Dr. John McLoughlin (1784-1857)

Dr. John McLoughlin was chief factor (superintendent) of the British Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) based at Ft. Vancouver on the Columbia River. The fur trade brought the first permanent white settlers to the area. Dress hats made of beaver fur were worn by men and women around the world. British, French and American trappers swarmed over the western wilderness to bring in the sought after pelts.

Dr. McLoughlin crossed the Rockies in 1824 and established Ft. Vancouver in 1825. He was sent to this area to establish the Columbia Department headquarters for the HBC. He proved to be a shrewd businessman, but was always fair in dealing with company employees, natives and settlers alike.

The American pioneers, who traveled the Oregon Trail to this area starting in the early 1840's, often arrived at Fort Vancouver hungry, tired and with few supplies. Out of kindness, Dr. McLoughlin allowed them access to the fort's supply warehouse to get supplies on credit. That eventually cost him his job with the HBC, leading to his building a home next to Willamette Falls in Oregon City. He and his wife moved to their new home in 1846. He was forced to purchase the HBC land claim to this area when he moved.

Dr. John McLoughlin’s key role in Oregon's early history prompted the 1957 state legislature to name him the ‘Father of Oregon.’

The home opened as a museum in 1910, and it continues to draw thousands of visitors each year from all over the world. It is one of several historic homes in Oregon City which are open to the public. These sites include the Barclay House (which is part of the McLoughlin House Unit of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site) and the Rose Farm, where the first Oregon Territorial Legislature met in July 1849. Authentic furnishings, artifacts, and early photos take visitors back 170 years to the beginnings of the ‘American West’. Other historic house museums in the area include the Ermatinger House and the Stevens-Crawford House.