Vancouver Barracks

Established in 1849 after the Whitman Massacre in Walla Walla [1], Vancouver Barracks has played an important role in the U.S. Army for over a century. It was the central command post during the Northwest Indian Wars, and it was a mobilization center during the Spanish-American War and both World Wars.

Though some limited units are still stationed here, the Army Reserve’s 104th Training Division will be transferred to Fort Lewis in the fall of 2009 and the Army will transfer several World War I–era barracks to the city for public use.

Take a stroll down the sun-speckled, tree-lined Barnes Street and McClellan and Hatheway Roads to get a close look at the picturesque brick structures built around the turn of the 20th century.