Originally built by Pacific Fur Co. in 1811 at the mouth of Columbia river, site of present Astoria. Was purchased by North West Co. in October 1813 from Pacific Fur Co. and the name changed to Fort George. It was restored to the United States by Treaty of Ghent 1818. Was one of the forts for which the Hudson's Bay Co. claimed indemnity in 1865. Shown on Devine Map of Crown Lands 1857 (No. 12) and Blackie map North America 1845 (No. 22) also Arrowsmith No. 100 and 101. The site was changed by McLoughlin in 1824 to north side of Columbia river, 7 miles above the mouth of Willamette river, where a fort was erected 1825 and called Fort Vancouver. Five years later, 1830, another site was selected 1 mile west of the first fort and nearer the river. This was McLoughlin's headquarters. By the convention between the United states and Great Britain, Oct. 2, 1818, the Oregon Country was to be free and open to all for ten years joint occupancy. In 1827 the occupancy was made indefinite, but was terminated by the Treaty 1846 which defined the boundary as the 49th parallel. During the time of joint occupancy, the Hudson's Bay Co. established a new site for fort Astoria as above, acquired from the North West Co. Officers of the U. S Army took possession of the fort in 1849-50. It was sometimes called fort Clatsap (Map No. 101).