native People". City of Vancouver. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "History of Vancouver - An Overview of Vancouver's History". City of Vancouver. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ "Single Vote Robbed Vancouver of State Capitol". The Columbian. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ "Governor Isaac Stevens selects Olympia as capital of Washington Territory on November 28, 1853". HistoryLink.org. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ "Senate Resolution 8636" (PDF). Washington State Legislature. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ "About Vancouver's 150th Anniversary". City of Vancouver. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ komotv.com
- ^ "Columbia River Bridge Crossings: Historical". Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ Jollata, Pat (2004). Images of America: Downtown Vancouver. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738529591.
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(help) - ^ Vancouver Business Journal Book of Lists 2007, p. 24.
- ^ "Quick Facts". SW Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ slocumhouse.com
- ^ ltgov.wa.gov