Fort Langley

The Store House

The store house is the oldest original building in Canada, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska! 169 years old to be exact! What was inside the storehouse now? Furs (beaver, mink, fox, wolf, lynx, bear, raccoon etc.), blankets, and other artifacts from Fort Langley. Sam so badly wanted a picture of the furs. I didn't get a very good one and your guess is as good as mine as to what Sam is doing in the picture...

Yesterday, on Sam's birthday, I was privileged to be able to go with the 3rd graders to Fort Langley. What a fun field trip! We got off to a slooooow start at the border though. Apparently, Canada didn't want us in their country yesterday. It took us about an hour and a half to get through the border! The teachers were inside the building and four of us moms were on the bus with 63 3rd graders! I have to admit they were really good, but getting restless none the less. I was just hoping someone wasn't going to say they needed to go to the bathroom. All it would have taken was one saying they needed to go and that whole bus would've needed to go. Finally we were given the go ahead and it was off to the fort. Fort Langley kindly still gave us the "2 hour tour". Sam LOVED this field trip, right up his alley for sure.

Sam's class, notice they dressed the part, too cute! And his teacher could have been mistaken for Laura Ingalls Wilder.


Our group started at the blacksmiths. A fire was started from flint and tender, made really hot, and then the guide made a hook out of metal for the class. They had to earn the hook by answering six questions right at the end of the tour.

This is the "Big House" where the "boss" of the fort lived. The kids were surprised at how small the furniture was and that the kitchen was outside.

They were also surprised to learn that the children who lived at the fort started working by age five. They also had to know five languages by that age (English, French, Hawaiian, Native, and Chinook Jargon). Sam was excited to learn that he knew some Chinook Jargon thanks to papa. "That table is skookum!" (sp?) Here were some of their jobs:

Fun at first, but hard work! They decided they could maybe do these jobs for 6 hours a day but not 12 like the Fort Langley children had to do. I think they realized they have it pretty easy when it comes to chores these days. Lots and lots of fun had and a great way to spend your 9th birthday! Sam wants to come back in the summer when you can pan for gold! They answered the questions right and earned the hook too.
Oh, and no problems getting back into the States...nice and easy...phew!