Talk:Fort Langley National Historic Site

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Hmmm MilHistory project?[edit]

Just looked back to see what tag was removed in the previous edit to the placement of the BC project....which was the Military History Wikiproject. Got me scratching my head a bit, as while most of the fur trade posts don't have a military history, or their history isn't primarily military, there are aspects of Fort Langley's role in local history that are decidedly military; repelling a Euclataws invasion/attack, and also the role of the Royal Engineers during the McGowan's War incident, and also in the survey of the original Ft. Langley at Derby (two miles downstreawm); still, not primarily a military history, and it wasn't a military establishment per se, though its history does have military aspects. But then, if we applied it here, it would also apply at Fort Victoria, Nanaimo's bastion, Fort Rupert, Fort Kamloops, Fort Shepherd etc. - none of which were military forts, but which all saw battles/fortification needs. Fort Vancouver ranks in MilHist, or should, because since the fur trade it's also been a US military installation, though.Skookum1 20:45, 26 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The first fort at Derby Reach[edit]

I believe the fort was moved from Derby in 1838/9... I can't remember the exact date, but within a year, the whole "new" fort burned down, and they rebuilt again in the same place. So the storehouse, from the 1840s, still stands on the 2nd site. - TheMightyQuill (talk) 04:34, 3 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry Skookum, you've got your facts wrong. The fort was moved in 1838/9. It's well documented, because the fire in 1939 burned down the "new" fort almost immediately after it had been constructed. Then the rebuilt it again within a year. See here and here - TheMightyQuill (talk) 22:16, 23 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well, that's really darned odd because AFAIK it was Moody who moved the fort to the new location, and Derby was still called Fort Langley when it was renamed in 1858 to Derby; I think in Hauka's McGowan's War he comments that Fort Langley was still at Derby when Douglas sailed upriver because of the Fraser CAnyon War; I'll write him, in fact, and check; I'm pretty certain I saw it in Howay & Scholefield too. The proclamation was in the then-fort's big house, but AFAIK it wasn't the same big house, but rather the old one at Derby....Skookum1 (talk) 23:09, 23 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The Company farm was established around the current site in 1839; HQ remained at what became Derby and it's because HQ was there that Derby became a boomtown during hte gold rush; there was no other reason for anyone to be there, in fact....Skookum1 (talk) 23:11, 23 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm 100% on this one, Skookum. It's very well documented. Give the park a call, I'm sure they've got the details right. -TheMightyQuill (talk) 04:31, 24 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]