Vancouver, Washington Territory; 1860 May 20

[wildcat]

BLM cadastral survey of WA Township #002-0N R001-0E Willamette Meridian, about two years after incorporation. The city is shown at the south end of Amos Short's claim (south sector #27). "Vancouver Town site" (NE sector 27) was part of the land claim of the catholic mission that Mother Joseph's Academy and sanitarium were part of. Note the winding road that would someday become (Old) Highway 99.

Also interesting to note was Burnt Bridge Creek being known as "Marble's Creek" then... and of course, the total lack of development outside the city and the military installation.

More awesome old maps of my hometown: https://www.blm.gov/or/landrecords/surv ... n=10000000

Another one from 1871, which shows several larger tracts that had been claimed in the meantime: https://www.blm.gov/or/landrecords/wa/t020n010e_006.jpg

[Webfoot]

I enjoy these.

[wildcat]

You can actually still see where the military reserve area is on maps today. It's the large region bordered by Fourth Plain and the river on the north and south, and I-5 and East Reserve Street to the west and east. It now has Clark College, the Clark County health department/VA hospital complex, the Fort and the former Army barracks, and the west half of Pearson...... and Apple Tree Park. McLoughlin Boulevard and Mill Plain now run through the center.

It's interesting to use the "stack base layers" function in Caltopo to compare the historic maps to today. Here is the 1915-1945 layer overlayed with Open Street map at 50% opacity:

Vancouver then and now. https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=45.6367,-122.63587&z=14&b=1930&o=om&n=0.5 (2023 December 03)

The "AIRPLANE BEACONS CONTROL STATION" at Andresen, NE Burton Road and Fourth Plain is where the church is that used to be the local K-Mart. If you really want to read some bizarre, surreal history of that place post-K-Mart, go onto http://columbian.com/, look up "Living Hope Church" and don't say I didn't warn you.