Fort Defiance (British Columbia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Defiance |
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Fort Defiance with Columbia in background and Adventure in foreground.
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| Constructed: | 1791-1792 |
| Location: | Meares Island, British Columbia, Canada |
| Continent: | North America |
| Abandoned: | 1792 |
Fort Defiance was a small base built by the crew of the ship Columbia Rediviva. They stayed there during the winter of 1791-1792. It was located on Meares Island in what is now British Columbia, Canada. The ship's captain, Captain Robert Gray, was in charge. He was an American merchant involved in the maritime fur trade.
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Setting Up Fort Defiance
In August 1791, another captain named John Kendrick arrived in Clayoquot Sound. He traded with Wickaninnish, the chief of the Tla-o-qui-aht people, to get land. Kendrick built a small fort on an island nearby. He called it Fort Washington.
Later that month, Captain Robert Gray arrived with his ship, the Columbia Rediviva. After a short time, Kendrick sailed away to China.
Building the Winter Base
On September 19, Captain Gray found a good, narrow cove to spend the winter. This spot was also perfect for building a new, smaller ship called a sloop.
Two days later, on September 21, the crew started building their winter quarters. By September 30, the main building was finished. It was about 11 m (36.1 ft) long and 5.5 m (18.0 ft) wide, with two floors. They used 5,470 bricks from Boston to build a large fireplace and a forge.
The main building was ready for defense. It had two cannons and small openings for muskets. Other buildings included a blacksmith shop, two sawpits for cutting wood, cabins, and a shed for building boats. Once everything was done, four cannons, 40 muskets, and other weapons from the Columbia were moved ashore. A man named Robert Haswell took charge of the base and ten men.
Building a New Ship: The Adventure
The next big job was to build the sloop, which they named Adventure. They used wood frames that the Columbia had carried with it. On October 3, they laid the keel, which is the backbone of a ship.
The 45-ton sloop was built right on the beach. At the same time, a smaller whaleboat was built inside the fort. The crew cut down tall trees, floated them to the site, and shaped them into a mast and planks for the ships.
On March 23, 1792, the Adventure was launched into the water. This made it the first American-built ship in the Pacific Northwest. Before Captain Gray and his crew sailed away with both ships in March, they left the fort. They took anything useful with them.
Interactions with First Nations People
For most of the winter, the relationship between Gray's crew and Chief Wickaninnish and his people was friendly. On Christmas Day, Chief Wickaninnish and several other chiefs had dinner aboard the Columbia. On New Year's Day, the Americans were guests at a celebration on shore hosted by Wickaninnish.
However, during the winter, Gray's crew discovered a plan for an attack. This plan involved a crew member from the Sandwich Islands and some of the Tla-o-qui-aht people.
When leaving the area, Captain Gray ordered the destruction of 200 homes in the nearby Opitsaht village. The ship's logbook noted that Gray had acted too strongly.
Fort Defiance Today: An Archaeological Site
The winter quarters were located in Disappointment Inlet, which is now called Lemmens Inlet. This spot was on the eastern side of Meares Island. The natural shape of the land helped protect the fort from attacks. In Clayoquot Sound, just north of Tofino, Gray named the place Adventure Cove.
Researchers found the exact site of Fort Defiance in 1966. The name "Adventure Cove" was officially adopted by British Columbia in 1975. At that time, the small island in the cove was named Columbia Islet. Today, Fort Defiance is a protected archaeological site, covering about 0.55-square-kilometre (0.21 sq mi).
