Fort Vancouver Cultural Landscape Report

Site
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The Landscape Beyond Fort Plain (continued)

Back Plains

North and northeast of Fort Plain were the Back Plains, a series of open meadows or prairies in the forests which, during this period, the company used to raise crops and pasture livestock. Thomas Lowe later described their uses: "Lying back of the fort there were several plains separated from each other by belts of timber--those known as the first, second and third plains had each been farmed; the fourth and camass [Camas] plains were used for pasturage." [779]

In 1841 Lieutenant Charles Wilkes explored this area of the Fort Vancouver farm when visiting the post. His is the best general description of the plains:

Throughout these upper prairies, in places, are seen growing pines of gigantic dimensions and towering height, with their branches drooping to the ground, with clumps of oaks, elders, and maple. These prairies have such an air of being artificially kept in order, that they never cease to create surprise, and it is difficult to believe that the hand of taste and refinement has not been at work upon them, [780]

First Plain was the nearest to Fort Plain, about three miles northeast of the stockade. It was an irregularly shaped opening, which according to James Douglas in 1838, contained about one hundred acres of "poor land never flooded." [781] Second Plain, about a mile east of First Plain was smaller; at least according to the 1844 Peers map its area appears to be about two-thirds the size of First Plain, or about seventy acres. Third Plain, about one-half mile east of Second Plain was, according to the Peers map, slightly larger than either of the first two plains. Fourth Plain was, according to historic accounts, about seven miles from the stockade, and was quite large in area, as indicated on the Peers map; its relative size being approximately equivalent to the Mill Plain. East of it was Camas Plain--also referred to as Kalsas, Kolsas, La Kamass and Camass Plain, Another plain is referred to in the historic literature as Simsik Plain, apparently located six miles northeast of Fourth Plain, which may have been used to pasture cattle, and yet another plain, the Prairie du The, apparently located about ten miles east of the sawmill was used to graze cattle, according to William Crate's later testimony. [782]

These plains were connected by a road which extended from Upper Mill Road northeast of the stockade through the forest and plains. To reach the Back Plains it was necessary to ford what is now known as Burntbridge Creek, where, by 1844, a bridge had been built. William Crate later claimed to have built forty miles of "good wagon roads" on the Fort Vancouver farm, although he did not specify dates, Since he was at the post c. 1832-34 through 1843, on his first term of service with the Company, it was within that span of years, probably around the time the Mill Plain farm was established, around 1841-42. Among the roads he said he built, were roads from Mill Plain to Fourth Plain, and from Fourth Plain to Camas Plain and to the Prairie du me. These roads can be seen on the 1844 Peers map. Crate noted he built several small bridges in conjunction with his roads, and that the roads "were expensive in consequence of the quantity of clearing necessary to open them and keep them in repair." [783] Dugald Mactavish later said a wagon road was "made" from Fort Vancouver to Fourth Plain, although he did not specify a date. [784]

As noted above, Thomas Lowe said the first three plains had been cultivated. John McLoughlin noted he had twice planted crops on First Plain by 1837. [785] A second plain was noted by McLoughlin, also with poor soil, but it is not clear to which of the other plains he was referring. In 1832 George T. Allan, then a clerk at the post, noted that "To the north the country is thickly wooded, but now and then relieved by pretty small plains, two of which we have cultivated, though one of them is about six miles distant." [786] If Allan's distances were correct, then by 1832, either Third or Fourth Plain had been at least partially cultivated. James Douglas noted in his inventory of cultivable land in 1838 First Plain, and what he called Second North Plain, six miles from the post, consisting of "120 acres poor land never flooded;" none of the other Back Plains are mentioned in his inventory. If what Douglas called Second North Plain was six miles from the post, and consisted of about 120 acres, it was probably Third Plain, which, according to the Peers map, was only slightly larger than First Plain, which Douglas said had one hundred acres of land. This rather sketchy evidence seems to indicate that it was possibly First and Third Plains which were cultivated by the Company between 1832, when Roberts noted cultivation on two of the plains, and 1838, when Douglas inventoried the land. By 1846, the Covington farm map shows all three plains under cultivation.

The Back Plains were also used to pasture cattle, horses and sheep, although it does not seem they were grazed on these plains year-round. In 1838 James Douglas noted that when the river rose, the cattle were driven to "an extensive arrid plain" ten miles from the river, probably the Prairie du The. [787] Charles Wilkes noted horses and cattle being driven to the plains during his visit to the post. [788] Dugald Mactavish later stated that cattle, horses and sheep ranged from the unfenced areas of the Mill Plain farm "back through belts of timber and openings to the 4th Plain." [789]

The Back Plains were the first of the Company's lands to be successfully occupied by American squatters. In March of 1845 James Douglas wrote that a party of Americans had "taken possession of Prairie du The." [790] By 1849 all the land on the Back Plains were in possession of others, The Company did not claim any land or improvements on the Back Plains in the 1846-47 inventory.