Vancouver Tutors

About Vancouver

Just across the mighty Columbia River from Oregon, Vancouver, Washington is regarded as the largest suburb of Portland. Originally inhabited by the Chinook and Klickitat Native American tribes, the area which is now Vancouver saw the first European explorers in the late 1700’s when British fur traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company sailed up the Columbia River. By 1825, the company had opened a fort, naming it after Captain George Vancouver who was instrumental in exploring the Pacific Northwest. Vancouver, Washington was the first city named after the captain. Further north, the capital of British Columbia also bears his name. For several years after the establishment of Fort Vancouver, British traders conflicted with new American settlers who had come across the continent on the Oregon Trail. In the 1840’s they attempted to run Amos Short out of the area by burning his cabin and destroying his crops. Not to be dissuaded, Short laid claim to the land around the fort and renamed it Columbia City. After his death in 1853, Short’s wife Esther continued to press the claim and today Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver is named after her. Throughout much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the United States military was prominent in the history of Vancouver. Civil War General and President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant spent 15 months at Vancouver Barracks, an army base established in 1849. During both world wars, Vancouver contributed to the war effort by building ships for the navy. During World War II Henry Kaiser employed 36,000 people in Vancouver and produced over 750 ships at his shipyards in Vancouver and Portland.

A Vancouver tutor will keep you ahead of the academic curve so you can take time away from your studies to enjoy Vancouver and nearby Portland. Indeed, Vancouver and the surrounding area boasts a wide array of historical, cultural and outdoor activities and attractions. For history buffs, the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site chronicles the histories of Hudson’s Bay Company, the U.S. Army’s Vancouver Barracks and Pearson Air Field. Exhibits and collections include artifacts, maps, photographs and historic journals dating back to the establishment of the fort. Opened in 1964, the Clark County Historical Museum houses collections of Native American basketry and beadwork, territorial history, Clark County documents, artwork and textiles as well as historic photographs and records. Exhibits such as “All Aboard! Clark County Rides the Rails” and “Food for Thought—Clark County’s Food History” are currently on display at the museum.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there are plenty of recreational options available on the Columbia River and nearby Sandy River. Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site features hiking trails, a boat ramp and picnic grounds. It is known for rock climbing on the cliffs of Broughton Bluff. The site includes interpretive markers about the history of the 1805 Lewis and Clark Expedition which explored this area of the Columbia River.

The more culturally well-heeled will appreciate the Portland Art Museum, the oldest such museum in the Pacific Northwest. The museum is home to 42,000 objects which chronicle the history of art from ancient times to today. The museum is particularly distinguished for its Native American collections such as Pre-Colombian pieces from Meso and South America as well as from Oregon’s native tribes. More than 350,000 visitors a year come to explore the museum’s galleries and special exhibits.