During Scottish naturalist David Douglas’s years of travel to the far corners of the Pacific Northwest, his base of operations always remained at Fort Vancouver. The people he met there influenced his every move, and the changes he witnessed during his visits mark significant turning points for the social, economic, scientific, and environmental stories of the region.

David Douglas was the premier botanical explorer in the Pacific Northwest and throughout western North America in the 19th century. Douglas’ discoveries include hundreds of western plants, most notably the iconic Douglas Fir.