Page "John McLoughlin" Paragraph 10

Fort Vancouver became the center of activity in the Pacific Northwest.

Every year ships would come from London to drop off supplies and trade goods in exchange for the furs.

It was the nexus for the fur trade on the Pacific Coast ; its influence reached from the Rocky Mountains to the Hawaiian Islands, and from Russian Alaska into Mexican-controlled California.

From Fort Vancouver, at its pinnacle, McLoughlin watched over 34 outposts, 24 ports, six ships, and 600 employees.

Under McLoughlin's management, the Columbia Department remained highly profitable, in part due to the ongoing high demand for beaver hats in Europe.