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Vancouver, city (1990 pop. 46,380), seat of Clark co., SW Wash., on the Columbia River opposite Portland, Oreg., with which it is connected by bridges; inc. 1857. An important deepwater port, it has an extensive shipping industry, many lumber mills, and an enormous grain elevator. Power from the nearby Bonneville Dam supplies its industries; manufactures include aluminum goods, paper products, telephone equipment, and sportswear. It was founded by the Hudson's Bay Company as Fort Vancouver in 182526 (see McLoughlin, John). After the area was ceded to the United States in 1846, the U.S. army established (1849) a fort there, which remains in operation. Vancouver has an art gallery, a sports stadium, and the large Stanley Park, with an aquarium, arboretum, and zoo. It is also the headquarters for Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Historic attractions include Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (see National Parks and Monuments, table); Covington House (1845), one of the oldest houses in the state; and the Ulysses S. Grant house and museum.
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