TACOMA — The sun never sets on the British Empire, the old saying went. But beyond its own shores and a few far-flung islands and garrisons, Britannia now rules squat.
Nevertheless, outposts of former British glory and enterprise still exist, one of them in our own back yard: Fort Nisqually. And on May 18, this replica of a British trading post nestled within a mossy forest at Point Defiance Park will flaunt its heritage.
As the fort does every year, it will celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday.
In the interest of historical accuracy, the anniversary of Victoria's birth is actually May 24, but the fort will celebrate on the 18th to avoid conflict with Memorial Day. Born in 1819, Victoria reigned Britain from 1837 to 1901.
The event will feature music, games, historical demonstrations, even birthday cake and tea. The party also offers opportunities to experience authentic living history, including costumed enthusiasts re-creating life in the 19th century.
Fort Nisqually, the first European settlement on Puget Sound, was built in 1833 on the Nisqually River Delta, about 17 miles south of its present location. Two of the fort's original structures, the Factor's House and the granary, were relocated to Point Defiance for preservation in the 1930s, and remain today. Other structures have since been added according to Fort Nisqually's original plan. A fence reminiscent of an army stockade now surrounds seven buildings, including a blacksmith shop and a trading post.
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Dana Chambers, 4, watches Jerry Ramsey hoe the garden. Dana's whole family — dad Jason, mom Jennifer, brother Michael and sister Amelia — volunteers at the fort.
(CONNIE MCDOUGALL) |
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Never a military outpost, Fort Nisqually flourished as a commercial venture of London-based Hudson's Bay Company, which built forts all across the northern tier of North America from the 17th century well into the 1800s. The fur trade fueled it, especially beaver pelts.
"The end product was this: luxury top hats," says Fort Nisqually's education curator, Mike McGuire, holding up a gentleman's topper. "People were more exposed to the elements back then and needed the protection, but of course, beaver top hats communicated status. You put this on and you put on an attitude."
But just as we suffered the dot-com bomb, they got the fur fizzle when silk replaced beaver for hats. To survive, Hudson's Bay Company changed Fort Nisqually's focus to agribusiness, raising and selling livestock, grain and produce.
Increasingly pressed by settlers and U.S. tax collectors, the British finally sold Fort Nisqually and other American holdings in 1869 for $650,000 in gold.
History comes alive
What really makes history come alive here are the characters who inhabit the fort. These aren't just people in costumes; they take their volunteer work very seriously. "They're called 'reenactors,' " explains McGuire, "people who portray a time, and sometimes a particular person, with historical accuracy."
Michael Froslie of Olympia is an excellent example. In real life, he works as a mapmaker for the state, but on weekends and for special events like the queen's birthday, Froslie dons a beaver top hat and wool cape, becoming Dr. William Fraser Tolmie. Hired by the Hudson's Bay Company, Tolmie was a Scot who ran the fort for 16 years.
His "wife," Jane Tolmie, a sprightly woman in a long gingham dress, often joins the good doctor. (In reality, she's Karen Haas, a Tacoma museum educator.) Depending on the event, they'll stay in character, offering history lessons through their domestic banter.
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Don Burge, a jack-of-all-trades, pulls freshly baked apples and bread from the outdoor oven.
(CONNIE MCDOUGALL) |
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Another reenactor who practically grew up at the fort is Jennifer Woodward. The 18-year-old from Auburn loves wearing the big flouncy skirts, and bells on her leggings "to keep the bears away."
Woodward remembers visiting the fort as a second-grader, deciding right then that she wanted to be a part of the history there. After attending a fort-sponsored summer camp, she volunteered at age 11. "I've learned so much and had such a good time. I'll really miss it when I go to college in the fall," Woodward says, promising to return for special events like a candlelight tour of the fort held in October.
Fourteen-year-old Ryan Wilson from Poulsbo also volunteers at the fort when he can. He's learning the blacksmith trade, using his skills to re-create life in a blacksmith shop of the 1800s.
An entire Bremerton family gives their time: Jason Chambers, a cook by trade, is learning carpentry to more accurately portray his fort character. His wife, Jennifer Chambers, notes that it's just one big "let's pretend" party for their three children: Year-old Michael toddles around the fort looking like a baby Huck Finn, and the two girls, Dana, 4, and Amelia, 6, putter in the garden, plucking carrots from the dark soil. In bonnets and pinafores, the girls resemble Laura Ingalls Wilder characters.
Values from the past
What drives volunteers also attracts visitors, says McGuire. "I think because of our high-tech, homogenized, modern world, people are hungry for something else. They want to reach back to the past for value. What is it like to work with your hands, to be resourceful?"
McGuire, who portrays characters from farmer to gentleman in his job, adds that Fort Nisqually reminds us that life is tenuous. "Back then, they really understood that death was always just around the corner. They had a spiritual connection we might not have."
The fort also gives students engaging ways to connect with history, and school tours are well received, says fort manager Melissa McGinnis. "This is a more personal way to learn history," she says. "At Fort Nisqually, you can interact with exhibits and people, see historical things in their original context."
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From left, Lisa Peppan, Amelia Chambers, Jim Weatherford and Eda Sutalo examine trading beads like the ones used in the 1800s.
(CONNIE MCDOUGALL) |
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A small museum is at the back of the Factor's House, once the home of Dr. Tolmie. There's also a gift shop that sells "courting candle-holders" made in the fort's blacksmith shop. These helped pioneer fathers deal with suitors. With the turn of a lever, the candle can be raised or lowered, offering more or less light, and therefore time, to a visiting youth.
Even if it is not your custom to mark Queen Victoria's birthday, it's a good excuse to visit Fort Nisqually, where you can experience a cannon and rifle salute, see weapon demonstrations, or try your hand at a game of croquet. You might even get an unfamiliar chill when fort dwellers sing that sweet anthem in honor of a monarch long gone:
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us;
God save the Queen.
IF YOU GO
Upcoming: Fort Nisqually's celebration of Queen Victoria's Birthday is 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 18.
Tours: Guided tours led by trained interpreters are offered to groups year-round, from first-graders to adults, 60 people maximum. Includes a brief slide presentation of the fort's history followed by tours of the buildings. Times: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; tours last about an hour. Cost: $2.50 per person, with a minimum charge of $25. (For school groups, one teacher or adult chaperone is required and admitted free for every 10 students.)
Hours: Sept. 3-May 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; May 25-Sept. 2, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
Admission: Adults $3; seniors (62+) and students (13-17) $2; Children (5-12) $1; younger than 5 free.
Getting there: From Interstate 5 in Tacoma, take Exit 132 (Highway 16) to the Sixth Avenue exit. Turn left on Sixth Avenue and then right on Pearl Street to Point Defiance Park. Follow signs on Five-Mile Drive within the park to Fort Nisqually Historic Site. From the Kitsap Peninsula, take Highway 16 to Tacoma's Pearl Street exit. Turn right and follow Pearl Street to the park.
More information: 253-591-5339 or www.fortnisqually.org.
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