A Bit of My Hometown HistoryAfter the war of 1812 the British-owned Hudson Bay Company controlled the Oregon Country which includes my hometown of Vancouver, WA.
Two hundred years ago, in 1824, the HBC headquarters was moved from Astoria, Oregon, to the north bank of the Columbia River, in what is now Vancouver, WA, USA. Fort Vancouver was a bustling hub of commerce during the early 1800's. The British plan was that south of the river would be United States territory and north would be British territory. However, the Treaty of 1846 made that area part of what is now Washington and Oregon. The ties to the British, the military, and the diverse culture that was prevalent during the time of the Hudson Bay Company is still felt in many ways in this area, both big and small.
One way is in the paranormal phenomena that permeates this community. After the Treaty of 1846 it didn't take long for the United States Army to establish a major garrison near Fort Vancouver. Ghosts from that time linger in the Vancouver Barracks, as well as Officers Row in the Vancouver National Historic Reserve District. The oldest house on Officers Row is the Grant House - with its numerous ghosts!
A couple of weeks ago I attended a Ghost Tour at the historic Grant House, presented by author and historian, Jefferson Davis. Jeff has been investigating ghost hauntings and writing ghost stories for decades. Since my current work in progress is a middle grade fantasy series that includes a scene set at the Grant House, I was anxious to hear about the presence of ghosts at the historic site. Learning that the Grant House has numerous reports of the presence of several ghosts, was exciting!
The day after the Ghost Tour at the Grant House, Mr. Davis had a book event not far from where I live, so my husband and I set out to purchase one of his books.
Vancouver USA Ghosts Volume I is a fantastic resource of all kinds of paranormal activity in our community! While I was aware of many spooky stories and tales set in this region, I had no idea of just how prevalent the presence of ghosts in Vancouver, WA really was. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, since it's the oldest town in the state of Washington. (Dating back to British rule.)
Many thanks to author-historian, Jefferson Davis. He has a unique style of being curious and open-minded, while not accepting evidence without his due diligence. If you're interested in learning more about this author, check out his website:
www.jeffdavisghostguy.com On a side note, several years ago my fine artist husband, Michael Lindstrom, painted the Grant House. It's in a collection in the Hudson Building in downtown Vancouver, WA
The Grant House 24 X 36 Oil on canvas by Michael Lindstrom.
