Fort Langley National Historic Site

Fort Langley National Historic Site is a historic trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company at the present village of Fort Langley in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located about 40 km east of Vancouver, on the banks of the Fraser River. On May 25, 1923, was declared by the Government of Canada National Historic Site of Canada and is now managed by Parks Canada.

The original Fort Langley in 1827 a few miles downriver built; In 1839 it was moved to its present location. The fort served as items for trade with the local Native American population, as a warehouse and distribution center of the Hudson 's Bay Company and as a strategic stop on the first route from the Pacific Ocean inland. Originally, the focus of the fort lay on fur hunting and trading. As the stocks of beaver and otter the area were exhausted, the men of the fort laid on the capture and trade of salmon. They were preserved and served the supply of items in the interior and later the trading voyages of the Hudson's Bay Company to the Sandwich Islands and Australia. Other commodities were dried cranberries and wheat and butter, which were produced on the farm belonging to the fort.

After the Oregon compromise in 1846, which established the 49th parallel as the boundary between the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company and the U.S., grew the strategic importance of Fort Langley, as it now occupied a key position to reach the other trading posts in the hinterland of British Columbia. Due to the increased demand as a result of the California Gold Rush, agricultural production has increased.

In the course of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858 Fort Langley became the center of the air flowing to the Fraser River gold seekers. To establish a rule of law, was proclaimed in Fort on December 19, 1858 by James Douglas, the Crown Colony of British Columbia. This formally ended the monopoly of the Hudson 's Bay Company. From the 1860s and 70s, the importance of the fort fell, the buildings were only entertain insufficient and fell into disrepair. 1886 opened the Hudson 's Bay Company a newly built shop in the meantime incurred Fort Langley and gave the actual fort on the river.

Currently, there is a progression of eight buildings, fenced by palisades, which can be visited as a museum. Of these, only the warehouse from the 1840s is in its original condition, all other buildings are reconstructed. In summer, daily living history demonstrations with employees in the clothing of Fort residents of the 19th century instead. It can be observed in the performance of the traditional operations such as forging or the production of casks. In spring and autumn there are demonstrations on the weekends. In November, remember daily demonstrations on the proclamation of British Columbia in Fort